Circle hooks?

[teamchachi]

All this debate concerning catch and release got me doing some reading. It sounds like one great way to reduce salmon mortality is to employ circle hooks and lures (instead of bait). Research shows that circle hooks almost always result in fish getting hooked in the corner of the mouth, instead of being swallowed, gills, etc.

I've never tried them, but my reading has me wondering....

Can anybody with circle hook experience comment?

 

[scott craven]

search the forum under "circle hook"
there was a thread going on earlier this week

 

[Drewski Canuck]

Yep, that was me preaching to everyone about circle hooks. Down on Florida, where I lived as an economic refugee for a while, circle hooks are used for trolling for marlin, sailfish, etc. Trust me, they work like a darn!. You will get sets in the bottom of the chin, the top of the jaw, and the corner of the mouth. All hookups are solid no matter how much top water action goes on.

Give it a try on a #4 Coyote spoon. Works great.

Drewski

 

[Drewski Canuck]

Yep, that was me preaching to everyone about circle hooks. Down on Florida, where I lived as an economic refugee for a while, circle hooks are used for trolling for marlin, sailfish, etc. Trust me, they work like a darn!. You will get sets in the bottom of the chin, the top of the jaw, and the corner of the mouth. All hookups are solid no matter how much top water action goes on.

Give it a try on a #4 Coyote spoon. Works great.

Drewski

 

[teamchachi]

I'm going to! I live in Calgary, so I only get on the water 3-4 times per year. I catch & release a fair number of fish so I'm always looking to keep mortality as low as possible

Do you typically attach the circle hook directly to the split ring, or do you throw a small barrel swivel in between the hook and spoon?

 

[teamchachi]

I'm going to! I live in Calgary, so I only get on the water 3-4 times per year. I catch & release a fair number of fish so I'm always looking to keep mortality as low as possible

Do you typically attach the circle hook directly to the split ring, or do you throw a small barrel swivel in between the hook and spoon?

 

[Drewski Canuck]

For the spoons, I simply put the hook on a split ring. IFFFFF you can open the eye, and get it closed again (which is tough given how brittle the metal is usually) a swivel is great. For plugs, just do a snell knot, run a long trailer, and do a second smaller (say 5/0 - 2/0) on anothe rsnell knot, with a few big beads between the inside hook and the body of the Tomic Mother of Pearl plug.

I'm from Edmonton, and I change all my Rapalas and Ripplin redfins over to circle hooks for walleye. The secret for plugs with fixed hooks is one hook faces one way, and the back hook the other. Use only 2 as the balance has to be between the two rear hooks.

Drewski

 

[explorer]

Do the fish get hooked up as often on a rapala? or a coyote spoon?
It seems to me that many of the fish we catch bite a coyote spoon out of reaction and dont swallow it. I have onlyfished circle hooks for halibut where they hook themselves, how would a circle hook work on a downrigger?
This is a completely foreign concept to me, and I am curious if it really works well?

 

[Drewski Canuck]

Yes, Circle hooks work great on a downrigger. Bsically, once the hook sets, it stays in even with the line going slack. This is the advantage over a barbless hook of any kind. A straight pull backward will not dislodge the cirlce hook. As for hookups. I took a 10 pound pike on a circle hook rigged plug.

Try it, you will understand.

Drewski