Circle hooks, How and Why.

[Spotted Grunter]

Here's the link to the video
 
Circle Hook Dynamics

[REEFMAN]

Great post SG! Amazing what guys think of?!! Would never have thought this could work.. the hook working from the outside of the mouth!

[WJ]

Tomma and adam, I guess it was bad luck loosing those previous fish. Tried it again this weekend and worked like a charm. Thanks again for all the help   BTW caugt it on a Diawa Saltist 50 BG and the pinion held, how lucky am I

[FishStyx]

Good one Spotted G!!! Very interesting.

[SAfish]

Great catch, WJ. I am glad to see you finally got your fish. 
Where did you catch the shark in your avatar? It looks like you were using light tackle in a lagoon or river?

[WJ]

Great catch, WJ. I am glad to see you finally got your fish. 
Where did you catch the shark in your avatar? It looks like you were using light tackle in a lagoon or river?

Caugt it on my dropshot outfit in Gonubie River, gave me an big rev....was awesome fun. Hahaha I measured it precaudial 130cm, I heard afterwards you measure Smooth Hounds overall lenght

[Tommo]

Well done WJ! Great to see some good results there. You must have been super stoked!

[WJ]

Ja dammit after having the worst of luck(6 or 7 big fish lost), it was a nice feeling getting something out again. Hehehe hopefully my fishing can now return to normal. Thanks again tommo

[adam]

Lekker fish WJ.  Glad your luck is turning.  I'm in such a "bad luck spell" at the moment

[mukiwa]

great thread tommo,i went over to using circles about 3 and a half years ago and have landed more fish since changing and released a lot more fish with less damage and injuries to the fish.my circle hook of choice is the( Gamakatsu inline octopus circle se) very strong and good value for money i use them for all edibles from from size 12&10 for caddis fly nymph for vaal yellows right up to 8/0s for cob and i have never had to strike or lost a fish since using them.

[WalkersKiller]

Great post Tommo!!!!

Just for interests sake I have seen an 8 kg barbel caught on a 2 circle hook rig...

[krissi]

After reading this post, I decided to try circle hooks this weekend.  I must admit I was very nervous and the other anglers very sceptical.  I started with a 4/0 and a small piece of chokka dangling from the bottom of the hook.  Nothing on the first bait, so I added a small piece of prawn to the back of the hook - a very fiddly process on that curve.  I kept a "don't strike" litany in my head.  First fish, 43cm fishtail barbel - right in the scissors as Tommo described.  I then landed a catface rockcod and shad - all neatly hooked in the scissors.  The shad was on a chokka strip with a red-eye cutlet on the back of the shank. Snoot line was .67 fluoro.  I was using my Stimulator 3.5 and Torium 14 loaded with Whiplash braid - not sure of the breaking strain, but its light.
 
At dusk we moved and I brought out my P5 and grinder, 0.9 fluoro snoot and 6/0 circle.  I baited up with my patagonia squid, trying to get as much of the bait on the back of the shank as possible.  I landed my best catch of the weekend on this bait ------ a 12cm lessor on a 6/0 circle  .  It was SO darn cute and was hooked in the middle of the bottom lip.  I then moved to the beach and kept on with the 6/0 as the other anglers were complaining about the peckers.  I landed a 30cm stumpie and 70cm lessor - again the lessor was hooked in the middle of the bottom lip.
 
I had 8 takes in the compo and landed 7 fish - losing 1 because I struck instinctively.  I have gone from sceptical to sold on circles and will definitely use them from now on.  I am very confident that if I had been using J hooks, I would not have had the success rate that I did.
 
I ran into Dean Pretorius this morning and asked him about baiting circles.  He told me to premake the baits, including using foam, then thread the circle onto the bait - something I am keen to try.  He mentioned that he didn't think circles worked with braid, and was very surprised to hear that I had only fished with braid and caught lessors on circles.  I would like Tommo's opinion on this - in my mind, and having proved it on a small scale, circles would be effective with braid, as the contact is so direct - the fish seems to catch itself as it swims off.  All I did was be patient and then start reeling in slowly until I felt the fish resist.
 
Another question - what is the minimum amount of space needed in the gape for the circle to be effective?  eg 50%

[Half-Pint]

Well after my last week in mazeppa I am completely sold on circle hooks for non eds! I had to guard my traces because the guys were stealing all my circle hook traces! Every fish was hooked in the corner of the mouth, not one hook pulled loose and the gillies loved them because they could put pressure on the leader without fear of tearing the hooks out. When the time came to pull the hook out they came out without any hassle

[ProKayak]

Tomma last week I got 3 pic ups with big baits(sharks). I set the hook, the fish were taking line....and off. Why?
I was using 13/0 Mustad Z-Steel.
Btw respect for a well written and informative post.

What type of trace wire were you using?  Especially with rags, some types of wire gets stuck in their teeth (thickly coated wire) and the hook never sets. 


And a second question that might sound stupid - did your sinker break off?  Around here the rags eat sinkers for some reason.


Wait a bit longer to tighten up with circles.  If the fish is 150m+ out on nylon topshot, don't be afraid to strike with a circle.  The stretch negates this and I get better hookups this way.  Tighten up and give it a couple of hard knocks.

this might be the reason for me [size=78%] missing a couple of good runs......[/size]

[DizZyRaScaL]

Anyone tried circles for deep sea fishing?


Would it be ideal?

[dodger]

Anyone tried circles for deep sea fishing?


Would it be ideal?

yes they work very well, especially if your main line is a mono with stretch the fish hooks itself. We went out with my 6year old Grandson and we rigged my short jigging stick and reel which is loaded with braid with a 2 hook trace made from circles, he lowered the bait and when he got a bait we just said wind, and up came the fish caught in the scissors

[DizZyRaScaL]

Cool. Keen to try it out the next time I go. I assume the hooks should be snelled and not clinched?

[dodger]

Cool. Keen to try it out the next time I go. I assume the hooks should be snelled and not clinched?

yep the line must complete the circle stl


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