Circle Hooks
June 23rd, 2010 Posted in OutdoorWhile the “J.” style hook remains one of the most popular hooks on the market, the circle hook has also gained a lot of attention over the last 10 years. In fact, many anglers have discovered the circle hook can increase the likelihood that of fish will survive a catch and release.
These hooks are designed to catch in the corner of the mouth of the fish. Between 95% and 100% of the time they work exactly that way. This even applies if the fish has completely swallowed the hook. Because of the mechanics, this type of hook slips through the gullet and does not catch on soft tissue. In fact, when properly done the hook will hit the corner of the mouth, kicks over, and the point catches and penetrates.
The key to accomplishing a proper set hook with the circle hook is to avoid setting it. In fact, more anglers go wrong the first few times they use circle hooks. Anglers have become so accustomed to setting a hook, that they often have difficulty overcoming the urge to rear back fast and hard as soon as they feel a strike. The most effective way to use this hook, is once you feel the fish fight slowly lift your rod tip and fight with your fish. While this might seem like a fairly simple process, the secret to making it work is to resist the urge to set the hook.
Whether you prefer to use live bait or dead bait, these hooks will work. Using the appropriate sized hook will also help. It is important to keep in mind that this should be sufficient exposure of the hook point to prevent the bait from interfering with the action of the circle hook as it pulls against the jaw of a fish.
To get a visual of how the circle hook works, there is a fairly simple method. You will need a 24 inch piece of fishing line, and a salt water circle hook. Once you’ve gathered them, raise your hand in front of you and create a “V.” with your hand and thumb. While you’re holding the line, simply drop the hook on the palm side while the line lies across the “V.”. This will give you a visual image of what the hook looks like inside the fish’s mouth. We’ll assume that the “V.” is the corner of the mouth. Your next step will be to pull the fishing line very slowly while drawing the hook up your palm. What you should see is the hook gradually rotating towards the hook point, with the point now being exposed to your skin. Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of why the traditional hook set does not work.
One of the benefits of circle hooks is that it’s pretty hard to shake them loose from fighting fish. The closed edge does not allow the hook to back out of the job. Overall, this is a great hook design. Once you resist the urge to hook, you’ll find that you save money on lost hooks that wind up in the gut a fish and you’ll also be able to help sustain your fishing area by releasing fish with a strong chance of survival.
When you are out saltwater fishing it is important to make sure you have the right supplies. Some of the most popular brands include Shimano Fishing Reels, Penn Fishing Reels, and Daiwa Reels.
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