Circles + Live Bait = Flatheads

[mainbutter]

Thanks for the post with the pics of different circle hooks shack! Great example of variation between hook styles.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

It comes down to whatever you're most comfortable with. I used to use circle hooks and mono line for Flatheads a couple years ago and actually caught a number of fish but my hook up rate was poor. Last Spring I switched it up to braided line with a nice sized j-hook and my hookup rate shot sky high.

Here's a question for you Shack: When using circles do you still engage your clicker? I have found this works good for me with circle hooks when targeting Channel Cats. I let the clicker run, then close the clicker, reel up any slack, and then lift at a 45 degree angle while reeling at the same time.

[Gordie]

How about calling him the "Circle Jerk".... oh wait that's something else altogether

The only problem with this name is typaclly there is no jerk when setting the rod and I would never can my extreme net guy a circle jerk anyway more like the tippy toed three fingerd extreme net guy

and shack did you say you were trying to find feeding fish or were you saying you were feeding the fish

[Shack]

You know I hate feeding all those flatheads with someone else's bullies. But that darn J style hook could not keep itself from pulling out when hooked in the back of a bully during mid-flight. Thus the explanation of this image:

Never did loose even one on my circle rod.

[phishnerd]

Shack-

I'm with ya on the circle hooks I use circles and only circles when I'm cattin'. In the past I wasn't always confident with setting the hook. Too hard, too soft, to the side, over head? Backwater Eddie was actually the one to turn me on to circle hooks over in ND about 6 years ago. I have been using them ever since and haven't looked back. Sure I've lost a few fish over the years, who hasn't, some were big and some were small but overall I think that I hook more fish with circles than with other styles. But what works well for one person might not work as well for another. I think that using circle hooks reduces a few variables as far as hook sets are concerned but I'm sure that's debatable as well Rod selection is even more crucial with circles IMO. I put a 41 in the boat on pool 2 sunday night using a 6/0 Gammy circle and I actually broke the hook trying to get it out of the corner the fishes mouth! I say use whatever gives you confidence. Different strokes for different folks!!

[TCcat]

Yo Shack, I have to agree that circles are really effective. I've caught some monster flats on big circles and am very confident in their abilities. with that being said, I do use j hooks pretty often for flats as well. Basically I evaluate the spot I'm fishing and then choose accordingly. If I am fishing an area with snag potential close bye I'll usually fish j hooks so i can pop them before they get wrapped up. If I am fishing a spot where I can get a few extra seconds to get that circle hook into position I'll usually fish those. Both have solid hook up ratios.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I really like the octopus circle hooks in larger sizes like 8/0 for Channel Cats. They definitely work great for me with cut bait.

My girlfriend uses the same hooks with live bait for Flatheads and she has problems hooking into fish but I don't blame the hook I blame her reel. She has no clicker and doesn't feel comfortable opening up the drag. We still to this day haven't really found a good successful way to get her into more fish with her clickerless reel. I'm thinking about trying a straight up circle hook such as the 7/0 Team Catfish hooks that I used to use for Flatheads with a tight line and had mediocre success.

[Blue Kayak]

Hi Jeff, I have a clickerless bait casting reel with 80 pound Power Pro line. I set the drag low and then tighten it down when a fish takes it. That has worked well for me when using circle hooks.

[Larry FlatCaster]

I really like the octopus circle hooks in larger sizes like 8/0 for Channel Cats. They definitely work great for me with cut bait.

My girlfriend uses the same hooks with live bait for Flatheads and she has problems hooking into fish but I don't blame the hook I blame her reel. She has no clicker and doesn't feel comfortable opening up the drag. We still to this day haven't really found a good successful way to get her into more fish with her clickerless reel. I'm thinking about trying a straight up circle hook such as the 7/0 Team Catfish hooks that I used to use for Flatheads with a tight line and had mediocre success.

Is there some reason you guys don't get a reel with a clicker? Sounds pretty simple for the amount of fishing that you guys do...

[tweedlap]

The noise is annoying.

tweed

It is peaceful sitting on the river in the dark. Fish are surfacing, the

gar are eating minnows and then the annoying clicker starts to make "noise".

[Gordie]

yea its like the guy in California when he turns on his blinker "whats that clicken noise"

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Is there some reason you guys don't get a reel with a clicker? Sounds pretty simple for the amount of fishing that you guys do...

Moneys tight man I can't work yet because of illness and we are both college students.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Hey minnesnowtaWild. If you ever happen to get down torwrd Spirit Lake stop in FFO across from Pure Fishing. I just picked up a couple big game rods and a couple of Skakespear tidewaters reels for a grand total of 60 all together. I have a couple other tidewaters I have been using for a few years never had a problem with one even though they are reconditioned. Just an idea

[Larry FlatCaster]

Is there some reason you guys don't get a reel with a clicker? Sounds pretty simple for the amount of fishing that you guys do...

[Shack]

Quote:

I remember those days..... 2 Ramen and 1 can of Corn for lunch kept me going for a long time.

I was going to say.

[Carp-fisher]

I'm wary of circle hooks for flatheads. I've used them several times, had a bunch of runs and missed all flatties...hooked up with channels though...that was enough for me. The big difference for flatheads is that they suck the bait into their gullets on the strike. So for the circle hook to actually hook up, it needs to pop out of the bait and catch the fish in the corner of the mouth. The In Fisherman guys wrote an article about this either last year or the year before and advocated using a two hook rig for flats: one small hook to actually hook the bait and a larger circle hook a few inches up the line to hook the flathead on the strike. I know SteveD wrote a piece recommending a double hook rig with 2 circle hooks. Either way, its too much work for me, and besides I love to set the hook into a moving tank...

[Gordie]

Quote:

I remember those days..... 2 Ramen and 1 can of Corn for lunch kept me going for a long time.

and half of the corn was for fishin

[rbs]

I don't have all the experience that you guys have but have been fishing Flatheads for a number of years, and fishing them more and more all the time. A couple years ago I bought some eagle claw circle hooks and started using them. My hook-up ratio went WAY up as far as I could tell. I prefer the hook that I just recently purchased which is a 8/0 gami circle. I maybe(not sure) fish them a little different then some as I fish them with my reel on free spool and have my clicker on. I let them run for a little bit and put my rod at about 30deg to 45deg and engage the reel and hold on. After fighting the fish for just a couple seconds I actually give it a good hook set...reason being that I think it just sets the hook in a little farther and if I pull the hook out I probably would have lost it anyways altho that has only happened a couple times over the last couple years.