Circle Hooks?

[KidMoe]

Anyone ever try using small circle hooks for rigging walleyes? I imagine you would need to rig it like the cat fishing rigs. where they rig it with a swivel a foot or more above the slip sinker to stop the line and drive the hook home. Just curious to see if anyone has any experience or reasons it wouldn't work.

[Chode2235]

I use they quite a bit (owner MUTU) for lindy rigging. They work great as you aren't afraid to feed the fish a lot of line, and you dont set the hook either, you just pick up the slack and put the pressure on the fish.

In fact, theyre all I pretty much use for lindy rigging these days.

[mainbutter]

They're all I use anytime I fish bait, live or dead, as long as I'm not baiting a lure (i.e. adding it to a jig).

As stated, don't set the hook.. just reel in the slack and tighten up. It's the ultimate hook for lazy fishing.

[fishinfey8]

Circle hooks are a good way to get kids into fishing. Once they get old enough, then you can teach them how to set the hook. Circle hooks and snoopy poles!

[fishinfey8]

btw - I am not trying to make it sound like circle hooks are for beginner level fisherman. I just wanted to add that piece of information for the people that take kids out fishing. I personally haven't used circle hooks while rigging, so I'm not much help. Good question though...

[Rodbldr4fun]

I use them for Lindy rigs for walleyes all the time. They end up in the lip so you aren't hurting the fish to release them. If they are good on halibut, they should be good for all kinds of species and I have found that true.

[delmuts]

I finally found some panfish size ones this winter.( couldn't find them around here before!)I'm anxious to try them this year for not only the little kids, but on the lindy rigs i use for panfish.

[Ed Carlson]

Anyone ever try using small circle hooks for rigging walleyes? I imagine you would need to rig it like the cat fishing rigs. where they rig it with a swivel a foot or more above the slip sinker to stop the line and drive the hook home. Just curious to see if anyone has any experience or reasons it wouldn't work.

They work very well for rigging and slip float fishing.

A tip is use 1 size larger than you would in the same situation with a circle hook. This increases the gap but will not spook fish. The wider gap does a better job on fish with thicker lips and harder jaws.

Use thin wire circle hooks for walleye, VMC and Gamakatsu are good choices for this purpose.

The next critical tip is REEL to the fish, do not SET the hook.

Simply reel in and once you feel weight then increase the tension but do not JERK the line on the set.

On slip Floats the tension required to pull down a float is generally sufficient to hook up on a fish.

If you JERK/SET the line you risk the hook popping out of the mouth too quickly and missing it's target. Steadily increasing the tension is best.

You will increase you hook up rate with circle hooks and decrease your unintended harvest and lower mortality.

Another overlooked hook style is the Gamakatsu Black Finesse Wide Gap Weedless Hook. This hook excels in weedy and snag rich environments when fishing vigorous baits like Frogs, Willowcats, Shiners, Red Tails, Suckers, Waterdogs, and Creek Chubs. Sizes 1 up to 2 O/T.

They keep the bait on the hook while skirting through the snags. Also a favorite of mine for walleye. You can set the hook as hard as you wish with this style hook.

[Fish Head]

Thats not a bad idea. I've never used them for walleye, only halibut. If I hook a fish deep, I just cut the line and let them go, but this way I wouldn't have to re-tie so much. I think I would miss the fun of setting the hook.

[pureinsanity]

Sinking a circle hook in a fishes mouth is a lot more about finesse in my opinion. Ive missed a lot of hook sets with circle hooks because I did it wrong. It takes practice and the right know how to get it to work for you. This year for cats I'm using circles and regular hooks. No I just have to remember which time I use what!

[DTro]

You don't set the hook with a circle, just apply pressure, or better yet, let the fish do it for you.

I don't like using circles for pannies or smaller fish. Like mentioned above they take out a lot of eyeballs and they don't seem to hook up as well.

But I've used them with good luck for walleyes under a slip bobber. Jigs? not so much.

[Lund03]

Circle hooks are great for using with leeches and minnows on a harness rig. I love it for a dead rod because all i have to do is let it load up and then reel in the fish. I also have a 4 yr old and just have to give him the rod and say crank him in.

[FutbolGuru]

I've frequently used circle hooks over the last few seasons under my walleye tip ups. I've had tremendous success in terms of hooking percentage; they also help with the pike bites, as you hook more pike in the side of the mouth resulting in less break offs (this is bc you don't 'set the hook', but instead 'firmly pull' the hook into the side of the fish's mouth). I have no desire to try them in open water, but would imagine they'd be outstanding for unattended lines lol, kids, and for those who are new to fishing.

[Hookmaster]

I have been using circle hooks for about 7 years now while rigging. I like them. As Ed said, use one size larger than a regular hook (like an octopus). If the gap is too small, it will just pull out of the fishes mouth. One time I missed about 20 fish before I figured this out when I switched to a different brand of circle hook. The fish can swallow the hook, but since the tip is turned in it will come back out (almost all the time) without gut hooking the fish and then get catch the lip or the corner of the mouth. I like circle hooks that are in line not offset. I think the offsets tend to gut hook more. It is a little harder to bait a circle hook. I miss the days of reeling up and "setting the hook" but I prefer to release fish without a hook in the gullet.

[Stick in Mud]

I've been following this thread with interest. I've got a question about using them under a slip bobber....Is it preferable to hold the rod at about 10 o'clock and just start reeling?? Do I reel quickly or more slowly?

[pureinsanity]

Doing it from a bobber I would assume you just start reeling.

I use circles for catfish and I just get the line tight and slowly lift the rod to the side while reeling.

[Chode2235]

Just pick up the rod and put gradual tension on the line. The key is not to jerk/set the hook but just tighten up the line and let the hook do its job.

[Stick in Mud]

Ok, so "putting gradual tension" on the lines means reeling while slowly sweeping the rod....key word being "slowly"?

[Chode2235]

I dont even sweep the rod. Just point the line at the fish and reel up slowly. I guess you can pick up a bit on the rod when you feel the tension, but dont 'sweep' the rod.