circle hooks

[walleyewacker]

Has anyone used or experimented with circle hooks for live bait rigs to reduce deep hook sets? I used them all winter and couldnt believe the difference. Hooks are almost always burried in the edge of the lip which also reduces teeth wear on line. Just wondering if anyone has any experience pulling them open water. Thanks.

[Mike Walerak]

I have used them some with slip bobbers. They seem to work. I have never had one down in the gut. Missed a few fish with them, but not any more than usual. I have not tried them with live bait rigs yet.
mw

[This message has been edited by Mike Walerak (edited 05-04-2004).]

[This message has been edited by Mike Walerak (edited 05-04-2004).]

[This message has been edited by Mike Walerak (edited 05-04-2004).]

[ccarlson]

I've used them some for live bait rigging. I tend to set the hook harder though which doesn't work with circle hooks so I use them more for my wife and kids who start reeling without as much of a hookset. They work great for them.

The key is to use a larger size hook, or place the bait on the hook so that there is an adequate gap. For example, if the head of minnow takes up the gap of the hook, then the hooking qualities of the circle hook will not work. The hook needs room to turn as it is being pulled from the fish so it can set itself into the outer edge of the mouth.

Like the other poster, I do like them for slip bobbering a lot in deep water where slack line makes a good hookset difficult.

They work great. You just need to experiment with the hookset and hook size.

ccarlson

[fishin5]

I started using circle hooks for big cats in Nebraska about 5 years ago. I had such good luck with them that I started looking for them in smaller sizes for walleye. They weren't availible for a long time but now.....Gamagatzu is even making glow ones!
I was really sold on em during the summer of 2001 at mil lacs. It was really nice not having to bring all those nice fish in the boat to release them. Hook was right in the corner of the mouth.
I have to remind myself to tame down the hook set every now and then but for kids....they work great.
Earlier poster was right, you do need a larger hook size.

[slick814]

LOVE THEM!!
I started using them this winter, and have been trying them this spring with awesome results so far.
I made a couple of live bait spinner rigs set up with smaller circles as stinger hooks, and I'm looking forward to giving them a try on opener.
So far, though, I'd say that they're the best hooks for c-n-r and just all around not gut hooking fish that I've ever tried.

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