Treble hooks for bait legal now.. anyone using 'em?

[mainbutter]

I know treble hooks are popular in other parts of the country for catfishing, in particular when using those tubes you can stuff with stinkbait, or when using chicken livers.

Anyone converted to using trebles in their catting setups this year?

[pushbutton]

I could see them useful for certain types of bait like you mentioned, but I have never much of a fan of trebles, and and often change them out on lures. Would rather try to get a good hookset from one bigger hook than a half hearted set from 3 smaller ones. Having said that, for how slow the bite has been for me this year, would be willing to try anything........

[davidbigreelz]

i never really understood why Mn banned trebles anyway. I understand the arguments against em but those can be made about hooks period.(throat hooking, eyes, ect) I think trebles can be utilized most on baits that tend to fall apart like those stinkbaits you mentioned and dough style baits for carp ect.

[bobbymalone]

Haven't had a problem with circles and the occasional J hook.

not changing anytime soon.

those dip baits with the tube have always been legal as it is a 'lure'. same with those 'furry thangs' TCF makes. at least that's how i interpreted it. if a bead and a blade is good enough for a quickstrike, I'd say a bit of plastic tube is good enough.

[davidbigreelz]

the tube stuff is considered a lure, the new rig is called a "single tackle configuration" it can be found on page 9 of the new reg book.

here is a copy/paste excerpt.

Hooks,Lures and Tackle Configurations

Single Tackle Configuration.

Anglers may use up to three single or multiplepronged(example - treble) hooks on a line used as a single tackle configuration attached to the end of a fishing line(Examples – crawler harness, quick-strike rig. See pictures on page 63).

Note: a single tackle configuration cannot be used on designated trout streams and lakes.

-The total length of the single tackle configuration from the first hook to the last hook must be nine inches or less.

-Anglers may use live, artificial, preserved, or dead bait that is lawful to use(see page 12).

- This single tackle configuration is not considered an artificial fly or lure/bait, and no additional hooks may be used. Adding a bead, blade, or spinner does not make it into an artificial lure/bait.

Thats the entire new reg copied right from the pdf page 9. here is the link. So they made an actual definition recognition between "lures" and "tackle configurations", it seems like the difference is that lures are now baught and tackle configurations are now made. Anybody have a better explenation?

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/fishing/fishing2012.pdf

[DTro]

Not a fan of treble hooks or dip/punch bait.

[davidbigreelz]

I personally think a circle/octo style will provide better hookups, and a better release rate for those who don't plan on harvesting a catch. And its just easier to get out of their mouths! If a hook does go deep its far easier to get a single hook out(if you don't wanna cut the line) then a treble. But each hook has its place/rig

[DTro]

Circle hooks however, DO account for MANY blind channel cats.

[davidbigreelz]

oh, i spose i haven't had that problem, but then again looking at the log numbers you have posted i spose i havent spent that much time on the water either lol.

[DTro]

Well, a blind cat is probably better than a dead cat. Unless you plan to eat it.

I probably see approx 10 circle hooks through an eyeball each year.

[davidbigreelz]

lately, and late lat summer i started experimenting with using long shank hooks, the kinds for holding plastic worms for bassin', for cut bait. Ive been cutting it into strips, 3/4" wide X 3-4" long then feeding it onto the hook so it flaps and waves rather than just beeing a junk o fish on the bottom. seems to work, except this mornin at the cr dam something with teeth swiped it lol.

[goblueM]

Circle hooks however, DO account for MANY blind channel cats.

Dtro, have any insight as to why this happens specifically with channel catfish? I documented catches this year using J hooks versus circle hooks, catch rates for channel cats were higher on circle hooks than catch rates for flatheads, and also had a higher rate of getting hooked in the eye by circle hooks than any other species

I have my theories but curious to hear other opinions

[DTro]

Mostly I think it's the size of the hook that is used. A larger hook will have a wider gap by default. It will have a better hookup ratio, but because of the physics of it, when it turns and does what it is supposed to do, it lines up perfectly where the eyeball is.

A smaller circle hook will help quite a bit, but then you are running the risk of straightening your hook out on a big fish and also a bit lower hookup ratio.

The Catch22 is that the way a cat takes the bait it's tough to beat a circle hook.

[goblueM]

I'm talking about equal hook-gaps though. Same gap between my J-hooks and my circle hooks, specifically designed that way to avoid issues arising from different gap lengths. Still a much higher rate of eye hooking on channel cats with circles than with J's.

I was down on Buggs Island talking to jugline anglers and they were catching tiny (10-12 inch) channels on their jugs using 9/0 circle hooks, and most of em were hooked right thru the eye. Pretty amazing, really

[davidbigreelz]

Maybe because when cats hit and turn, if the circle moves when they first bite down, so the point goes outside of their lip(if it is an offset circle) it just slides to where it can sink in easiest since they are "self setting" the easiest place to go in on the head would be the eye socket it seems to me.

in this pdf and a few other places ive read they say the greater the offset of the point, the greater the chance of injuring fish.

http://catchandrelease.org/SFEF-170_web.pdf

[Scott M]

With eyes on the side of the body, it just seems like channel catfish get nailed by circles in the eye more than flatheads.

Must be something about the morphology of the animals. Don't know if there are differences in the ratios/distances between the eye and the corner of the mouth, or if the gap size matches up to a larger range of body sizes of channel catfish that are susceptible to this type of injury, but it seems more common with channel cats.

I don't let blind channel catfish trouble me too much. Eyes on catfish are about as useful as a screen door in a submarine.

[Gordie]

I don't let blind channel catfish trouble me too much. Eyes on catfish are about as useful as a screen door in a submarine.

You can take that to the bank.