Circle Hooks on Tip Ups

[cRaPpiEMaN8265]

what do you all think of putting some red circle hooks on tip ups for northerns bass and possible a walleye? Thanks for your opinions..

Ryan

[mpester]

I use them all season long since I like catching pike but I do not like cleaning them. Most fish are hooked in the corner of the mouth so they can be released with little harm. I use a mono leader and I rarely have a bight off. My hook-up percentage is only about 75% but almost all the pike swim off healthy. I think I would hook more fish with a J hook or a treble hook but I would also kill more fish.

[I_Got_One]

75 percent is a pretty good hook up ratio on tip-up even if you are only counting the flags that have fish on them when you get there.

[jwhjr]

I started using them on my tip-ups this year and so far I'm impressed. As stated, they're hooked right in the corner of the mouth and are easy to remove to get them back in the water quickly. If you plan on releasing most of them I would think that the circle hooks are the way to go.

[sjburnt]

.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Do you "set" the hook right away or after they have run with it for a while?

[jwhjr]

I was told you don't need to set the hook, but I still let them run a bit and then set it to be sure.

[Coon]

 Originally Posted By: sjburnt

Uh - have I really missed it? I have never seen a red circle hook. Man. I gotta get out more! Thanks!

was just looking at some red ones today in the cabelas catalog

[TurnUpTheFishing]

I tried it for a trip walleye fishing. I caught one pike right in the corner of the mouth but missed a few others which I would bet were walleyes. After the few missed fish I switched back to a regular hook and picked up a few small walleyes. I dont think the circle hooks set very well into the smaller fish. They way circle hooks work you're suppose to grab the line and let the fish run and set the hook, there is no actual hookset by the fisherman.

[Ralph Wiggum]

 Originally Posted By: TurnUpTheFishing

They way circle hooks work you're suppose to grab the line and let the fish run and set the hook, there is no actual hookset by the fisherman.

I understand that, but do you grab the line as soon as you get there, or do you let it run for a bit first?

[Random guy]

For pike:

They work great on the smaller pike but not on the larger pike.

My theory is the larger pike have longer teeth that when the pikes mouth is closed contact upper and lower jaw lines. To best explain it larger pike have teeth similar to a K9, when the mouth is closed those teeth come together and do not allow the line to go to the corner of a pikes mouth defeting the purpose and function of a circle hook. Now instead of going to the corner and turning you have a hook with a bent point sliding out the front end of a pikes mouth. Granted some get hooked but I would have to bet circle hooks will hook smaller pike and tend to miss larger pike. I gave them a good try last year and quit using them after a few lost pike and a couple landed just barely hooked in the front end of the upper side.

For bass I bet they work great.