Circle Hooks - How often do you use them?


maxcjs0101

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How often do you guys use circle hooks as per the title? And if you do, how do you actually reel the fish in? Am asking as i usually use J hooks and would like to know the hook up rates (i often fish for barramundis/Mangrove Jacks/Snappers) and how to reel it in when you detect a bite.

Here are my recent catches during the weekend.

Thanks!

3D9E54E2-74A9-469B-A4F1-0C743A544A00.jpeg

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  • 2 weeks later...

For bigger fish I am a fan of circle hooks...alot harder for the fish to dislodge....they dont look right..but very effective

Nice catch there  

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  • 8 months later...

I use circle hooks in south Louisiana for inshore fishing- targeting redfish and trout. But if I bring a newbie on board they get a Kahle hook, since it is self setting.

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I use only circle hooks offshore here in SE Florida. I've not noticed any additional loss of fish compared to J hooks I use to use many years ago.

The thing about circle hooks is you don't "set the hook" like a J hook. If you do, you'll pull it right out of the fish's mouth. Instead you just reel. That's right, just reel up tight to the fish and keep reeling.  You want the hook sliding to the corner of the mouth where the point will grab and fight away. 

The whole point of circle hooks is to keep from gut hooking the fish. Started in the billfish tournament so the fish could be released unharmed. I've only had a few out of hundreds of fish gut hooked with the circle. And that includes bottom fishing for snapper and grouper along with trolling for sails and dolphin. 

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40 Palms hit the nail on the head. We use circles whenever targeting white marlin and have no issues staying hooked up as long as you keep tension on the line and the rod tip up. You open the door to losing the fish whenever you let too much slack into the line, either through the path of the fish/boat or through dropping the rod tip.

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