In-Fisherman has an interesting article about catfish hooks in the February issue. I’m thinking about branching out a bit this year. I’m intrigued by the “Kahle” style hooks. Anyone use them for flatheads? I’m looking at the Lazer Sharp L141 model. Just wondering how big you go. Is 10/0 over kill?
Thanks! 
A kahle hook can still hook a fish too deep, if you let them eat a big bait, but am sure they would be good, if you do not wait too long to set it.
A 10/0 is definitely NOT too big.
good luck.
Jack
Yeah, I wasn’t thinking of them for the purpose of not gut hooking fish. I like the width of the gap–figure it’ll be have more room for Mr. Flathead’s lips! I’m not overly concerned about the actual size of the hook, moreso the thickness of the wire. Don’t want anything too thick.
Thanks for the input.
I’ve used kahle style hooks in the past but still think circle hooks get better hook sets. I remember reading Flathead WI’s website and he uses kahle and has a good technique for hooking bullheads using a kahle style hook maybe he will chime in here.
I’ve used them. 10/0 looks like a monster. Its the size I used, when I was using some large baits. I swung and missed a couple of times. (In all fairness, I probably would have missed using any other hook) So back to the tried and true 10/0 Gama Octopus to boost my confidence back up. I keep them in the arsenal as a back up if I should ever run short on the Gamagatzu.
I use some in 3/0 and 4/0 size with live sunfish, but I prefer the wide-gap hooks with the rounder bend. Not a lot of difference between the two…
Shawn
I am pretty sure the Matt (flatheadWI)uses them. From some of the monsters he has put up. I think we can call them a success.
I dont remember where, but i recently read a study of hook styles and gut hooked fish and kahles topped the list for deep hooking fish. i used to use them on my tip ups in the winter and on the river in the summer because i thought they held more bait while still leaving the point open but it seemed like every other fish was gut hooked. since starting to use circle hooks ive only had one fish swallow the hook and it was a little 10 pound flattie that took my whole 7 inch sucker and 8/0 circle in one gulp.
John (wwg) used them almost exclusively for flatheads last year, and he smoked ’em. He had some thin wired ones, they seemed to penetrate the mouth really well. His hookup percentage was highest of anyone I fished with last year (anyone who I saw swing on a statistically relevant number of fish at least).
I definitely recommend giving them a shot. Ask John for particulars on what brand/size he used if you are interested, as I’m not sure.
Yes as others have said, I’m a Kahle user and have been for about 10 years now. I started with 4/0 on bullheads and have always hooked bullheads through the lips – they work perfectly for that. When I went to using sunfish more, I found some 7/0 Kahles. They work for about everything I ever need them for. I tried the wide-gap hooks but for me they tended to hook back into the bait at a higher rate. What I use are Eagle Claw L141 bronze hooks. You can get 40 of them for under $6.00. 10/0 is overkill for my uses, but if you’re tailhooking bullheads, that’s probably a good size.
Any hook will gut hook a fish that swallows your bait, by the way. The trick is to use a white rod so you can see the hit earlier! 
Thanks! That’s the info I was looking for!
Thanks, Matt.
I was thinking the same thing, if you can hook-up earlier it helps avoid the gut hooked fish. That almost never happens to me, but I don’t use a clicker much and as soon as I detect the bite I hold the rod to see what’s happening.
Shawn
This is the first time I actually looked up a kahle hook on the web. Those are the hooks I normally use for pike. I’ve never used it bottom fishing, but I love using them under a bobber. I like my chances of a solid hookset with that profile when it is vertical. I might have to try them for cats too this year. I think these will give you less chance of a gut hook too, as opposed to a standard J hook.
I didn’t know they made any other kind of hook?
I have been using kahles for many years now,usually in the 3/0 to 10/0 range. Depends on the size of bait I want to use.
I have never had anything other than a lip hooked fish with these.
I think you would have to be sleeping at the stick to get a gut hook with a kahle.
10/0 is my most used size and I catch mostly channels, I just let the rod load up real good before I grab it an the fish usually hooks itself.
I have never got the hang of circles, so I stick with kahles.
You use a 10/0 on channels? Wow!
Quote:
You use a 10/0 on channels? Wow!
After seeing the size of Dave’s channels, I would say that its about right. I’ve seen some pics that make me feel like s a sunday schooler.
Caught plenty of channels on the Red from 18 to 20 lbs and never felt mismatched with a 5/0 circle. 10/0 kahle is, well… Ummm…wow! BIG hook!
Wooo hoooo! First post from my new phone
Never used Kahle’s for flats, but used 2 use them for channels back in the day, always worked good. With the success WWG and others have had on them for flats, it would be worth a try.
Quote:
Wooo hoooo! First post from my new phone
What phone would that be? I’ve been posting from my G1 for a lil’ while now…like when it was slow up on Mille Lacs the other weekend. 
Quote:
Caught plenty of channels on the Red from 18 to 20 lbs and never felt mismatched with a 5/0 circle. 10/0 kahle is, well… Ummm…wow! BIG hook!
It isn’t so much the size of the wire but more the size of the gap that the 10/0 offers. When you got half a 6 inch sucker threaded on there you still want to keep the gap open, and that is where the 10/0 works real good.
Larry, thanks for the vote of confidence. 
Where is it that you’re finding these 10/0 kahles, by the way. It took me several years just to come across the 7/0 size (catfishconnection) that I use more than any. Before that it was 4/0 – 5/0. I’d like to keep some 10/0 around for tossing live mooneyes out there – I’ll occasionally toss bigger baits out and they get hit a lot, but my hooks aren’t big enough for me to capitalize. I also caught and used a lot of perch last season for the first time, and they work great, but they’re thicker in the back and a bigger hook would be nice.
Catfish connection has those king kahles in 10/0 $17.50 for 50 hooks.
Shawn
I get mine here: http://www.barlowstackle.com/
They got good prices and any hook you could ever want.
Quote:
Caught plenty of channels on the Red from 18 to 20 lbs and never felt mismatched with a 5/0 circle. 10/0 kahle is, well… Ummm…wow! BIG hook!
I will agree that a 10/0 kahle is a BIG hook.
I ordered up some 8/0 kahle hooks at 12 cents each. Much cheaper than any of the gamakatsus that I used last year and from what I saw, the hookup potential is pretty good. I used a popular auction site y’all may have heard of – Ebay 
I’m gonna try them out, I think they look sweet. They have a larger gap than a 10/0 octopus hook. Here’s pics of the 8/0 kahle on the left next to a 10/0, 9/0, and 8/0 gamakatsu octopus hook. The second picture is to get an idea of the gap size — the 8/0 kahle has a slightly larger gap than the 10/0 octopus that is inside it:
Cool, Aanderud! Is that and Eagle Claw Kahle hook?
Nah, they are some random unbranded stuff that was made in France, bought em from Ebay. They were 100 for 5.99 bucks, then 6 more bucks for shipping. They arrived fast, and no wonder – they were shipped from a guy in Belle Plaine
It looks like he jacked his price from 5.99 to 6.99 in the last week. So I guess they’re 13 cents a piece now. Still pretty cheap.
Thanks. I was just curious on the size. I know there can be quite some disparity in size going between brands (especially circle hooks). Just trying to decide what size to get.
Quote:
Nah, they are some random unbranded stuff that was made in France, bought em from Ebay.
I personally would be a little cautious about quality when you don’t know what company is making these things. How well does the hookpoint retain sharpness, breakage, bendage, hook eyes straightening, etc, etc.
Not saying that’ll be the case but something to pay attention to until you’ve used them successfully for awhile.
Well, I took the plunge. I’ve got 50-10/0 Lazer Sharp Kahle hooks on the way. Funny how one can drop $154 so quickly at Catfish Connection
Them 50 hooks should last you a few years.
My theory with cats is bigger bait brings bigger cats.
It’s kinda nice when fishing the croix to be able to throw out say a large cut sucker on a 10/0 and on your other line a 3/0 with some liver or night crawler.
Find the little ones with the worms and catch the hogs with the meat!
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
