Circle Hooks

I am always amazed the effectiveness of circle hooks for sturgeon. Does anyone have any other applications for circle hooks?
Thanks Bob

I mainly fish for walleyes and never use live bait anymore but I used to fish for channel cats a lot and circle hooks are all I’ve used since 2002 when fishing for them. Circle hooks work so well at almost totally eliminating deep hooksets that may harm a fish that I’d never go back to a J-hook for channel cats.

They are great for catfish. I have used them before walleye fishing and have caught fish on them. I lost quite a few eyes on them also. Could be because of my inexperience using them.

I once took a tarpon trip in Puerto Rico, and we used live sardines on circles.

I use circle hooks when fishing for catfish during their spawn. Leach under a slip bobber. No hookset needed. Just swee the rod casually and reel. Corner of mouth every time. Little hooks too. Great fum on a salmon head noodle rod. Dad used to use a flimsy fly rod. Makes a guy giggle a bit.

Has anyone used circle hooks on crawler harnesses behind bottom bouncers. In theory it should work since the walleye usually grab on and the movement of the boat sets the hook. Maybe I’ll tie some this winter and try them next spring. If I do I’ll let you know.

Catfish. I rarely fish with bait, unless I am on the red river (Which I live on, so it’s not always too rare) I’m a big fly/ artificial lure fisherman, but that isn’t much of an option for the catfish in 2″ visibility water. I have found circle hooks extremely useful when I’m fishing with egg flies for steelhead, as you don’t always feel the bite at first. I haven’t ever gut hooked a fish on a circle hook yet, and I don’t plan on it happening any time soon. Circle hooks work great for fish with rubbery mouths; they’re a must when you’re using bait. I don’t think they work too well for walleye/ other toothy fish but you could give it a try.

-AW

When you fish halibut in Alaska I am pretty sure the law requires the use of circle hooks, in fact you can dang near feel the hook slide out of their throats. One charter required you to leave the rods in the holders and simply reel until the fish was hooked. I love to fish night crawlers on the Mississippi for cats with circle hooks, they grab the bait, swallow it then turn down river. The circle hooks do their job and inevitably everyone is hooked in the corner of the mouth. Circle hooks simply require a relearning as to the hook set. I have used them on Mille Lacs for bobber fishing walleyes and am not sure why they are not mandatory either by the DNR or the charter operators. It would definitely cut down on the hooking mortality, of course if people could learn not to tighten up the line and jerk.

I tried them once on Mille Lacs on lindy rigs. My hookup rate was probably 10-20%. I would bet I was using too small of a hook so I’d be interested in trying it again. And no, I was not setting the hook. I use circle hooks exclusively for Sturgeon so I’m fully aware of how to fish with them.