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Being an old school fisherman I have always used J hooks for my adventures on the water. However, I have recently became interested in circle hooks after reading about them and was wondering what the members here think. Having a few years on this old body, (75) my reflexes are not what they once were and I'm thinking circles might help with my slower bite to hook set reaction.
Like any tool, they have their place and time.
I like them (Owner Mutu- Light) for situations where the fish are biting hard and turning away.
So often when they run they hook themselves!
All depends on the type of fish I'm fishing for and what presentation. J hooks are notorious for "gut hooking" fish. So if I'm fishing a live jumbo shrimp for a bull red or a snook out of season then its 100% a circle hook so I have the best chance to let them go with the least amount of harm possible. Also if I'm free lining a bait for anything other than a king or spanish I will use a circle hook. Dead bait on the bottom and I go with a J hook. If you do fish a circle hook it will take a little getting use to. You don't set the hook, just reel tight and let the hook do what its designed for.
Only in the last few years have I been using circle hooks, primarily. It took some getting used to, since I was used to setting the hook on the first good nibble (whiting, for example). I missed some. But once you get the hang of it and wait until the rod bends, you get a good hook set most of the time.
I imagine that it would be quite frustrating to be out of time with the fish-bite and it may well be, Big Dawg, that circle hooks will help you with your hook sets.
If I had not tried circle hooks yet, I'd give it a try when the whiting/croakers were biting fairly well in the surf, to get the hang of it.
I have been using a small circle hook for whiting and it seems the fish pretty much hook themselves. So far no complaints with them.
I use them a lot and like them because the fish rarely swallow the hook. Better for catch and release and even just unhooking fish in genera. For the whiting bite this time of year circles are really the way to go.
Like bigboyjames says. I've used circle hooks for redfish for several years and with cut bait on the bottom. I can't remember the last time the fish didn't hook themselves and always in the corner of the mouth. No swallowing, and trying to reach in with a hook remover or cutting your line. I only use them on redfish as I'm also successful with other types J/ treble, depending whether I'm holding the rod or leaning it against the rail. I'd definitely try 'em you'll like 'em.