# Problems with circle hooks??



## Abu65 (Apr 17, 2004)

The last 3 times Ive been fishing I have had 3 0r more fish come unhooked (each time) on the way to the boat. Now to me this is unexceptable  !!!! I am using cut bait 8/0 Gamakatsu circles. I wait for the rod to load up ease it out of the rod holder and ease back on it. Does this happen to you all? Should this be expected? Am I asking to much any advice would be appreciated!


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

YES! It's been hapening to Flathunter & I all year. We have lost some big fish, but I still think the circles are the way to go. I seem to be having more hook ups on Kahle Circles vs Octopus Circles for some reason.


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## mrfishohio (Apr 5, 2004)

That's all I use for cattin' now. You may have lost some drums. It's also possible to have a bad hookup on any hook too, maybe it was in the soft part of it's lip...
Never can tell, I fish in the river, so I have noticed I'm not snagged up everytime I pull in my rods. With standard hooks I was always snagging the bottom of the river. I'm sure there's some situations where circles aren't the best, but I'm going to continue using them. We've had this debate ( with a fishing buddy) and he went back to them after losing fish on the regular hooks. You may want to "set the hook" a time or two after you know it's really on the line. They do take some getting used to. I know Jack used to swear at them and I never thought I'd see the day he'd use them. I noticed he was, but I never commented...until now 
I'm fishing from a boat and maybe that makes a difference. I do know if the fish is facing you, it will slip right out. So in theory, if you don't have a good hookset at the start, it might pull out under pressure as you pull it in towards you. The circles hook the fish as it slides into it's mouth pulling away from you. If that fish is facing you, it will pop right out.
Where am I going with this?? Beats me, you'd not know you were having a bite if it was coming at you, but maybe the fish is turning before the hook is set..


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

hook your baits lightly sometimes the point of the circle will hook back into the bait and prevent a hookset. Leave as much of the hook exposed as you can..On a piece of cut shad I run the hook thru the bait one time very lightly in the corner of the bait.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I'm going to start setting the hook, once the fish has initially been hooked.


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Agree with all of the above, the cat has to turn for the hook to set proper, if he don't turn the hook is going to pull out and not connect.

Another advantage is to snell the circle it will give you a straight line pull and you will see better hook sets.

Drum and Gar will cause you to miss fish, been there done it so many times, once you feel that hook pop in place reset it again for some insurance, takes a while to get the feel of it but once you do you will know when to set it a second time.

To each his own but I prefer about an 18" leader, some people like them longer some shorter.

When fishing for Channel cats I'll downsize to a 6/0 circle hook, normally when I fish for Flatheads I'll only use an 8/0 circle.

As the rest of the fellows said, hooking the cutbait is very critical or it is going to turn into the bait and your going to miss the fish, packing it in cubes on the hook is one way to avoid failure.

Loading up of the rod is something that has to come with experience, if your using a very stiff tip on the rod it will be prone to failure so you want a soft type tip rod, let it go down and I mean down, once it stays down and the drag has broken loose then go for the rod, I too am fishing from a boat, I run a fairly loose drag on the reels because of the areas of the river we fish Bluecats slam the rods hard while in the holders, so I want the rods drag to break free, It's no fun to watch a rod go down hard and see the rod holder snap off the gunnel and watch them both hit the water, Insane Squad witnessed it first hand it leaves a pain in your gut type of feeling for a long time.

I'm using long rods 8 footers so I very seldom sweep the rod straight back but sweep it off to the side, the rod will be in the holder I'll remove it and then just turn it on it's side and ease it right on back till I see the rod double up, the pole is only about a foot above the gunnel of the boat.


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

Doc I am using heavy action bigcat rods..they have a very stiff tip, why is a softer tip better?


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## Abu65 (Apr 17, 2004)

I to fish out of a boat & snell my hooks. I would not consider my rods heavy they are the medium & heavy Boss rods by J. Moyer the heavy rods were actually designed for circle hooks they have a very soft tip. I had no trouble at all last fall when I started using them. I guess it could be drum as my drum catch has been greatly reduced for some reason. Thanks to all that reply & have replied....abu65


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

If it's anything like trolling for eyes ot crankin for bass, whe you have that hit, the soft tips keeps the hook from ripping out. also helps when fighting the fish.


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Jack,

In my opinion the softer tip allows the hook to set-up in the side of the jaw better, when I first started using them back in 99 I would miss a lot of fish, but we have caught so many fish since that time that my E-cats have gotten soft on the tips, Lynn on the other hand has always used soft tipped rods and she very seldom misses a hook up on a fish, plus it could be because she has way more patience than I do when I see the rod tip bow down.

This subject has been talked about for years on all catfish boards and it seems that the stiffer rods have trouble with the circle hooks, these are just observations that I have seen over the years of being on boards.

Lynn and I very seldom have the problems that most people experience with circle hooks, sure we have lost fish just like everybody else, but most of the times it's a Drum or a gar or a turtle that has done a number on us, and after seeing several posts on here about the Eels I'm thinking those guys also maybe in the mix.

I'm running about a 45 degree angle on our rods, so as the fish turns the tip starts to load up and bends down then as the cat continuies to move away the rod starts to bend down, generally when the hook pops in they will bolt, then our drags have broken loose and the fish is headed down river.

As everyone knows we have had a huge success rate over the years using the circle hooks, and we are still using the same rods, line and reels and the same hooks.


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## sliprig (Apr 6, 2004)

I had problems in the beginning, a short lesson from Doc and I never looked back.

Slip


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## Abu65 (Apr 17, 2004)

I really do not know what to blame, I have no trouble with getting the fish hooked, Ill have it for a few seconds then nothing. Maybe Im not patient enough I just need to wait a little longer before I touch the rod. Thanks again...Abu65


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## zterrell (Jun 7, 2005)

well a 5 or 6 eagle is always better so you can hit the fish 
right!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## catfishhunter33 (Apr 6, 2004)

hhjhjhjhjhjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj
:T


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## flathunter (Apr 5, 2004)

5 0r 6 eagle???? do you mean a 5/0 or 6/0...a 5 or 6 size hook is tiny.


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## zap (Jun 5, 2005)

I don't know....I guess we will all have to find out what works for us better. I read all this ...and tried circles the last couple nights. Tonight, I only put a circle on one rod. In one case, the fish pulled so hard and long, that it turned the rod holder in the ground....(never mind the spade!)...and bent it. I picked up and started to put in pressure...no hook.

Went back to my 4/0 true turns and started catching fish on both rods. <shrug>


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