# circle hooks, whats the deal?



## 01mercLS (Oct 28, 2006)

Im not having problems with circle hooks but other people that I introduce circle hooks to have problems with them. Crank dont yank, that the saying. A lot of my friends are having problems with it, the say it doesnt work out for them, I dont know if they aren't using it right or not. What hooks are you guys using, what size? I usually use a gamakatsu 6/0. Also Whats the difference between octopus hooks and circle hooks? Is there a difference or what?


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Octopus circle hooks have the bent eye on them, regular circle hooks have a straight shank, I like using Gamakatsu 8/0 circles for most everything we fish for, have never had a failure, and snell everything, even when I run double hooks on the same leader, right now with no current on the Ohio that is my main set-up, running two hooks about 8 inches apart, I'll put Skipjack on one and Shad on the other, most of our fish are coming on Skipjacks this year, I'm currently learning the art of drifting on the Ohio and circles are deadly when drifting, just can't get used to the poles going to the water on a slam dunk hit, even angled up they will bury the tips into the water, but they are always hooked up................Doc


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## 01mercLS (Oct 28, 2006)

On the 8/0 gamakatsu when you hook set are you yanking?


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Nope I let them pull the rod down then break the drag loose, I set the drag prior to fishing by grabbing the line and pull it out of the reel, takes a little bit of effort to pull the line off the reel, once I get to the rod and I'm not in any hurry I get it out of the holder and sweep the rod back slowly till I feel the hook pop in place...........Doc


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## 01mercLS (Oct 28, 2006)

I guess we all have our ways of doing it.


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## neocats1 (Oct 14, 2006)

Wish I could be that lucky. I haven't had anything big enough this year to even come close to bending my rod tips to the water. I gotta find some spots with big fish soon.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

i fish the 7/0 and 8/0 gamakatsu circles for almost all my catfishing anymore, just pick up the rod and tighten down on them and they're stuck


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## ClickerCrazy (Feb 4, 2006)

I cused the things the first year I used them, gave up on them tons of times while my buddy swore by them. They are the only thing I use now, for almost everything, even gills! Alot of people that go out with me have the same problem of wanting to set the hook when they feel the fish. Not saying you cant't do that, but until you get the feel for it, let them hook themselves! Like the Doctor says, let them bend it to the water. If they take off with it, and really want it, they are done for. You will miss alot fewer fish using circles.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

01mercLS said:


> . Crank dont yank, that the saying.


I use Gama Oct Circles from, 5/0 to 8/0 and I would think if someone cranked it would come right out of the cats mouth. Now, I beleive it may be easier to land a fish by crancking using something like Mustad's Demon Circle hooks, just becasue of the way they are designed.


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## 01mercLS (Oct 28, 2006)

Thats what all these websites on the net say. They say to crank dont yank.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

I 100% agree in the "Don't Yank" theory, however I tend to let the rod "load up" then pull back as I get the rod out of the rod holder and then reel it in.


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## 01mercLS (Oct 28, 2006)

so what is the proper way?


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Whatever works the best for you, I fish from a big boat, rod holders out the back and down the gunnels from the front to the rear of the boat, been fishing with circles since 1999 when they first hit the market, had to develop my own style because I was a rip there lips swinger, set the hook hard, Lynn taught me the patience to sit and wait it out, we very seldom miss a fish unless it's a dink, we catch a lot of big Blues and Flatheads that try to rip the poles right out of the rod holders, like I say I let that rod load up before I ever move on it, lift it out of the rod holder, sometimes I have to pry it out of the rod holders because the fish is headed down river but I will always take the rod out flip it on it's side and sweep it back slowly till I see the big arch in the pole, I use Berkley E-Cats #4 7'6" rods that are real stiff, but the tips are very fast, the rod has plenty of backbone, you want a fast tip to set that circle hook into the cats mouth, Lynns poles are Ugly stick heavy boat rods, 6 foot long and her tips are super fast, but the rod has major backbone as she can whip any fish that takes a rod down, time on the water will teach you the technique that you need to develop to make circles successful.........Doc


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## obiefan (Jul 18, 2007)

I seem to have better luck with the circle hooks than regular hooks. I basically wait until I get stripped of bait, or they hook up. For me it seems 50/50 that I'll catch. However, I know I lost 3 decent sized ones tonight using that method.


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## c-orth513 (Feb 1, 2008)

I like circle hooks because the fish hooks itself if it hits it right

Octopus hooks are good, but they are too straight for me, so I bend them forwards a little bit.


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