# Gamagatsu(sp) circle hooks



## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

Lost my 5 channel this week to these. Hooks.......get the fish about 20' from shore and they shake the hook what gives? I use 30lb mono main with 18lb florocarbon leader slip Sinker set up. What hooks are you guys using? Never had this problem with trebles.....

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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

That's what I use religiously and I rarely lose cats.....maybe you got a bad batch

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## carpslayer (Mar 25, 2012)

Are they breaking or just slipping off?? i just switched to those and I swear bye them..


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

I guess slipping off. I like the quality of them built thick. The fish just seem to shake them loose?????
Don't know the size off hand about the size of a quarter

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## catfish_hunter (May 31, 2005)

what size are you using? I was out the other day and was using 3/0 daiichi circles, I had 3 really good take downs and fish on, I reeled in the fish to the boat and almost landed them but they got off. I switched over to 7/0 gamakatsu circles and didnt lose another fish. I wasnt gettin the hook to actually set into the side of the fishes mouth, we ended up landing 8 channels with none under 4lbs. 

Maybe you need to try a larger hook. Also sometimes the channels will hammer your baits and not get the hook...or the hook could have turned back into the bait...There are many things that could cause the fish to come off...


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## TeamClose (May 23, 2005)

I switched from Gamas a couple yrs ago. I was losing a lot of fish halfway to the boat and the tips of the hooks would bend over really easy. The point in my opinion is to pointy and weak for hooking catfish. A lot of guys still use em but I switched to VMC. They are heavier duty and they are 50 for like $16. They are also tournament approved for billfish touries, so if guys are using them in million $ billfish tournies they can't be too bad.


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## Ðe§perado™ (Apr 15, 2004)

Sounds like your setting the hook and not letting the fish do it on a loaded up rod. I use those hooks along with Owners, never had a problem.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

TeamClose said:


> I switched from Gamas a couple yrs ago. I was losing a lot of fish halfway to the boat and the tips of the hooks would bend over really easy. The point in my opinion is to pointy and weak for hooking catfish.


Are you certain you were using Gamakatsus? Those hooks dont bend in any way, they break. If you had hooks bending, they werent Gamakatsus. 

Gamas are one of the most widely used hooks out there by both professional and weekend anglers, so dont let anyone tell you they dont make a top quality hook. If youre switching from trebles to circles, Desparado is probably right. If youre setting the hook at all, you wont get good hook ups.


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## mr.whiskers (Jul 19, 2009)

I was jug fishn n had prolly a 10lb cat break my hook. Had it bout halfway outta the water n snap! Never had that happen bfor or since


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## Joey209 (Oct 17, 2007)

Ive never had a problem hooking or keeping a fish hooked on Gamakatsus. And Ive never had one bend or break on me either


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## Shaun69007 (Sep 2, 2009)

I wont use anything but Gama octopus circles. The biggest issue i have ever had with them is the fact that you dont "set" the hook. You lift up and start reeling. i wont even pick up the rod unless it goes limp or until it buries. If you set the hook on a finiky bite they will hook up for a second and then gone.


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## FISHIN216 (Mar 18, 2009)

my buddy had this issue because he kept setting the hook....completely unnecessary. Once he started to just reel he had no more issues

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## TeamClose (May 23, 2005)

> Are you certain you were using Gamakatsus? Those hooks dont bend in any way, they break. If you had hooks bending, they werent Gamakatsus.


Yes I am certain lol. A few years ago when they started selling them in 25 packs is when I started having problems. The fish would come off and when reeled in the hook's point would be folded over. Save the comments about checking the hook before throwing it out, as I check for scales everytime and would have had a hard time hooking the bait anyways with the point folded over. To each is own on what hook they use but the Gamas cost me a cpl of tournies so I switched and have not had any issues


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

TeamClose said:


> Yes I am certain lol.


Something had to be wrong. Ive never seen a Gamakatsu, or any chemically sharpened hook for that matter, bend. I have seen them break.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Teamclose, i bet you ended up with a bunch of ebay "gama" copies that many folks got, they were said to be gamas but were copies, I know a bunch of folks ( me included) who had that problem but Im still using them ( gamakatsu's in 3/0, 5/0 and 8/0 sizes) for the last 6-7 years and while I occaisionally loose a fish half way in, I figure it just wasnt hooked good enough or a whisker hook. Same days they take baits real good and Ill hookup and land 20 out of 20, but the next day i may go 4 for 10, just depends. 

I have broke about 3-4 hooks ever ( Gamas) and 1 was on a snag where the tip[ was into something, and the other three were while I was using huge pliers to remove from the bony part of a blue or flathead, if the hook is in the bone, youll easily break any hook. 

Im not saying there the best but they work for me and I highly recommend them ,they work for my style just fine......

Salmonid


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

I have been a diehard Gama fan since 1999 loved there hooks then a couple of years ago we started running into issues with them, broken hooks and yes saw plenty of bent hook points always after a jaw hook or upper roof hook, nothing had changed on my end, but seemed that there quality had really gone down hill, brought several of the packs to work and we put them under the electron Microscope and there was a bunch of imperfections, sent them the hooks they returned with new stuff and still we had problems and again looked at the under the scope and still issues, switched to Mustad circles looked at them under the scope and a big difference between them and Gama. Also using the Bottomdweller hooks with great success.

I know it is only fishing but I hate losing a good fish to a defective hook since I take great care to make sure that all my knots and terminals are in good shape.

I'm like Teamclose check every hook everytime even with the Mustads.........Doc


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## firecat (Apr 7, 2004)

I too had problems with the Gamas they were definitely bending the hook point. They were genuine gamas not knock offs...They definitely had a quality issue for some time...Some of my buddies started sending them back to Gamakatsu and they sent them some hooks back...Bottom line is I check my hook point everytime no matter what type of hook I'm using.....

Larry


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

wow guys, I had always heard there were a ton of "knock Off copies" out there and I know a ton of guys were buying bulk unmarked gammas off of ebay cheap, go figure and I guess Ill have to start checking my hooks more often, but I havent ever noticed any problems with the hooks I have used. Perhaps a increase in steel costs has forced them into using cheaper steel?? Would seem to make sense with increased oil cost directly related to steel cost. Good info guys, thanks...

Salmonid


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## TeamClose (May 23, 2005)

Salmonid - if they were knock offs then Bass Pro was rippin me off! 

I put way to much time, money and effort into fishing to let a hook make a difference in catching or not catching. I'm not the kind of guy that sinks a brush pile in a lake in the winter and then fishes it for 24 hrs straight next spring. I travel all over the country fishing spending thousands of $s, so a hook burns me a cpl of times I look for something better.

Should the VMCs start giving me trouble tmrw I will look for something else. I am very brand loyal but once the product seems to me as compromised I will look elsewhere.

firecat - you better not have any of those damn Gamas tmrw! Ive already watched you have one PIG get the better of you this year! Speaking of that its gotta be that damn Power Pro!lol


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

I don't set the hook, just reel in. The initial set up is not the problem it's when there 20 or so feet from the shore they just shake it loose or something? Kinda pee'd off after waiting a hour or two for a bite then get the fish only to loose it. Where can you buy mustard hooks at? Will deff pick some up. Thanks for the info guys......


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

These were genuine gama's from Wally world


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## firecat (Apr 7, 2004)

Damn your cracking me up.....But unfortunately it might have been those bottomdweller hooks that made me lose that fish. The more and more I look at those I can't help but think that is where that line broke on that hook....Oh well...There is always tomorrow....


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Good Luck tomorrow at the OHCC tourney, Ill be missing some fish up at the St marys tourney, Now Im all paranoid..LOL Thanks for that, now with no notice to replace with some other hooks. BTW which model of the VMC, Owner, Mustads or Bottomdwellers hooks do you guys like. 

Salmonid


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Mark,

Mustad Demon Circle hook 9/0 39951BLN


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

So where can ya get mustard hooks??????


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## Doctor (Apr 5, 2004)

Buy mine mostly on Line, plenty of places carry them


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## rustyfish (Apr 27, 2004)

I always use gamas for cafishing, the octopus and the wide gap hooks but not the circle. And I have never had any problems. I have never bent or broke one on a fish or a snag. With any product from any company there can always be defects or bad batches, but I have never had any so its still the best for my buck.


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## TeamClose (May 23, 2005)

VMC model#7385


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

Greg, I think you are right about the quality going down when the value packs came out. I don't think I had any of those little lazer like cuts on 8/0 Gamas until the value packs came out.

Mike, it's really crazy about the 8/0 Gamas. In certain batches it looks like several small cuts (I mean really small) cuts in the hooks from the shaft all the way up to the point. 

I've never lost a fish to them but if you compare them to the older ones you can see a diference. Of course I've only put in a couple of legit trophy catfishing in the last couple years though, lol. That's gonna change in a couple weeks though and I'm going to make sure I check my hooks better. Like an idiot I have my Gamas together and not in their original packs.


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## H2O Mellon (Apr 5, 2004)

After reading this post, I cant get the topics off my mind. Does anybody have a pack of the old Gama circles laying around, say from 5 or 6 years ago? If so we could compare where they were produced versus a new pack. Perhaps they changed where and who mke their hooks. Let's face it, if comparing apples to apples on something like an Abu 6500 reel from 15 years ago is made better than a 6500 of today, etc...


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

I haven't bought any for 6-7 years, so maybe that's why I've never seen issues. I'll look and see if I have any packs still.


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## jjshbetz11 (Oct 25, 2010)

Bigger sized worked!!!!!! Caught a nice pig channel at spencer lakes, thanks for the help peeps









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