Circle hooks or J hooks - The Hull Truth

Ocean Breeze · 10-29-2005, 11:18 PM

I use circle hooks all the time now. On live bait, chunks & squid. I was told that circle hooks should be used for live bait and J hooks for chunks and squid. What do you say about this theory?

stumprunner · 10-29-2005, 11:31 PM

I use circle hooks for just about everything now. I will use J hooks for snapper some time if I am fishing with large pieces of mackeral. The longer shanks allows me to get the hook more into the large baits.

10-29-2005, 11:54 PM

I use both for various applications. For stripers , I use J hooks only. When it comes to offshore chunking (tuna, shark, etc.) and backcountry fishing (snook, tarpon, redfish, etc.), I use circles.

makonut · 10-30-2005, 07:43 PM

I used circle hooks this year and, based on how they performed, I am switching over to them. They take some getting used to with regards to setting the hook.

strikerthree · 10-30-2005, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Capt. Squiddly - 10/29/2005 11:54 PM

I use both for various applications. For stripers , I use J hooks only. When it comes to offshore chunking (tuna, shark, etc.) and backcountry fishing (snook, tarpon, redfish, etc.), I use circles.

chesbay · 10-30-2005, 09:19 PM

Capt Squiddly, Strikerthree,

Why not use circle hooks on stripers?

strikerthree · 10-31-2005, 04:17 PM

ches I troll for most of my stripers but when i chunk i use J hooks i feel they hold the Bait on better if i use live eel's i will use a circle hook, but most of my stripers are all wire lined trolled i find its the best way to catch them on snakes or umbrella rigs

Megabyte · 10-31-2005, 04:49 PM

I use single stainless J hooks as replacements for the trebles on all of my artificials, but when I'm fishing bait, I always use circle hooks.

bigdog1001 · 11-01-2005, 03:34 PM

Circle hooks 90% of the time (purchased progy or fluke rigs are j hooks) - the circles work great. The Commercials use circles becuase they work! I have killed too many Stripers chunking with J hooks....call me slow on the hook set.

rcatena · 11-01-2005, 04:37 PM

Circles are the perfect hook for live baiting stripers. Being patient on the bite you can hook up almost every time and since bass take baits head first they almost always get caught deep. I have often wondered what is the point of the one fish recreational limit if you do NOT use circles. Plus, you get the added benefit of actually having a good chance of landing the toothy ones because they get hooked in the mouth (important if you have clients on the boat). I have found that circles with a decent size barb is manatory if you are using eels-otherwise they release themselves.

11-01-2005, 04:42 PM

Quote:

chesbay - 10/30/2005 9:19 PM

Capt Squiddly, Strikerthree,

Why not use circle hooks on stripers?

I prefer to use J's when using live bait. Ive used circels before, and I would much rather use J's.

Bullshipper · 11-01-2005, 09:39 PM

J's for soft baits and lures. Circles with a little bone when chunking. Cirles on all live baits, including skipjacks.

waynesworld · 11-02-2005, 06:16 AM

i switched to primarily circle hooks, i lost a real nice striped bass last year that ran two full minutes on a tight drag only for the j hook to come out of it's mouth, i switched to circle hooks and caught a 49.72 lb bass then the following week a 55.20 lb both hooked nicely in the mouth.

don't buy OFFSET circle hooks as they will gut hook fish. as for chunking make sure you buy a hook big enough for what you are fishing for and don't set the hook like a j hook just reel when the fish starts thumping.

YoungersGhost · 11-02-2005, 09:15 AM

Circles for drifting live/dead bait.
J's for trolling.

The exception would be live baiting in Fla, I still use J hooks for Sailfish.

Tunadevil · 11-02-2005, 09:55 AM

It took me a while to change to circle hooks for Bass. I release 99 percent of the bass I catch and got tired of cutting off perfectly good hooks so I would not stress the fish. Once I got the feel for the circles I think my hook up ratio is better, and I don't loose 10 hooks a session. The only time they don't hook the corner is when there are big fish and i'm fishing with Peanut Bunker, they seem to swollow it deep.

Ocean Breeze · 11-02-2005, 10:40 AM

Thanks for the replies. I will stick with the circle hooks then.

chesbay · 11-02-2005, 06:12 PM

Sorry if this is OT a little, but

What class is an Octopus hook? circle or J????

On Monday I chummed with menhaden as bait for about 6 hours. I fished circles my buddy fished octopus.

Similiar results he caught 7 to my 6.......... good day

59022 · 11-04-2005, 08:56 AM

I and a few friends starting experimenting with Tuna Circle hooks back in the mid-80's on our big Rapala lures. The kind you'd use for Tarpon fishing in the cuts. It threw the balance off, until we learned how to tweak. Worked great then and now. Wouldn't be without them. A similar hook, the Siwash (usually in s/s), is what we use in the NW for Salmon and Halibut. I just don't like the stainless, except on my boat. Siwash work great on live cut baits and squid chunks too.