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Circle hooks

Mike Thrussell 15 July, 2004 04:10:00

GOING ROUND IN CIRCLES
Circle hooks have been popular overseas for quite a few years now, especially in the big game scene, but its only been the last two years or so that they've started to appear in the UK. They are a commercial pattern that is designed to lodge in the corner or scissors of the fish's mouth as the fish turns away with the bait.

It's the last sentence that causes UK anglers trying these hooks for the first time real problems. With UK anglers having used conventional hooks for so long and feeling the need to "strike" the hook home after the bite, if you do this when using circle hooks you'll just pull the hook out of the mouth without making contact. You need a different technique when using circles.

circlehooks.jpg
Will the circle hook replace the J?
As the fish takes the bait and registers on the rod tip, then allow the fish to fully turn away with the bait and wait until the rod tip pulls hard over. The rod tip pulling over is the indication that the fish has taken the bait, and as it turns away the hook pulls forward and sets in the scissors. There is no need to strike, even now. Just start to play the fish as normal.

Will circle hooks fully replace J or standard type hooks? I think not! Circle hooks have made most impact in the USA, but even there have not made that big an impact on sales of J hooks yet. Neither do they suit all types of fish. An American skipper I swap e-mails with tells me he's found them poor for flatfish, which makes some sense due to the shape of the flatties mouth and the way they feed.

I think tope anglers may switch over to them, and I've had huss, ling and cod on them too, but that's off the boats. I'm not convinced they'll make that big an impact with general shore fisherman myself, and that's always where the bulk of sales will be for the sea fishing tackle industry. Time will tell.

TIPS AND TRICKS
Match anglers after dogfish often place a piece of bath sponge above the hook on their hook traces. They then dip this in pilchard oil prior to each cast. As the rig hits the seabed there is this sudden massive explosion of oil travelling downtide that the dogfish smell bringing them in towards the anglers bait. It also works with huss and conger off the rocks.