# Circle hooks



## Ubolt

Just started using circle hooks for snapper but found they still manage to swallow the hook got five fish last night and two fish swallowed the hook I'm using 4/0 and 5/0 generally only catch smaller fish so this hook size should be perfect for the half pilchards I use for bait. Any suggestions?


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## solatree

Can you post a picture of your rigged circle hook Euan - might give us a few clues. Else could just be a bad run.


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## Ubolt

I'll just explain braid tied to leader tied to hook
That is it I try to fish unweighted
I use locked blood knot to tie hook and I think it's an Albright to join braid to leader


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## solatree

What type of circle hook ? Inline or offset ? straight eye or down turned eye ? Hook knot might be an issue - many sites recommend snelling using in-line - straight eye hooks. 
Advice from the late Neil Tedesco (host of Adventure Bound) is 
"*The defining feature that makes a circle hook different is the fact that the point is turned sharply in towards the shank of the hook, understanding the way in which the hook sets is very important when rigging as it can make all the difference. It is important to always try to tie the line in a snood around the shank and feed the trace back through the eye so the hook actually aims even further in the circle position . The idea is to lock the hook in the corner of the fish's mouth so by tying the hook this way it has to twist around inside the fish's mouth as the line tightens. If the hook is tied in the normal fashion to the eye or left swinging on a crimped loop it may exit the mouth of a fish without catching on anything as the line tightens. Sounds like a big risk to take, but let me assure you, if you rig correctly success will not be far away*."

See http://www.adventurebound.com.au/review ... hooks.html


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## kiwipea

Also a correct way to bait a circle hook










If you use a big lump of bait covering all the hook and so the fish will swallow it

kp


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## Ubolt

How do you bait up half a pilchard on a circle hook I just do traditional method of through once then half hitch around tail


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## kiwipea

Ubolt said:


> How do you bait up half a pilchard on a circle hook I just do traditional method of through once then half hitch around tail


This is copied from a NZ fishing website

Once you have perfected snelling a hook, it is very simple to make up a two hook trace. 
Simply snell the first hook on, then pass the end of the trace through the back of the second hook and you're ready to snell the second hook on. 
Set the distance between the hooks at about two thirds of the length of the bait fish you intend to use before snelling the second hook.
When tying a two hook pilchard rig, we have found that keeping the hooks in line further improves both your catch rate and the ability of the rig to hold soft baits or live baits. 
If using whole fish baits, put one hook through the head and the other hook through the body behind the gut cavity and make sure the second hook goes around the spine of the bait fish.
The head of the bait should be on the bottom hook.

I use a two hook rig when using pillies for bait but have the second hook a sliding hook so can adjust to length of pillie
I then wrap the pillie, hooks and trace with a thin elastic (only $2 to $3 from a sewing type shop)
Find that wrapping with elastic the bait stays on the hooks better and longer

kp


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## solatree

Ubolt said:


> How do you bait up half a pilchard on a circle hook I just do traditional method of through once then half hitch around tail


Yep - thats what I do - I use IQF (individually quick frozen) pilchards. They are pretty good. Others find pilchards too soft, but not the IQF.


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## benj1706

I too use 4/0 when targeting pinkies and caught 16 a few days ago, all hooked in the jaw. They only tip I can pass on is to be sure not to block the gape of the hook so it can swing round freely as the fish darts away. Hooks should be chosen for the bait size. Perhaps use a small chunk of pilli on a 4/0 rather than a half a fish.


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## premium

i've used the Gama offset circle hooks a lot, and also other non-offset circles, and the offset hooks have a pretty high rate of gut hooking imo, where the non-offsets are usually jaw hooks.


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## Ubolt

Still having issues with gut hooking fish and dropping fish. Tried the mustad demon circles with the inline eye and snelled them. Went up to a 6/0 hook size. Don't know what I'm doing wrong or if I am just unlucky. Don't mind if the fish are keepers but don't like gut hooking undersize fish


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## Squidley

Has anyone using smaller circle hooks for whiting been catching any leatherjacket at all? I've not caught one in a while and I'm wondering if it's because the circle hooks actually depend on the fish running off with the bait rather than sitting there and nibbling it.


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## solatree

Ubolt said:


> Still having issues with gut hooking fish and dropping fish. Tried the mustad demon circles with the inline eye and snelled them. Went up to a 6/0 hook size. Don't know what I'm doing wrong or if I am just unlucky. Don't mind if the fish are keepers but don't like gut hooking undersize fish


I got a couple of gut hooked last week for some reason. The fish were biting and running towards the Kayak - Sean's fish did the same and he also got a couple gut hooked. Circle hooks rely on the fish pulling away . So need the line tight and for the fish to pull away. But sometimes, you just get a run of gut hooked fish.


Squidley said:


> Has anyone using smaller circle hooks for whiting been catching any leatherjacket at all? I've not caught one in a while and I'm wondering if it's because the circle hooks actually depend on the fish running off with the bait rather than sitting there and nibbling it.


I do catch them on my whiting rig - but when I suspect leatherjackets, I hold the rod and feel for the gentle touch - then gently lift to create the hook contact. Left in the rod holder, rarely catch leather jackets as they suck the bait off.


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