# Small circle hooks



## FiftyCal (Sep 1, 2010)

Anybody use smaller circle hooks (eg size 1 and 2 hooks). I bought some Mustad Demon size 2 circle hooks, and the gap between the point and the shaft seems rather small. Not sure how they would lodge into the mouth of a fish.

I know larger circle hooks work pretty well. How about smaller?


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## kiwipea (Jun 17, 2008)

Yep thats the hook I use for my eustary fishing. Lip hook Bream, Flathead, Flounder and even a 12kg Jewie a couple years back.
Reckon circle hooks are the only way to go

kp


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Size and 1 and 2 are fine as are size 4. I got these on size 4 mustad Demon light gauge circle hooks.







.


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## FiftyCal (Sep 1, 2010)

Awesome! Cheers!


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## surfcaster (Oct 2, 2012)

solatree said:


> Size and 1 and 2 are fine as are size 4. I got these on size 4 mustad Demon light gauge circle hooks.


Same here, I'm using the Mustad Demon light gauge in size 1 for breaming with small live baits and they're excellent.


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## Thegaff (Apr 19, 2011)

I think i must be the only person in the world who cant catch a bream on live bait....i dont know whats wrong with me.


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## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

Ive been using cicles since I started seriously fishing the salt, about 2 years now. Ive been a tad concerned about the hook up rate so I recently reverted to the J style hook in sizes you mention, to get a compaison, and I was right, immediately have a much better hook up rate.... and almost all gut or gill hooked...... very few lip hook ups.

Circle, in my experience are virutally all lip hooked, I cant remember a deep hook set at all.

For mine, Id rather be able to release fish and catch fewer than effectively kill smaller fish. If they are gill hooked, by the time you get to 'see' that they are, they are dying from gill trauma.

Back to circles fo me.....


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## surfcaster (Oct 2, 2012)

Thegaff said:


> I think i must be the only person in the world who cant catch a bream on live bait....i dont know whats wrong with me.


Well I like to set up a berley trail and then drift the bait under a pencil float with the tiniest ball sinker and 8lbs fluoro. That's the easy bit, the hard bit is to get the livies! One day I caught a dozen hardy-heads and first I thought of discarding them because they were so small but I decided to give it a try just in case... I could not believe how brutally the breams were destroying them!!! That dozen or so baits only lasted a few minutes... a bit like a quickie, but I digress!!! :shock:


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Artie said:


> Ive been a tad concerned about the hook up rate so I recently reverted to the J style hook in sizes you mention, to get a compaison, and I was right, immediately have a much better hook up rate.... and almost all gut or gill hooked...... very few lip hook ups.


Were you using the circles correctly?


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

anselmo said:


> Were you using the circles correctly?


Good question - I use circle hooks almost exclusively for bait fishing esp KG Whiting and Snapper - and hook up rate is excellent. Very few missed bites.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

solatree said:


> anselmo said:
> 
> 
> > Were you using the circles correctly?
> ...


If they are used correctly

Do NOT strike
Allow the line to tighten and just hold on
That's it
Nothing more nothing less


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## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

anselmo said:


> Artie said:
> 
> 
> > Ive been a tad concerned about the hook up rate so I recently reverted to the J style hook in sizes you mention, to get a compaison, and I was right, immediately have a much better hook up rate.... and almost all gut or gill hooked...... very few lip hook ups.
> ...


I believe so.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Artie said:


> anselmo said:
> 
> 
> > Artie said:
> ...


Like above?


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## Artie (Dec 19, 2011)

Yep, let the fish do the work, no strike and I've used a variety of brands as well. Just my experience not saying its law or anything.


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