Circle hooks VS 'J' Hooks. whaddayathink?

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Thudpucker

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Soaking is a good way to get Catfish, Halibut, Cod, Sturgeon and some other deep dwellers that dont really qualify as exciting sport fish for catching and playing on the line. Un-attended fishing is what it really is.

When 'Soaking' or leaving the bait down there on a Trot line or Halibut Ground line, the Circle hooks seem to be the winners. At least they are said to be the best thing for that by the sellers.

I'm thinking the theory is the Hook gets down pretty deep before the Fish knows he's got a problem. Too late for the fish by then, as he cant spit it out. They cant really spit. They can only shake their front parts violently, but it does the same thing.

However those original 'J' hooks were in use for such a long time and did so well, there seems to be a bit of an argument about which is better though.

So what do you think about which is better for the bottom dwellers?
Circle Hooks or 'J' Hooks?
 
I have very little fishing experience, but have had some good luck using circle hooks for flounder. My buddy who uses J hooks has not had as much luck as I have had.
 
Thud,
I use circle's for sharks because you don't "set" the circle hook, instead you let the natural pull set the hook for you as it rolls into the mouth. I also use them for snapper, grouper, and the like because deep water fishing has more line stretch to deal with when setting a hook. Circles also give far more lip hookups which makes it easier to release fish without hurting them, important when dealing with size limits. I use J hooks for fast, hard strike fish as well drift fishing and when I'm going to be hold the rod 99% of the time. The real key is keep the hook sharp. Too many people buy hooks and never touch them up. I keep a hook sharpener with me at all times when I'm fishing...and I use it often. Try using half J's and half circle's and see what works best for your sets. Good Fishing!
 
Thud,
I still use both depending on the technique. I use circle hooks with live bait. Dead bait (clams, mussels, worms, etc) I use Bait Saver J-hooks. I try to not use twin or treble hooks as they can injure the fish. I replace them with a single j-hook.
Tight lines,
Perry
 
Responses from experience, great!
I had a commercial Halibut permit and used Circle hooks the last two years I worked it. I got far more catches (not all Halibut either) with the Circle hooks. I got a huge King Crab tangled in a Circle hook and a very large Scallop too. Both were beyond Tasty. People pay Thousands to eat like I did.

However I dont recall a Circle hook catching a lip. Thats usually where the J hook got em'.
Sometimes the Hook caught as they were shaking it loose. Occasionally with a J hook you wind up catching them in the body someplace. I got a Salmon once with the J Hook embedded in the Addipose fin. He musta spit the hook and turned pretty sharply to get away and got stuck by hisownself.

My only trip out into the gulf was with a guy who used J hooks.
His theory was this:
The Fish we were going after were hiding in structure of some kind.
They'd rush out and grab the bait, then dash back for the cover of the structure.
That meant the fish had taken the hook into a place where you'd never be able to pull it out. Inside a wreck or a rock somewhere.
So he didn't want you letting the bait sit down there. He wanted you holding tension and setting the hook at first nudge. So J hooks were his logical choice.

All my Fly fishing stuff is J hooks and the Lip is where you get them mostly.

I heard a rumor that ALaska Fn'G wants you to use plain of Steel Circle hooks that will rust and dissolve. They dont want that Hook made of Stainless because it will keep on fishing beyond the fish that swallowed it.
 
Thud,
Great point regarding the materials that hooks are made of...I use hooks that rusts quickly just to ensure that the fish do not get stuck with new, permanent jewelry.

As far as bottom fishing goes, I use bait saver j-hooks. I have not seen the bait saver feature on circle hooks...dead bait doesn't stay on circle hooks very well. In addition, in order to set a hook with a circle hook you just let the fish swim off and with line pressure the hook is set automagically. Unfortunately, by the time the fish sets the hook it may already have swam back into structure. J-hooks require the proverbial rod set which will help keep the fish off the structure as you come tight immediately.
Hope this helps,
Perry
 
Rip his lips off!
That's the J Hook set.

Perry, what are 'bait saver' hooks?

When I set out a line for Catfish, I put some Panty Hose over the bait and Hook to keep the stuff from falling off the hook at the whim of the water. It works.
In the Rivers, Steel Headers and Salmon fisherment who use Eggs do that as well.

Jeez, all this talk about it. I'm gettin itchy. Still too cold for me to go out and stay after dark.
 
I'll be darned. I've been seeing that all my life and didn't know what to call it.
When I tied my Salmon leaders, I bought hooks that did not have those little barbs sticking out.
The 'wrap' of eight turns around the hook shank would get cut by the 'bait saver cutout'.
Amazing. I guess I could have read a little bit instead of just going fishing!
 
That's interesting, about the barely significent increase of catches with Circle hooks.
I thought it would have been more pronounced.

I knew guys who bent the hook point offset in their hooks. That's an old trick. I never did. It didnt seem like I needed to do anything like that. I just fished with them.
 
Actually I stopped using circle hooks using clam as bait as I've gut hooked too many fish as the bait gets inhaled by striped bass. I do use a bent eye and offset hook Mustad for clams. They seem to work better for me...I use circle hooks when using strip baits or whole fish live or dead.
 
That "..inhaling the bait..." is a good point to ponder.
In a Catch n' release situation a J hook is the right answer. You dont want to hurt the fish, just catch him and let him go again.

But when I'm Meat fishing, I like the idea of the victim inhaling the Bait. Hook im' down where he's gonna come in docily.

Another thought on 'Catch n' Release' for Salmon and Steelhead.
The Biologists for Alaska Fish n' Game are kinda sensative about that issue.
They say that a Salmon that's already gone a hundred miles or so in Fresh water, without eating, is damn near exhausted.
So a Fishermen hooks it and plays it down to exhaustion. While the fish is laying on its side, gills heaving, the Fisherman un-hooks it and kicks it back out into the stream.
That Fish, (according to the Biologists) very likely does not have enough energy left in his body to go on the last 60 miles or so and finish the Spawn routine.

He still has Bears, other fishermen, the rapids, the fight for spawning rights and then the final act of spawing on the Eggs. Quite a lineup of Chores for a Fish thats already gone a couple thousand miles eh?
The true test of survival of the fittest.
 
The circle hook will generally hook the fish in the corner of the mouth rather than doing major damage to the lower internal regions of the fish. I do believe some states require circle hooks when fishing for striped bass.....MA or MD ???
 
that's how circle hooks are supposed to work but when clam chumming, circle hooks don't hold the bait well and they gut hook often too. I do use circle hooks when using strip, live or dead bait...
 
On Circle hooks for Stripers. (I have Striped bass down here too)
Do you cast or troll for your Stripers?
It would make a difference in the size of the bait used and the size of the Hook for the bait.

You need to tell me about that because I just dont know a thing about fishing for Stripers other than fly fishing for them with Clouser minnows. That's a J Hook fly. Maybe we should be tying those Clousers on a Circle hook?
 
Thud,
For your stripers (rock fish) get some large shinners or some shad. Using your "fish finder" locate the bait pods of shad, look below them and if the stripers are around you'll see them hanging below and around the bait pods. you can even "see" the bait pod change shape as a stripers makes a run at it. Just lower your live bait to a depth around the bottom of the bait pods then drift or very slow troll that area. If the stripers are there you'll hook up. If you don't see the stripers around the bait pods move to another area until you see the on your screen. If you don't see them your not going to catch them, DUH.<grin> My fishing buddy, Harlan, fishes Smith lake a lot. He said this winter was the slowest for stripers on Smith he has seen. However, the fish are there, you just need to find the bait schools.
 
I would say that I mostly drift fish with live bait for Stripers. The bigger the bait the better. Depending on bait presentation either hooked from the lips or from the back (no current situation) will require different size circle hooks. When I use eels, I use a small, heavy wire circle...opening day is right around the corner...
get the net!
 
LOL, Did Harlan also mention there wasnt any water in Smith lake. He was probably having to troll his bait through the mud. If he caught any Stripers at all, it might give rise to a new Bait color. Muddy!

OK, Bill, and thanks for those tips. Someday this weather will break and I'll have that big boat out on Smith lake. Maybe then I'll get back to eating fish instead of Biscuits n' Gravy.

OK now. For Stripers I'll use larger live bait with circle hooks and keep it moving slowly just below the clouds of bait fish.
Good! The BE Fishing camp is lecturing and I'm listening.
 
.....just keep your bait above the depth most of the stripers are hanging. They are almost to easy to catch....sometimes!<GRIN>
If you really want to have some fun......hit the Gulf Shores beach for some shallow water blacktips or spinners. Now that'll streeeeetch your line.
 
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