circle hooks

[slow eddie]

has anyone ever tried using them instead of trebels on a lure?? i could see them on the rear bur am wondering is i could use them instead of trebels on the belly hooks. thanks

[FishermanTim]

Because of the method used when fishing with circle hooks, I can't imagine that they would be succssful.
Circle hooks are not "set" like J-hooks or treble hooks. You would just apply pressure on the line, usually by closing the bail and letting the fish get hooked by itself.
By their very nature, most lures are designed to be moved/jerked through the water. I can't vision anyone casting a lure and not trying to set the hook when a fish hits it above or below the surface.
Another thing to consider is that if you are planning on switching out the belly hook on a plug with a circle hook, and leave the treble on the tail, when "setting" the circle hook the tail hook will be ever further down the fishes throat and will make unhooking the fish (for C&R) very difficult.

Circle hooks are designed to be less harmful to fish WHEN the hook is swallowed. They are also most effective when there is nothing to impede their hooking the corner of the mouth. A lure/plug would negate that possibility due to the change of where the hook will be when the fish hits the lure.
If you want to go with a single hook, stay with a J-style.

It's just my opinion, and other withmore experience may have a better grasp on this inquiry.

Good luck!

[Peterjay]

I don't know if they'd work on a plug or not, but I recently read an article written by a guy who'd been using them on his tins and he raved about the increase in hookups and the ease of releasing the fish. I've been using both offset and non-offset circles exclusively for tuna and bluefish flies for 12 years and I wouldn't go back to J-hooks for love nor money. A lot of weighted flies are nothing more than glorified jigs anyway. All you have to do is hang on when the fish hits and he's yours. Once the fish is hooked, it can't spit the fly, and according to what I read, they can't spit a jig either. (I'll see if I can find the article) Getting rid of the strike reflex is a piece of cake. I'd be interested to see if anyone's actually tried them on a plug. Maybe I'll rig up a couple with offset circles and try them out in the spring. Can't hurt to try. Considering the size of the bass we got this past year, it might be less embarrassing to lose a fish than to be seen taking a 14-inch striper off a seven-inch lure

[slow eddie]

when buying a lure, i remove the rear treble and put on a J. either with feathers or without, depending on the plug. i'm just trying to make fishing a little bit safer for the fish. not a trophy hunter buy a long shot. thanks for the info so far......ed

[patpatriot]

Your question gets me thinking, I have been making some simple lures and my dad used a circle hook for the tail, i am going to replace it with a single j-style hook. I may be wrong but i believe the circle hook was primarily developed for bait fishing, most fish swipe at the lure and having that open hook to catch the lip(or with blitzing blues often their gill plate) is best. I never have gut hooked fish on lures. The natural way you retrieve lures at a faster pace usually means the fish get hooked in the lip, if I hear that circle hooks increase hookups I'd switch, I just can't believe thats the case .

[robc22]

I don't think it will work with plugs......I did see a guy trying it with either a shimano butterfly jig or it was a diawa sacrific tin....don't know how he did......he was fishing the circles asist style.....

[Raven]

Originally Posted by robc22

I don't think it will work with plugs......

the circle hook works like a sleigh runner so the bend rides
the surface ....

i think it can work as a trailer/teaser hook ....but it may need
Something flexible to extend it out a bit...

note:

i'll never forget watching a BOBCAT fish...
he'd reach down and try to catch surfacing fish
with his paw curled so his nail of choice would
just snag a scale and then he could flip it
out of the water...
very much like a circle hooks design...