Ice Fishing with Circle Hooks

[FishermanTim]

The ONLY time I don't use them ice fishing is when I'm jigging!
I've been using them for 5+ years now, and the ONLY times I get a gut-hooked fish is when a very hungry bass literally inhales the bait.
Other than that I get 97-99% lip/jaw hookups.

The only trouble you may face is if you use them on a steel leader for pike. That's when you need a good hook remover!.

Depending on the size of the bait, I have a wide selection of hook sizes as well. You wouln't want to fish a pin minnow on a size #7 hook, or a #1 on a pike shiner.

It's worth giving a try, but just like bait fishing the salt, you don't "set" the hook, but just apply tension on the line and let it set itself.

[JamesJet]

Originally Posted by FishermanTim

The ONLY time I don't use them ice fishing is when I'm jigging!
I've been using them for 5+ years now, and the ONLY times I get a gut-hooked fish is when a very hungry bass literally inhales the bait.
Other than that I get 97-99% lip/jaw hookups.

The only trouble you may face is if you use them on a steel leader for pike. That's when you need a good hook remover!.

Depending on the size of the bait, I have a wide selection of hook sizes as well. You wouln't want to fish a pin minnow on a size #7 hook, or a #1 on a pike shiner.

It's worth giving a try, but just like bait fishing the salt, you don't "set" the hook, but just apply tension on the line and let it set itself.

Thats what I figured would be the case, I guess I just needed some verification. The angle and application seemed perfect. It just makes sense from a C&R standpoint. Do you place it behind the dosal?

[Backbeach Jake]

For Pike and LMB I use kahle hooks. Very few gut hooks, none on pike.

[FishermanTim]

I hook them through the dorsal area, or in the mouth and out though one of the nasal passages. (It's similar to how eels are hooked.) You just have to make sure that you hit the nasal cavity or you may hit the cranial area and kill the fish. As for the doral area, you also have to be careful not to damage the spine, or risk killing the shiner that way as well.

I started off trying to lip-hook the shiners, but that was an exercise in futility as they have very weak lips.

The main reason I have been using both methods when ice fishing is that if I want to save the bait for another day, I can unhook the nose hooked fish with minimal damage and the fish will recover by the next trip.