[Jerryvov]

Just curious, but is anyone fitting circle hooks on their lures? Either stuff you're building or as replacements for standard hooks? If so, do the circles seem to have any effect on the balance & action of the lures, pro or con?

Jerry Vovcsko,
moderator
East Bridgewater, Ma

 

[617400]

Jerry, how are ya? I have heard of guys doing this but I have been reluctant to try it. Since circle hooks are designed to hook the fish as it is swimming away with the bait I fear that they would decrease my hook up percentage significantly. My reasoning is that a fish is less likely to hold an artificial for very long so it would have more time to spit the plug with a circle hook. Unless I am misunderstanding the way they work. As I understand it, when the fish has the bait and turns to swim with it the hook slides to the corner of the mouth. I just think this would give the fish a lot of time to decide that what they have (if using a plug) is not what they thoguht it was. I see no need to use them since I rarely have a fish that is hooked bad on plugs(none this year or last) Maybe someone who has done it will chime in.

 

[Striper77]

I cant recall a gut hooked fish on a plug, so I don't think circle hooks should be necessary. I usually cut off 1 of the treble hooks in middle of plug and replace back hook with a single.


Striper77

 

[Jerryvov]

Good points, BA & SS77, and I've only run into a few nasty hookups with plugs myself. Still, anytime a treble's involved you know how it can go...barbs in the gills; mouth closed w/ hooks imbedded top & bottom; plug sideways with 1 treble inside & one stuck in the jaw or on the fish's face...I guess I was just wondering if circles would be at all effective as plug/metal hardware or if their specific design would work against them. Also, I'm curious about the effect they'd have on a lure's action...maybe I'll change a couple plugs over to circles this season & see what happens...oughta be easier to disconnect bluefish anyway & lure action doesn't seem to matter much to them when they're in blitz mode...

Jerry Vovcsko,
moderator
East Bridgewater, Ma