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Should Circle Hooks Be In Your Tackle Box?
By Ron Ballanti
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Since circle hooks made their way from commercial long lining to the sportfishing scene in the 1990s, they’ve been met with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Some anglers insist on them for all their saltwater fishing. Others just don’t trust these odd-looking hooks. And another group of fishermen (myself included) falls somewhere in the middle.
If you’ve been around the dock a few times, you already understand that recent angling “breakthroughs†like circle hooks, braided “superlines†or fluorocarbon leaders do not possess magic powers to help you plug your fish hold every time. For certain angling situations, however, they can be dynamite.
The attributes of circle hooks are well recognized, even among their critics. When used properly (don’t swing, just wind into the fish) circle hooks are more likely to hook fish in the corner of the jaw or the roof of the mouth. This provides anglers with several advantages. For one, once a hook lodges in this area it is usually hard for it to pull out during the fight. For another, it’s much less likely that a toothy fish will bite through the line. Perhaps most importantly, it’s much easier to release a fish alive and healthy when it’s not “gut hooked.â€
Still, ask a dozen avid anglers about circle hooks and you’ll probably get a dozen different opinions. “A lot of guys swear by them, but I swear at them,†said Capt. John Raguso, a respected writer and light-tackle charter skipper who specializes in pitting his customers against giant tuna and sharks. “The gaps are too small to get around the jaws of some of the bigger fish. Once, after battling a 250-lb. thresher shark for what seemed like ages, I had the hook pull right at boat side. That was it for circle hooks,†Raguso added.
“I’m not comfortable with circle hooks for everything, but I’m very comfortable using them in certain situations,†said Robert “RT†Trossett, a Key West light-tackle skipper with more than 100 world records to his guiding credit. While he acknowledges that many anglers find circle hooks indispensable for tarpon, Trossett sticks with his traditional “J†hooks. Trossett does favor circle hooks, however, when fishing deep for amberjack, grouper and big snapper. “When you’re fishing in 200-300 feet of water, it’s natural to just put the reel in gear and wind,†Trossett added. Trossett has also been successful with circle hooks for tuna – especially the new lighter wire models that let you fish small live baits – but is far less enthusiastic about circle hooks for billfish.
“I love using circle hooks for tuna fishing,†said Greg Stotesbury, expert angler and marketing director for AFTCO fishing products. “They’re ideal when you want to release fish, or if you want to fish lighter line and not worry about getting chewed off, he added.
“In contrast, I’ve had terrible experiences with circle hooks on sailfish and striped marlin,†said Stotesbery. “We fished circle hooks heavily during a 10- day trip to Mexico. We had between 40 and 50 bites on large live baits, and fewer than 50-percent resulted in fish being brought to the boat.â€
Personally, I love circle hooks. And I hate ‘em. Since I switched to circle hooks for tuna and dolphin fishing, I’ve hooked and landed almost every fish that has picked up my bait. They’re great for any fish that picks up your bait and speeds away like a freight train – just throw the reel in gear, hold on and you’ll get a corner lip hook nine times out of ten. And it’s very hard to lose a fish when it’s hooked this way.
In contrast, I’ve given up on circle hooks for finicky, stationary biters like halibut and bottom fish. For a circle hook to work, the fish has to swim away from you. The “hangnail†point drags across the inside of the mouth until it finds an edge or corner to grab onto. Some fish, however, refuse to play the game the right way, and after missing too many pick-ups I’ve since returned to extra-sharp “J†hooks from Eagle Claw, Owner or Gamakatsu.
Should you use circle hooks? This is a question each angler needs to answer for himself. If you fish mostly for food and enjoy the sensation of “swinging for the fences†when a fish bites, then probably not. If you’re seriously into catch and release and you’re willing to adapt your angling techniques, you might just give circle hooks a spin.
About the Author: Ron Ballanti works in the fishing industry and contributes regularly to publications like Salt Water Sportsman, Boating Magazine, Southern Boating, Trailer Boats, Western Outdoor News and Pacific Coast Sportfishing.
Should Circle Hooks Be In Your Tackle Box?
By Ron Ballanti
[align=center][/align]
Since circle hooks made their way from commercial long lining to the sportfishing scene in the 1990s, they’ve been met with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Some anglers insist on them for all their saltwater fishing. Others just don’t trust these odd-looking hooks. And another group of fishermen (myself included) falls somewhere in the middle.
If you’ve been around the dock a few times, you already understand that recent angling “breakthroughs†like circle hooks, braided “superlines†or fluorocarbon leaders do not possess magic powers to help you plug your fish hold every time. For certain angling situations, however, they can be dynamite.
The attributes of circle hooks are well recognized, even among their critics. When used properly (don’t swing, just wind into the fish) circle hooks are more likely to hook fish in the corner of the jaw or the roof of the mouth. This provides anglers with several advantages. For one, once a hook lodges in this area it is usually hard for it to pull out during the fight. For another, it’s much less likely that a toothy fish will bite through the line. Perhaps most importantly, it’s much easier to release a fish alive and healthy when it’s not “gut hooked.â€
Still, ask a dozen avid anglers about circle hooks and you’ll probably get a dozen different opinions. “A lot of guys swear by them, but I swear at them,†said Capt. John Raguso, a respected writer and light-tackle charter skipper who specializes in pitting his customers against giant tuna and sharks. “The gaps are too small to get around the jaws of some of the bigger fish. Once, after battling a 250-lb. thresher shark for what seemed like ages, I had the hook pull right at boat side. That was it for circle hooks,†Raguso added.
“I’m not comfortable with circle hooks for everything, but I’m very comfortable using them in certain situations,†said Robert “RT†Trossett, a Key West light-tackle skipper with more than 100 world records to his guiding credit. While he acknowledges that many anglers find circle hooks indispensable for tarpon, Trossett sticks with his traditional “J†hooks. Trossett does favor circle hooks, however, when fishing deep for amberjack, grouper and big snapper. “When you’re fishing in 200-300 feet of water, it’s natural to just put the reel in gear and wind,†Trossett added. Trossett has also been successful with circle hooks for tuna – especially the new lighter wire models that let you fish small live baits – but is far less enthusiastic about circle hooks for billfish.
“I love using circle hooks for tuna fishing,†said Greg Stotesbury, expert angler and marketing director for AFTCO fishing products. “They’re ideal when you want to release fish, or if you want to fish lighter line and not worry about getting chewed off, he added.
“In contrast, I’ve had terrible experiences with circle hooks on sailfish and striped marlin,†said Stotesbery. “We fished circle hooks heavily during a 10- day trip to Mexico. We had between 40 and 50 bites on large live baits, and fewer than 50-percent resulted in fish being brought to the boat.â€
Personally, I love circle hooks. And I hate ‘em. Since I switched to circle hooks for tuna and dolphin fishing, I’ve hooked and landed almost every fish that has picked up my bait. They’re great for any fish that picks up your bait and speeds away like a freight train – just throw the reel in gear, hold on and you’ll get a corner lip hook nine times out of ten. And it’s very hard to lose a fish when it’s hooked this way.
In contrast, I’ve given up on circle hooks for finicky, stationary biters like halibut and bottom fish. For a circle hook to work, the fish has to swim away from you. The “hangnail†point drags across the inside of the mouth until it finds an edge or corner to grab onto. Some fish, however, refuse to play the game the right way, and after missing too many pick-ups I’ve since returned to extra-sharp “J†hooks from Eagle Claw, Owner or Gamakatsu.
Should you use circle hooks? This is a question each angler needs to answer for himself. If you fish mostly for food and enjoy the sensation of “swinging for the fences†when a fish bites, then probably not. If you’re seriously into catch and release and you’re willing to adapt your angling techniques, you might just give circle hooks a spin.
About the Author: Ron Ballanti works in the fishing industry and contributes regularly to publications like Salt Water Sportsman, Boating Magazine, Southern Boating, Trailer Boats, Western Outdoor News and Pacific Coast Sportfishing.
