I hate circle hooks!!!!

So, I lost at least 10 fish today while reeling up with a circle hook on.  I'm assuming the hook didn't set itself.  The thing that makes me mad is one of them was BIG!!! My rod was a horseshoe.....and about 20 cranks up it gets away.

What do I do?  I changed to regular hooks and didn't lose another fish.  But what can I do to solve this?  Keep using normal hooks?  What size?

It was frustrating losing that many fish and a big one to boot.

I just know that every big halibut I've ever caught in the last 25 years has been caught on a circle hook. Once the hook is set, when I'm patient enough to let a big hali chew on it a bit, it's set.  But it's not a high percentage hook for the other fish in the sea.  I'm betting your big one that got away was the trophy King.

I'd say, rig up with regular hooks until you're into the halibut -- and then switch to circle hooks so the barn door doesn't get off before you exhaust it. 'Course, it's all just theory... 

Sounds like Homer was good. But was there cake?

So, I lost at least 10 fish today while reeling up with a circle hook on.  I'm assuming the hook didn't set itself.  The thing that makes me mad is one of them was BIG!!! My rod was a horseshoe.....and about 20 cranks up it gets away.

What do I do?  I changed to regular hooks and didn't lose another fish.  But what can I do to solve this?  Keep using normal hooks?  What size?

It was frustrating losing that many fish and a big one to boot.

I hate them too!  What's the fun in not "crossing the eyes on a nibbler"?  Try smaller circle hooks, even for the larger fish.  On a few charters they had smaller hooks (maybe 10/0 or 12/0 vs the 16/0) But they have to be the high end hooks.  I've noticed most circle hooks are super thick gauge wire.  I also think the fish has to be running away from you before you start reeling.  A vertical strike doesn't allow the hook to catch the corner of the mouth.  I also think on a kayak, you might not get enough pulling power like from a stationary boat to effectively set the hook.  But who knows, a ton of people use them. 

Rarely have I lost fish with the good ol' gamakatsu octopus hooks.

Good fishing....not many halibut, and sadly.....no cake

I haven't used circle hooks except on 3 different charters, I have been using a mooching rig for halibut, 0/5 to 0/7 gami. j hooks. I haven't lost a fish except for leaving the short handled gaff at home and snapped my 50 pound mono leader. With j hooks I am able to set the hook as soon as I feel the bite. I might try a circle hook but am not totally convinced. I remember kardinal's video from seward and him loosing a halibut at the surface. Don't want the hooks to come out so I am going to stick with J hooks. Good luck! with the weather going to head out of seward with the wife to play in the rain. We will be out Teusday through thurs.

in my experience, circle hooks work best for inhaling type fish that don't necessarily bite.. to protect from gut hooks. as they swallow they clamp down and a nice pull will retract the hook from the fatal areas like belly or gill and snag the lip.. my self assessment of the engineering of it.. we have a lot of stingrays and shovel head sharks in San Diego, so when bottom fishing for rockfish and the likes I used circle hooks to prevent gut hooking a ray or shark so i didn't send it home with a belly full of metal..

I have never fished for salmon.. but like tuna I'm sure they are attack on a swim and generally bite the hook... and circle hooks are not self setting which gives a chance for them to spit it. octopus hooks or traditional j-hooks should be choice.. they worked best for me when trolling bait.. and circle hooks for bottom

Try smaller circle hooks, even for the larger fish.  On a few charters they had smaller hooks (maybe 10/0 or 12/0 vs the 16/0).

Hah!  I was going to say to try larger circle hooks.

-Allen

I don't know what size circle hook I was using on my powerboat, but once a but was on, it was coming up. The hard part about circle hooks is you don't need to set the hook at all, just let it chew a while then start reeling.  I have a friend who routinely puts a little more separation in the twist to make it easier though to get the fish on...


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Circles work great mooching for salmon and are even mandated by Cali regs on the trailing hook. They take more patience than a siwash because you have to wait for the fish to eat the bait and take off but like others said, when it's on the corner of the mouth, it's pretty much there to stay.