Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fish Hook ?

Let me provide a novice circle hooks user's view of them.

They are short-shanked and the tip is curved slightly inward (back toward the shank).

They are a little harder to get bait on than most conventional hook styles because of the inward-curved tip.

You don't set circle hooks, you let the fish set the hook itself while pulling away on the line. This takes a little getting used to. They are THE ABSOLUTE BERRIES for fishing on an infrequently watched line (the second pole that I set deep, throw long, and forget about) since the fish either hooks itself or not - when he let's me know he's on the line by pulling, I work on reeling him in.

I have had notably better success while fishing deep (say, 4' or more down) with circle hooks, since I have always had trouble setting hooks that far down. In shallower situations I still prefer an aberdeen, but fishing with circles has made me much more patient wrt setting hooks and I think is responsible for me doing a better job setting conventional hooks.

As far as circles not foul-hooking fish, IME they certainly have had a much lower incidence of hooks that I don't feel I can safely remove than conventional hooks. And in the few cases where I cut the line because I was afraid to kill the fish, the circle hook was not in as far as the gills and there wasn't any bleeding. In one case, a tagged RES I left a circle hook in was recaught about a month later with the hook gone and no apparent ill effects.

Lastly, every time I mention circle hooks at home, my wife looks at me funny and mutters something about finishing first and third in a fishing derby.