Home Forums Fishing Saltwater circle hooks

I am considering giving circle hooks a try. Is there a size difference as compared to J hooks. Can I just go from a 2/0 J to a 2/0 circle or should I downsize and how much?
This will be for inshore/surf fishing in the Gulf, not for trophies, but getting out and enjoying the outdoors.

Thanks!

It seems manufacturers are anything but consistant in how they size their hooks, so I'd say you are best off checking them out at the tackle store.

A couple of suggestions when going to circle hooks. Go with one with an offset point. Owners while spendy are wicked sharp and great hooks. The hardest thing to learn is not to set the hook. Circles are self setting and when you feel a bit and try and set the hook you pull it out of the fishes mouth. Let the fish run with the bait and the tension on the rod will set the hook.

As 458 says; you hafta look at em!

Circle hooks have come a long way. They were originally used mostly with bait on commercial long lines and further uses evolved.

Today we even use em for trolling surface lures for marlin and tuna. Most fishermen think that won't work but when you realize that a fish usually strikes a trolled lure from the side and not from the tail. The fishes eyes are in the side of it's head so they come along side the lure and turn and strike. The circle hook anchors in the corner of their mouth while a J hook may grab most any place including the gullet making circle hooks far better for catch and release also.

Agreed with all that plus the gap on circle hooks varies by maker and even within maker if they make different kinds, wire thicknesses, etc. Here in FL offsets are illegel so its straights until you get 9Mi into the Gulf. I look at the gap against the j-hook gap and find myself up a size- seems to work. Very seldom get a gut-hook with a circle. Gotta hook 'em like 458 says, though.

For folks that are unfamiliar with circle hooks

Good advice above.....they are designed to let the fish hook themselves (trot lines, long lines). YOU HAVE TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO "SET" THE HOOK. I grew up fresh water fishing in VA and was used to setting the hook my whole life. I moved to FL 12 years ago and started doing a lot of inshore fishing for snook and red fish. I often fish for snook at the inlets when the tide is ripping and missed or lost a lot of fish using J hooks. Circle hooks helped a lot but not until I broke my habit of setting the hook. Often in that type of current, there is more slack in the line than you think when a snook strikes, making sufficiently "setting" a J hook difficult. With circle hooks, I just reel up the slack when I feel a strike and slowly raise the rod tip until the fish has hooked themselves. The percentage of solid hookups has risen significantly but still hasn't solved the problem of big snook breaking me off in structure! Lol

I was aware of the not setting the hook (which is an awesome feeling btw). I've been reading about them and thinking it might be worth to give them a try, though was thinking of the regular not the offset ones due to risk of still foul hooking. That's a good tip to compare the gap size.
I'm not targeting any trophy fish, just wanting to enjoy time on the beach with family, so thought that self setting hooks might work and be better for catch and release.

yeah sizes vary greatly, as do designs. I have been using them for years surf fishing and have yet to gut hook a fish. Just let them hook themselves and start fighting.
Gary

I love circle hooks. I have been using them for cut bait and live bait fishing for 25 years. No J hooks in my box. You hook about 95% of what gives you a solid bite. I leave the rod in the rodholder until the fish has hooked itself.

Love them too.
For Stripers, I'll use 6/0 or 8/0 Gamakatsus.
As mentioned, biggest thing to get used to is not "setting" the hook the way you are used to.
A good 95% of my hookups are right in the chops.

I use them for albacore and big tuna and I love them. Once you get in the habit of letting the fish hook themselves you'll have a lot less missed strikes.

Great hooks. Been fishing with them for years in saltwater. Easy to catch fish with and allows fisherman to release undersize fish unharmed.

Go for it! They are all I use now for surf-fishing. I still use long shanked j-hooks for crappie fishing due to the mouth structure and for bottom fishing grouper since you have to get them out of the rocks pronto.

8/0 Gamakatsu.. Switched from 6/0 couple weeks ago.
This guy hooked himself...

Nice fish! Some updates, I got a few 1/0's and now upgraded to 3/0's after having some fish swallowing them whole and still getting some gut hooked ones (these were on my 2 1/2year old son's rod - BIG croaker and a hardhead).

For small drums they work great. Most of my fishing now is when we go to the beach with the family, and I cast his rod and then mine. I let him reel them in, as usually there is something hooked by the time I am done with casting on my rod. Got some bigger hooks too, but for now seems like the 1/0 and 3/0's will do.

Would you guys use them in bluegills or shiners under a cork for big bass?

If you're intention is catch and release with bait, then yep. Otherwise, a standard J hook works just fine.

Personally, the boy's bait rig has had nothing but circle hooks since I found 'em small enough for bluegill, back when big brother was two.

Would they work with plastic worms on a Texas or Carolina rig?