Circle Hooks

I love circle hooks. I really do. They are the only hooks that I buy regularly & they catch a good variety of fishes. BEST of all!!! It's lip hook every time, don't believe? The next time if you see me fishing, I'll give you one to try.

I've already landed a few variety of fishes with circle hooks. This includes Pacu, Tilapia, Patin as well as sea fishes like Snapper & even Stingrays . I have yet to try it on as a luring hook but some fellow casting anglers have told me it works great.

Notice the lip hook?

Why circle hooks?

Based on my experience, I notice circle hooks has the following advantages:

It is always lip hooked. 99% of the time. This makes CnR fishing easier to remove hook. Best to remove the barbs as well. I can't recall ever losing a fish due to barbless hooks. Actually, in my opinion, barbs were created in hooks more to hold baits then to keep fish from escaping.
There is no need to set the hook. Fish simply hook themselves when they spit the bait out. All the angler needs to do is just gently reel in some line to put tension on.
You can fight the fish harder knowing that they have no chance to bite onto your leader. You know they are biting on your hook body instead.
Fishing with live baits, it works better keeping the bait on the hook compared to regular J-hooks as the bait won't slide down or out easily.

Bite all you want, you are not escaping

Live baiting with circle hooks

Currently, the only con to circle hooks is the price. Regular J hooks cost between RM 2 to 5 for a pack of 10. Circle hooks of similar size can cost up to RM 8 or 9. But look at it on the bright side, you know you can fish with confidence knowing that fish is not going to get away by biting onto your line & you can concentrate on fighting the fish.

I've uploaded a photo here comparing the different types of hooks that I use regularly. See the difference with the circle hook?

A - Circle hook

B - Octopus hook

C - J-hook (Bait hook)

How does it work?

My favorite brand of circle hook

First impression are usually the same response "Are you sure this hook can catch fish!!?". The hook point is bent inward, how is it possible to hook a fish? Aha! That's where they are wrong. I think most anglers, even the old timers are unaware, circle hooks dates back to more than a hundred years ago. Fishermen wanted to avoid hooking unwanted catches such as turtles & other non-commercial fishes so they device an ingenious way by bending the hook point inward by 90°. By doing so, a fish or creature who happens to bite onto the hook will get spooked & spit out the bait. The hook, being pointed 90° inward will turn a semi circle motion & ends up piercing onto the lips of the fish/creature. Lip hooked fish/creatures is easier & faster to remove hook compared to a messy & troublesome gut or throat hooking.

This is why almost all fish caught with circle hooks are lip hooked. Refer to the illustrations below on the hooking up process.