Circle Hooks for Bass

Hey everyone!

I not sure how many of you use live bait for Bass (be it Large or smallmouth) but I was curious if any of you have tried using circle hooks while shiner fishing.

I started using Eagle Claw circle hooks (size 2/0-3/0) about two weeks ago and the results have been great. No gut hooked fish and the hook up ratio for bass is near 100% ! Just remember not to set the hook, just wind tight.

One drawback: These hooks may not get other fish which hit shiners, esp. pickerel. Pickerel tend not to run off when they hit a shiner, so it's possible you may miss these fish.

Let me know what you think!

-Paul

I've see some studies they did on sail fish and the results were incredible.I love to ice fish for bass and gut hooking is a problem.I've thought of the circle hooks but never gave it a try,wasn't really sure if they would perform well in that situation.Now that your giving some feedback on them,I will give them a shot this ice season.Back in the day when I used cheaper eagleclaws(about the best then)I would just cut my line and release the fish,I figured he had a better chance of the hook coroding than a surgery.The high end hooks we use today DO NOT corrode anytime soon.The circle hook might be the cure.I'll report my findings.Thanks for reporting yours.

I read an article about ice fishing rigs in In Fisherman before last ice season, and they interviewed a bunch of guides out in Minnesota and Wisconsin. I think they all used circle hooks, or bent treble hooks for their ice rigs, even for big pike. I figured I would give it a try and fished them exclusively this past ice season. the trebles worked well, and you could use small ones to catch good sized fish, but it was hard to keep the bait on, I didn't trust the hook (the rig said you should bend one of the barbs 90 degrees to one side and put the shiner on there, then you have the other 2 bars sticking above the minnow to hook the fish). I did land a bunch on the rig, but I think I liked the circle hooks better and the shiners stayed on better.

I caught a bunch of big bass and pickerel on small circle hooks. If you set them right, you'll get a nice lip hook. It took awhile for me to get the hang of hooking them properly though, I'm used to pulling hard to set the hook, so I pulled the circle hooks out of the fish's mouth several times before I started to hook up. Once you get the hang of it, I think they work great. With ice fishing, I had the hooks on 25# flouro leaders, so you have to be careful of cutting the line on the edge of the hole when ice fishing. I recommend making a bunch of rigs and hooking them to the main line with snap swivels.

Thanks for the input.I was just thinking(rarity) and saw another possible benefit to circle hooks.Every kid or adult for that matter, ive ever taken icefishing who is a newby or first timer does the exact same thing,they lift the tilt and start pulling,never setting the hook.How many times have you seen it?Maybe these could help getting the kids we bring into the sport get better hookups while doing the fish a favor.

Thanks Bam!

I hope the hooks work as well for you as they did for me. I tried to find the product number for the hooks but I'm having some trouble with the Eagle Claw website.

My hooks came as part of a kit put out by Lazer Sharp. Make sure they are the "fine wire" design. If you get the regular ones, I think the shank is extremely thick so those ones may be best for saltwater.

Also, I found Gamakatsu makes circle hooks as well. Even as small as size 8 (Trout fishing w/ bait perhaps).

Best of luck out there! Let me know if you need anything else.

Tight lines!

-Paul

Maybe these could help getting the kids we bring into the sport get better hookups while doing the fish a favor.

Bam- good point, for beginners it would be great. as for me, I just have to learn to go back to the basics haha. definitely a good way to go.

I use gamakatsu #4's and 1's and caught 5 pounders through the ice last year, no prob. don't need huge hooks. I also have them on drop shot rigs.

Circle hooks work, period.

thanks volume,I know when I give them a try,I'll be having alot of trouble not setting the hook lol.Gonna be strange teaching myself to not do what I've been taught to do from day 1

I used circle hooks for one season, from the boat and ice fishing. It took a long time to get used too never really lost that urge to set the hook. Don't think i lost anymore or less with the circle hook just don't have the confidence in them. I agree if you want to take a child or someone who is new to ice fishing the circle hook isn't a bad option.

Ed (aka Happy Hooker)

Thanks for the input Ed.I'm really concerned more about the gut hooking issue you get when using shiners,than the hookups at this point because there really isnt any more newbies in my usual group.I'm not sure I'll be able to get over setting the hook in a single season either,its such a second nature thing to most guys.I think I'll try half and half ratio and see what happens.I'm thinking in ice fishing you dont get to feel the hit and it takes time to reach your tilt so if a bass swallows it,does it matter if its a circle hook?in other words is there any garuntee a circle hook wont bury in a bass throat if its already swallowed?sorry so long but saving fish is a worthy cause

Last edited by bam on Tue Aug 10, 2010 9:18 pm; edited 1 time in total

I love to icefish but a part of me thinks guys fishing with shiners all winter is some of the reason we see spots decline

I don't think ice fishing is a cause of spots declining , i think the real issue is a lot of people don't practice catch and release. To me a photo is just as good as taking them home. But who am i to judge people pay for a license and have the right to keep them hopefully their not going to waste when they do.

Ed (aka) Happy Hooker

I hear ya Ed,in all honesty I dont personally see alot of guys keeping bass,usually when they do its for a mount,lets hope reproduction mounts keep growing they've come a LONG way.I just wonder how many released bass that have been hooked good or should I say bad,die after being put back down the hole.I've been told if a fish bleeds at all from its gills its a gonna.Not sure if its true,but I've seen it many times with smaller stripers and an occassional fresh water fish

I personally don't use live bait for bass, but I have seen guys(on tv) using circle hooks for wacky rigging Senkos... hooked em right in the corner of the mouth, just like they're supposed to.

circle hooks are the only think i use when i wacky rig now, and the hook up ratio is amazing!