Crankbait Circle Hook

[Lottabass]

I had 2 goals in mind with this experiment.

Reduce getting hooks in hand.  I have Parkinsons and my hands shake and less feel and strength in my grip.  Been to ER 4 times in the last 3 years for hook removal.

Make it easier to remove a lure when it is in the gullet of a fish.

My fears were that I would hook less fish, or that I would lose fish after they were hooked.  I realize that this is early in this experiment as I have only fished 3 days this spring but the results are promising.  I replaced the trebles on some of my jerkbaits and crankbaits with Gamakatsu Crankbait Circle Hooks.  In the 3 days I fished I caught 17 bass and 2 crappie, all on jerkbaits except for 1 bass on a Frittside Jr.  All had the rear hook firmly in the corner of the mouth.  No big fish, all 12 to 16 inches.  Didn't seem to affect the action of the lures and I hooked and landed everything that bit.  I'm excited to see how this experiment plays out this year.  If it goes south I have plenty of baits with trebles!

 

Size 1 hooks

[Tim Kelly]

I'm impressed! Couldn't imagine you'd hook any of them with circle hooks, normal singles yes, but not circles. I think I'd debarb my trebles before switching to singles though. 

[Lottabass]

2 hours ago, Tim Kelly said:

I'm impressed! Couldn't imagine you'd hook any of them with circle hooks, normal singles yes, but not circles. I think I'd debarb my trebles before switching to singles though. 

@Tim Kelly  I have no experience with circles but read somewhere that they were fish grabbers, even though they don't look like it.  

[RRocket]

This is great! I had been wondering about it since I saw this at Icast and you had mentioned it here.

 

Am really glad it worked out, and seemingly as advertised! 

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/264572-circle-or-octopus-hooks-on-a-crankbait/#comment-3129493

 

[GRiver]

@Lottabass please keep updating this. I’m not a fan of treble hooks ether. Where did ya get them at, hooks that is. Probably get caught and snagged less too. 

[Lottabass]

@GRiver  OUCH!  I feel your pain!  I got the hooks at Tackle Warehouse.  I will post updates on this experiment and will report good and bad results.  I intend to try these hooks on topwater baits and square bills fished through wood cover.  As they say, we'll see what happens!

[king fisher]

I would suspect you would hook far fewer fish, but land more of the ones you hook. I have tried single J hooks on crankbaits in the past, but have had issues with some crankbaits running correctly with them.  I swap to single hooks on all my inline spinners, spoons, and blade baits.   I find I hook just as many bass, and loose far fewer bass that I hook.  I use circle hooks for live bait, but have never tried them on lures.  Good luck as others have said please keep posting your results.

[RRocket]

The salt water/inshore guys seems like they've pretty much switched to inline hooks...and they're no less fanatical about gear and hookup rates than us...

[RRocket]

I forgot to ask, but I think it's important.

 

How do you size these? Did you just eyeball the treble and pick a similarly sized inline? Did you measure the gapb of the treble and match to inline? Or is it size for size? If your treble is a 1/0, is the inline a 1/0? 

 

Just wondering how these are sized since I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.

[Lottabass]

@RRocket I bought size 1, 1/0, 2/0, and 3/0.  I just tried to match the circle to the treble.  I think the circles are a bit larger.  I may have to play around with sizes.

[RRocket]

20 minutes ago, Lottabass said:

@RRocket I bought size 1, 1/0, 2/0, and 3/0.  I just tried to match the circle to the treble.  I think the circles are a bit larger.  I may have to play around with sizes.

 

Disappointed it's not size for size replacement.

 

I'm going ahead and replacing the trebles on all my wake baits.

 

I primarily need a replacement for #6 trebles.

 

By chance did you replace any #6 and what did you use? 

[MeatHead1313]

39 minutes ago, RRocket said:

Disappointed it's not size for size replacement.

 

I'm going ahead and replacing the trebles on all my wake baits.

 

I primarily need a replacement for #6 trebles.

 

By chance did you replace any #6 and what did you use? 

For the regular inlines, Tackle Warehouse has this conversion table on the page for the Owner x strong single hooks. Has worked well for me when changing to inline singles on topwaters for inshore fishing. 

[Lottabass]

@RRocket Next time I order I will get some #2 circle which are probably closer to a #6 treble.   Also, will investigate other brands.  You know how different brands can be different sizes even though they call them the same number.

[RRocket]

47 minutes ago, MeatHead1313 said:

For the regular inlines, Tackle Warehouse has this conversion table on the page for the Owner x strong single hooks. Has worked well for me when changing to inline singles on topwaters for inshore fishing. 

 

Outstanding. Thank you.

28 minutes ago, Lottabass said:

@RRocket Next time I order I will get some #2 circle which are probably closer to a #6 treble.   Also, will investigate other brands.  You know how different brands can be different sizes even though they call them the same number.

Ok. I'll keep my eye out for your continued updates.

[RRocket]

Ordered some and they are on the way..

[Brian11719]

+1 for owner x strongs and if it helps here's the chart I got of their website a while back that I use for swapping them out:

 

I usually swap them out if I'm in my kayak...probably wouldn't if I was going to fish in a tournament but that doesn't happen very often.

 

FWIW most of the treble lures I get are around 4 (small) or 1 (big) so I usually just go with size 1 for smaller single hooks, or 2/0 for larger single hooks.

 

No real difference in hookup percentage that I've noticed aside from the ones that just slap at it and end up getting fouled.

[Lottabass]

21 hours ago, RRocket said:

Ordered some and they are on the way..

@RRocket  Great!  Please share your experience and hopefully we can learn from each other.

[WRB]

I only been using crank baits for 65 years and during that time never throat hooked a bass with a crank bait. For circle hooks to work the hook needs to catch the fish mouth on the way out. This means the crank bait was swallowed or deep into the mouth before coming back out.

I know it happens “ choked it” just not for me ever.

The odds are not worth the effort imo.

Tom

[RRocket]

38 minutes ago, WRB said:

I only been using crank baits for 65 years and during that time never throat hooked a bass with a crank bait. For circle hooks to work the hook needs to catch the fish mouth on the way out. This means the crank bait was swallowed or deep into the mouth before coming back out.

I know it happens “ choked it” just not for me ever.

The odds are not worth the effort imo.

Tom

That has not been my experience at all using circle hooks on other species, which I do plenty..They didn't have to "choke" it...just have their mouth closed around it.

 

And once again, I'll point out that salt fisherman who spend hundreds and hundreds daily on fuel and several hours to get to their fishing spots use inline hooks. I personally don't think they'd be using them if odds were poor.

 

This is also a thing (and has been for years) for trout and fly fisherman.

 

I can see how changing something you've done for 65 years can be disconcerting. And I presume you've seen lots of changes over these years...some of which you've no doubt adopted. And some which you have not.

 

I'll report back on my findings.

[WRB]

Circle hooks are required for some salt water tournaments where C & R is used. Fished 35 years using circle hooks for big game fish.

You are talking about crank baits not live baits or soft plastics.

Good luck hope it works out for.

Tom

[JHoss]

Got to agree with @WRB on this one. I've been using circle hooks for 25 years now in saltwater and have always had to have the bait/hook fully in a fishes mouth to get the hook to catch. The hooks designed to pivot on the jaw of the fish as the eye of the hook comes out of its mouth which drives the point in. The other big thing with them is you can't set the hook or it will pull out- just got to rell into em. 

[RRocket]

10 minutes ago, JHoss said:

 @WRB The other big thing with them is you can't set the hook or it will pull out- just got to rell into em. 

 Yes, that's pretty much how it works for my top water cranks anyways. No giant hookset. I am quite confident it will work perfectly in my application.

 

I think the only instance where it may work less well for me is if the bass side swipes the lure.

[JHoss]

1 hour ago, RRocket said:

I think the only instance where it may work less well for me is if the bass side swipes the lure.

I'd expect that hookup percentage to be close to 0. Still curious to see how they work out for y'all. 

[Lottabass]

18 hours ago, WRB said:

I only been using crank baits for 65 years and during that time never throat hooked a bass with a crank bait. For circle hooks to work the hook needs to catch the fish mouth on the way out. This means the crank bait was swallowed or deep into the mouth before coming back out.

I know it happens “ choked it” just not for me ever.

The odds are not worth the effort imo.

Tom

@WRB  Not doubting your experience but in my 65 years of using crankbaits I have hooked way too many in the throat.  Successful hook removal is possible but I have taken home many for the skillet when it is not.  Hopefully this circle hook experiment will be positive.  

This is why I love this forum.  We have the same goal and so many different experiences along the way.

[WRB]

Never had a bass choke a crank bait in the throat, always in the lips or inside the mouth. Watching MLF I have seen several bass choke jerk baits and few smaller crank baits so it happens.

What I am saying LMB engulf prey and reject it fast catching those fish are very low % with crank baits with circle hooks.

Give it try,

Tom