Octopus Hooks...

[Tin]

Towards the end of last year I fished a lot with 2/0-4/0 Octopus hooks and realized some great things with them. I never ever gut hooked fish (including smallies) and EVERY time the hook was buried perfect in the top of the mouth. When I set a hook on a fish it never came unbuttoned on me, and I probably caught 80-90 fish on them in the litte period of time I used them.

Are they usually this good or was it a fluke? Like I said, every fish was hooked perfectly and didn't loose one.

Also any one know of jig heads for tubes? The smallies up here have a tendencey of swallowing tubes and dying shortly after.

[roadwarrior]

I fish #6 Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hooks exclusively when fishing live shiners for smallmouth. These are fished on a split shot rig, with spinning tackle and #4 Yo-Zuri Hybrid. However, when fishing circle hooks you do NOT "set the hook". When the fish strikes, you simply raise the rod tip and reel- the fish sets the hook. Even if the bait is initially taken deeply, the hook will slide up the inside of the mouth and usually (90% of the time) lodge in the side joint of the fish. Occasionally the hook will set in the roof of the mouth and sometimes on the lip.

The advantages of circle hooks are three fold:

1. You will hang up less often because you don't set the hook on limbs and rocks.

2. The hooks are "fish friendly" and rarely result in a gut hook.

3. Once hooked-up, fish cannot throw the hook. Landing percentages are well over 95%.

[Tin]

Not they are not circles. You still use the same hookset you normally do but are just as fish friendly as circles and the fish are always hooked in the roof.

I used circles and didnt like them so I tried these on advice from a friend and fell in love with them.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Tin, the Owner mosquito hooks are basically the same thing.  

I used them and the Gammy octopus hooks last year and like them a lot.  Very solid hook up percentage.

I dont believe it was a fluke you experienced.

As far as a tube jig hook using that principle, I dont believe the shank is long enough on a normal octopus, even in the larger sizes.  I have not seen a jig head w/ a modified (longer shank) hook either.

[Tin]

Tin, the Owner mosquito hooks are basically the same thing.

I used them and the Gammy octopus hooks last year and like them a lot. Very solid hook up percentage.

I dont believe it was a fluke you experienced.

As far as a tube jig hook using that principle, I dont believe the shank is long enough on a normal octopus, even in the larger sizes. I have not seen a jig head w/ a modified (longer shank) hook either.

Darn, have you seen any with a flat area near the eye so you could put a Yamamoto internal tube weight on it? I have not messed around or seen the bigger models so I'm not sure if I could make it work.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Tin, the Owner mosquito hooks are basically the same thing.

I used them and the Gammy octopus hooks last year and like them a lot. Very solid hook up percentage.

I dont believe it was a fluke you experienced.

As far as a tube jig hook using that principle, I dont believe the shank is long enough on a normal octopus, even in the larger sizes. I have not seen a jig head w/ a modified (longer shank) hook either.

Darn, have you seen any with a flat area near the eye so you could put a Yamamoto internal tube weight on it? I have not messed around or seen the bigger models so I'm not sure if I could make it work.

Haha, no, but that would be nice right?

I tried (unsuccessfully) to crimp a splitshot on one of those things last year in an attempt to duplicate the inchi head.  That dang round shank would kick those things off every time and I didnt have enough patience to fool with it.  A flat area would make that soooo much easier.

[Wayne P.]

Octopus hook !!!! I caught over 2000 bass in 2007 using those hooks. I only use them when wacky rigging either weedless or exposed point. I use the 2/0 for finesse worms and the 3/0 for Trick worms. I also mash the barb down to make removal of the hook easier. I carry a pair of curved nose forceps for extraction because I hook a lot at the base of the throat or in the tougue. That short shank is tough to grab using regular needle nose pliers.