# Kahle vs. circle hooks



## Tim in Pa

Greetings,mostly when fishing Im using regular J hooks just because thats what Ive always used just cant get used to not setting that hook just old habit LOL ,Seems alot of you folks are using the circles . Im planning on trying the circles again this Oct. when I fish OBX ,Now I know with the circles in theory u just reel up and tighten the line and fish on. But how about Kahle hooks ? I have a few packs of them that I never really used ,Are they similar to the circle hooks that u dont "set" the hook or do you ? Are there types of fish or situations where a Kahle hook is better than a J or circle ? what are they best used for ? Ill be surf and maybe pier fishing for whatever I can get to eat my bait mainly sea mullet, pups ect. 


Thanks,Tim


----------



## macjr

I'm been using j and long shank j's forever, IMHO long shank j's help cut down on bit offs from toothy critters, case in point, run out of long j hooks and have been using circle hooks with limited success in bringing the fish in, been loosing them in the suds due to bite offs, 30,50 Fluor getting cut like it's not even there.. In the past week probably have 12+ fish lost and running around with a circle hooks in their lips.............. But can't beat circles for drum......... Only use of kahle hooks have been on factory tied rigs, been tying my own for a couple of seasons now......... My two cents anyway, tight lines to all.


----------



## surfmom

I use both and they work great the fish set themselves,


----------



## AbuMike

I used Khales years ago on the river Stripers here. I had a huge number of fish gut hooked so I stopped using Khales altogether


----------



## Mastrbaitr

Hooks have different situations and baits that they are made for but the one thing they all do is catch fish. If I was to target large non toothy fish like stripers then a circle hook would be the best option if your trying to minimize gut hooks if your practicing catch and release. Circles work best with conventional reels since you wanna let then take the whole bait down then. If you wanna fill the cooler and you don't care about size(though we all should practice conservation as fishermen) any style j hook will do. The kahle seems like nothing more than the modified j hook but since it goes from narrow to wide it seems it's designed for easy entry into the mouth and when pulled has a greater chances at hooking up IMHO. Be careful not to get sucked into the marketing hype and waste money but consider what you wanna catch, how versatile your gear maybe for the unexpected(rays, toothy critters,etc), and what kind of bait your using so you can use the appropriate hook or just say F--k it and use OG J style hook. Lastly, if your not gonna be able to land a big fish don't use steel leaders...better to lose the hook instead of a rod and reel.


----------



## Tim in Pa

Thanks all , the kahles I have are #2 so sounds like they should work fine for sea mullet and the like , mainly what I'll be after anyways . 

Tim


----------



## pods

I use Kahles on my bottom rigs for mullet and pomps and on carolina rigs for flounder. I only use circles for drum rigs, drum tend to get gut hooked every time with a kahle. So if there is a chance at running into a pup, circles it is.
Both Kahles and circles set themselves.


----------



## surfchunker

2's are a tad too big for mullet and the like ... 4 or 6 is better


----------



## Adam

I've been using the Owner Mutu Light Circles for about a year now and can say they work very well when spiking your rod! I use a River-style rig that I tie myself with flourocarbon, and no beads or any extra stuff on the leaders. I have rigs tied with #4s for your panfish and 1/0s for puppy drum, although Im going to experiment with #2s and 2/0s soon, as the 4s seem a tad small for my liking. Nevertheless they lip or corner hook everything 99% of the time. Even caught a 24" pup on a #4 recently. 

If Im holding the rod I will till use a kahle style hook since my hook setting reflex hasn't gone away, usually #4s as well. Good luck!


----------



## sand flea

AbuMike said:


> I used Khales years ago on the river Stripers here. I had a huge number of fish gut hooked so I stopped using Khales altogether


Seconded. Kahles are the best hooks I've ever used for flounder--something about their odd shape that fits the odd mouth of a flounder. I'd never use them for drum or stripers.

J-hooks are great in the hands of experienced anglers who don't walk away from their rods, but for most of us circles are the way to go. If you keep your line taut and leave the drag a tad on the tight side you'll get a hook in the corner of the mouth every time, including sharks. If you let slack into the line or drop your rod tip during a strike to let the fish run with it, a shark will bite you off every time.


----------



## Fish'n Phil

This weekend I tried #4 Owner Mutu Light circles for spot in Virginia Beach and they worked great.


----------



## ez2cdave

Another debate, especially with Circle Hooks, is using OFFSET vs. NON-OFFSET hooks . . .


----------



## George Gravier

ez2cdave said:


> Another debate, especially with Circle Hooks, is using OFFSET vs. NON-OFFSET hooks . . .


been using offset circles forever never gut hooked a fish with them guess Ive been lucky


----------



## surfchunker

it's not that offset circles gut hook fish but they come unhooked on some models


----------



## Fishman

I like kahle hooks mostly for flounder fishing. It is almost like a circle for flounder. Circle hooks work well when you use them the right way. They work well for multiple species but not all,


----------

