# whats the best brand of circle hooks?



## zam (Jun 16, 2004)

With the new law that you have to use circles, I've been trying to find a brand that has a better hook up ratio. I've tried Gamakatsu and I had a couple bites that didn't hook up, I don't even like the looks of the hook, the only way you can catch a fish is if it puts the whole bait in its mouth..the thing I always liked about j hooks was that you can catch a fish that is just pecking at it..BTW, I've used j hooks for over 40 years and I can't remember the last time I've deep hooked a fish, if used properly they are not bad. ...I've thought about using j hooks with a gap less then 1/2" but a big Rock may straighten the hook unless my drag was really loose
I've been looking at the owner circles on google and they look like they may work better. Whats everyone else using??


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

I use Gamakatsu Live Bait HD Circle Hooks. They're expensive @ around $9.99 a 4 Pk but I want the best on there.


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## earl of DC (Jul 7, 2007)

when it comes to circle hooks, i go with OWNER & OWNER only !!!


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## zam (Jun 16, 2004)

gamakatsu live bait hd look like they would work good for chunk baits, but what about bloodworms? they look so thick that they might push all the blood out of the worm when your putting them on


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## zam (Jun 16, 2004)

earl of DC said:


> when it comes to circle hooks, i go with OWNER & OWNER only !!!


I have to check out owner circles, their design looks like they might work good.


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## catman (May 28, 2001)

zam said:


> gamakatsu live bait hd look like they would work good for chunk baits, but what about bloodworms? they look so thick that they might push all the blood out of the worm when your putting them on


Not if you use the big, juicy, plump bloods from Tochterman's. Owner hooks are good for skinny worms. I keep some with me just in case.


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## zam (Jun 16, 2004)

I went to Tochterman's a couple weeks ago and they didn't have any bloodworms, Anglers has some huge ones though, foot longs


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## dudeondacouch (Apr 6, 2010)

earl of DC said:


> when it comes to circle hooks, i go with OWNER & OWNER only !!!


OWNER makes great hooks, but I can almost never find any small ones with the angled eye.

For panfish size rigs, I use Mustad Ultra Point demon circle EF.


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## Croaker D (Apr 18, 2010)

Owner allday everyday!!!


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## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Owner and Gammi for me.


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

i use gammi, owner and bear paw never had a problem hooking fish, let them eat it and reel them in, no hook setting or it will be pulled out of their mouth. threading a skinny bw on a 7/0 ch is tough with frozen fingers


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

I use bear paw cause thats whats at the local tackle shop. Never had a problem with them


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## markedwards (Jan 29, 2001)

i have some of dang near everyone on the market, but i use gammi and matzuo the most.

dude gammi makes a size 8 and i think vmc makes them down to a size 10. are they what you're looking for?


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## zam (Jun 16, 2004)

Maybe I'll just stick with the gammi hooks I already have..for me, its just frustrating to see a fish tapping my bait and not hooking up, when I know if I had j-hooks I could had caught the fish. but the circle hook rule is probally for the better, there is a lot of people that rig j-hooks and just put the rod in a holder. I've always liked keeping the rod in my hand and setting the hook as soon as I feel the slightist tap. in a couple weeks it will be back to j-hooks anyway


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## earl of DC (Jul 7, 2007)

Zam ive been using for the last 2yrs a 1/0 circle for bay p/s fishing & hav caught stripers up to 24in , red drum, croakers, catfish, flounder, spots, trout, & WPs. its my go to hook on the surf.


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## zam (Jun 16, 2004)

But have you ever got hits that didn't hook up? thats whats frustrating for me. it happens sometimes with j-hooks to, but not near as much with circle hooks. It seems like the only way to catch a fish with circles is if they put the bait in thier mouth and swim away, a lot of the fish will just peck at the bait


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## Tracker16 (Feb 16, 2009)

zam said:


> But have you ever got hits that didn't hook up? thats whats frustrating for me. it happens sometimes with j-hooks to, but not near as much with circle hooks. It seems like the only way to catch a fish with circles is if they put the bait in thier mouth and swim away, a lot of the fish will just peck at the bait


Ive found that the ones pecking are very small. When that starts to happen I put a number 6 on a lite rod and sure enough it has always been perch or tiny stripers. Just my experience though


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## markedwards (Jan 29, 2001)

zam that happens a lot and whats even worse is when you hook it and that massive hit turns out to be a 4 inch perch  WTF?
tracker16 i do the same thing and sometimes when i downsize the bite shuts off greedy little buggers.


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## Kwesi W. (Apr 14, 2006)

I hear a lot of people say that about Circle hooks, but I find that sometimes when you think it's a BIG fish dropping the bait it's really a nice size bait stealer. Another thing is I think a lot of people use hooks that are too large... when fishing the bay I have caught nice size ROCKS on 1/0 hooks, but 3/0-4/0 would be best....... Like Mark, I've used most of the hooks on the market, and had good luck with most of them.. Gami probably being one of my favorite. Owner hooks are great but too expensive for me.. I like to toss hooks after each trip..




markedwards said:


> zam that happens a lot and whats even worse is when you hook it and that massive hit turns out to be a 4 inch perch  WTF?
> tracker16 i do the same thing and sometimes when i downsize the bite shuts off greedy little buggers.


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## zam (Jun 16, 2004)

yeah, usually the fish that peck are smaller, but not always, every once in a while I'll hook up with a nice fish that just lightly taps my bait...It has crossed my mind though that you could possible increase your chances (at certain times) of getting bigger fish with circles if smaller fish are pecking, the bigger fish may come over to see what they are pecking at..


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## tacklemake (Feb 24, 2010)

I use the one that catches the fish.LOL.............woody


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

it always happens when i set out a light rod for wps and a meat stick for the rock they hit the 1/0 on the light rod, yeah. if you use braid every bump and tap will driver you crazy, the best thing to do is set the rod in the spike and let them hook them selves.


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## twcrawford (Aug 27, 2009)

surfnsam said:


> it always happens when i set out a light rod for wps and a meat stick for the rock they hit the 1/0 on the light rod, yeah. if you use braid every bump and tap will driver you crazy, the best thing to do is set the rod in the spike and let them hook them selves.


What he said^^ but Saturday the bite was so slow, I did switch to j hooks and when I got the usual tap thing I yanked the rod and pulled in a 10.5 in YP. I snagged him. I'm glad he was a keeper.


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## sidthesquidtkle (Feb 25, 2010)

I like wooys answer the best when it comes to using circle hooks..


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

I'm with most of the folks on here: Owner. I use Gammies when I want to practice catch-and-release without the intervening hassle of actually hooking and fighting the fish.


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## weekdayfisher (Apr 25, 2009)

Owner......


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## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

zam said:


> yeah, usually the fish that peck are smaller, but not always, every once in a while I'll hook up with a nice fish that just lightly taps my bait...It has crossed my mind though that you could possible increase your chances (at certain times) of getting bigger fish with circles if smaller fish are pecking, the bigger fish may come over to see what they are pecking at..


 Ya gotta be patient with the dam things... I'm a j hook guy myself,but with circles and stripers,just kinda lay back insteaded crossing their eyes like I want to do... VMC's work well for me,they are "inline" as well as owners.. Any offset,like many gamis have suck... jmho....


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

Owners are good and I have lots in my box but the best of the best is the Daiichi.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

mustad. black demon


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## Tacpayne (Dec 20, 2008)

The new mustad Demon perfect circle looks awesome, but I dont have any fish on them yet, so I can only say looks. I have been using owner ssw's for about 2 years now and really like them


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## JAM (Jul 22, 2002)

I only Use Owner SSW Octupus Circle.. Had a 9/0 Gami Break in a Drums Head Once, it was a borrowed hook... Never Broke a Owner..JAM


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

Owner all the way.


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## Bocefus (Apr 19, 2010)

Owner SSW straight shank and VMC Circle in line model 7385.


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## surf rat (Jun 30, 2004)

I guess it depends on what you are fishing for.I think the in line hooks like D.D. said hold onto the fish better once hooked. They can be hard to get out sometimes for the same reason.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

kmw, why would you toss your hooks? Can you collect them all and send them to me?


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## Fishman (Apr 23, 2000)

Gamakatsu and Owners for me


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## surfnsam (Apr 28, 2008)

HuskyMD said:


> kmw, why would you toss your hooks? Can you collect them all and send them to me?


LOL me too!


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## BigJeff823 (Oct 14, 2002)

Owners,Gamis,Bear Paw;no problems with any of them the trick with all of these Circle Hooks is hook set timing feel for the bite;let em swallow or wait for the bigger bite;and dont set the hook like your Bill Dance a very slow grauall pull/reel or just reel the line in.No big sweeps of the rod.I had a Rockfish hit me soft a few times;what I do is hold the rod,feel for bites,and when I think the time is best reel like hell;I cught a 35"Striper like that during a cold,windy March day.As we go on down the line and it warms up a little no hooksets will be required and the fish will hook themselves;
TRUST ME.This weather makes it hard to hook up;we need some warmer days.This time of year any ole 3/0-5/0 Circle hook will work;the hook set timing is everyting.


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## PoBenda (Sep 6, 2010)

had a lot of luck with gami's. owners are good, but fish whatcha got confidence in.

truth be told, caught way more fish on some el cheapo eagle claw 2/0's that i got from walmart on my 7' ugly stik (also from walmart) than my 5 dolla rigs on 250 dolla surf rods. some's luck, some's the gear, some's the fisherman.


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## FishNC13 (Nov 21, 2010)

owner.....


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## JOrlick (Mar 20, 2011)

OWNERs for sure, even when Im doing the rigs for a friend, unless they bring me something else to use, OWNERs 100%.


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## skunk king (Mar 25, 2008)

companion question, how do you hook yours? I've started something new that's helped my hook up percentage. I've started cutting a little hole in the fish where I put the hook through the first time and run the meat over the eye of the hook and use that the brace it a bit. I'll pull the hook through the meat 2 more times. This allows the meat to flap in current a bit and give it more movement, keeps the meat from becoming a meat ball instantly when in the water, and makes the filet look like a small fish. So in the end, I have a better chance of the fishing putting the hook in their mouth instead of biting off the end of a fillet.


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