Circle hooks

[grampy06]

What size circle hooks should I order for the upper Hudson River

[yakman]

Generally you want to use the smallest hook required. The gap between the point and shank must be wide enough to fit
Jaw bone of the fish. 6/0 - 8/0 should be fine for striped bass. These are the ones that work best for me. I tried a few different brands and types. These inline circles had the best hook up ratio with most fish being hooked in the corner of the mouth. I use them for blood worms, chunk and live herring. I even used them with clams. I snell the leader to the hook. Just make sure the leader goes through the top of the hook eye. There are videos on YouTube about snelling circle hooks.

[grampy06]

Just an FYI,circle hooks will be mandatory in New York as of 2021.

[RedRiich]

Making circle hooks mandatory is a good thing for bait fishing. But what about all those treble hooks on plugs? Many come with 3 treble hooks and a hooked fish usually winds up foul hooked in the gills or elsewhere besides the one in it's mouth. All my plugs have always been set up with 1 treble belly hook and a single barbed hook with bucktail for the tail. I have no problem catching bass and they are a lot easier to lip and release with a lot less damage to the fish or myself. Personally, I feel this should have been mandatory in the new regs.

[BUB]

I'm all for circle hooks for live lining. Ive been using them for years. Unfortunately it's going to ruin my chunk game.

[Jono916]

I have used circle hooks for chunking on Sandy Hook and with clam bellies in Long Island Sound and Sandy Hook. I've never used clams in the Hudson River, but I suspect that they would work on the flats.


I am curious about using them with the worms. I imagine that I would naturally thread the worms on the circle hook, but is there a different way that I'm missing?



I am all for using circle hooks with bait. It's still new to me, and I have to admit, I do like setting the hook. I guess I will have to learn some new habits. I have had success with my stickbaits and jerkbaits, but I have to admit, those extra hooks sometimes find there way into parts of the fish that I didn't intend to hook. I have taken the middle set off if there are three, and I've also replaced the back hook with a regular trailer hook. That has made a huge difference.



When it comes to bucktailing, I don't think I've ever hooked a fish anywhere but the lip. I can't see how a circle hook would make a big change there.


Thanks for setting up this thread. I hope to learn a lot from the following posts. I hope you all have been having fun keeping a safe distance and spending some extra time with your gear for this spring.

Have a great season everyone!

[Doc Z]

I use 4-0 to 6-0 circles hooks for blood worms and they work great.

[freddiethej]

I think the purpose of circles is to reduce fatal gut hooking. Big lures don't get swallowed. Even with circles if you are using chunk they are more likely to swallow it than with live. The big problem with chunk are those invasive channel cats, which have taken over.

[Doc Z]

I can tell you from experience when a circle hook is gut hooked it is nearly impossible to get it out and it does happen......when a J hook is gut hooked a good removal tool will get it out safely every time...i have never failed.

[Hayners12578]

Doc from your posts I have to figure that you fish the most out of anyone I see in here so I figured I would ask you.

Do you order your bloodworms by the flat? If so, how do you keep them?
I try to get out two to three times a week and with all that is going on I'm afraid I will not be able to get any bait. I have a live well set up to keep my herring alive but bloods are a different story. Longest I have been able to keep them is a week.

Thanks and tight lines

[Doc Z]

Originally Posted by Hayners12578

Doc from your posts I have to figure that you fish the most out of anyone I see in here so I figured I would ask you.

Do you order your bloodworms by the flat? If so, how do you keep them?
I try to get out two to three times a week and with all that is going on I'm afraid I will not be able to get any bait. I have a live well set up to keep my herring alive but bloods are a different story. Longest I have been able to keep them is a week.

Thanks and tight lines

I go through 3-4 Flats weekly so I keep getting them fresh but I use ocean salt water to spray on them for moisture.

[Hayners12578]

Thanks

[bigboreblr]

I use octopus hooks. Are they circle hooks as per atleast other states law, like Mass?

I've been having more luck using smaller hooks. Mostly due to listening to doc Z's tips........

Doc...... Your boat in?

[Doc Z]

Originally Posted by bigboreblr

I use octopus hooks. Are they circle hooks as per atleast other states law, like Mass?

I've been having more luck using smaller hooks. Mostly due to listening to doc Z's tips........

Doc...... Your boat in?

Going in any day now.

[Hot Soup]

I always use Gamagatsu 5/0 Octopus (not Circle)