Circle or J-Hooks – What’s your Pleasure?
I've been a fisherman for more years than I would like to believe. Like everything else, old habits are hard to break or change. So when trying something new, it's considered evolution. For years, I used the basic J-Hook and caught plenty of fish. Threw back many undersized fish as well. I always wondered how many deep-hooked fish recovered, how long it took to recover, and if, in fact, they lived. On this trip, I was wondering if I should be using circle or J-Hooks.
Fishing for me has always been a means to a good meal. Catch-and-release has never been my style. You get caught, you get cleaned, and you get eaten. A local tackle shop introduced me to circle hooks, saying the hookup ratio would be higher once you learned how to use them. So I figured I'd take a cut at evolution; what could go wrong other than catching fewer fish?
So we anchored up at San Clemente Island off the California coast, just outside a kelp forest. I pinned on a large Anchovy on my 15lb bass rig and tossed it into the kelp. A calico bass boiled on the bait and took off. I had my thumb on the spool still and was attempting to put the reel in gear. Unbeknownst to me, the bait inhaled within seconds of hitting the water, so I did not swing as I would have with a J-Hook. So essentially, I hooked up the first time using a circle hook as designed. The hook lodged in the corner of the fish's mouth exactly where it was supposed to be. The bass was undersized, and removing the hook from the corner of the fish's mouth proved the worth of circle hooks.
Circle or J-Hooks - Preference or Mandate?
To this day, I still use J-Hooks. In fact, we got into a wide-open bite on Yellowtail. I had a J-Hook tied onto grey 25lb test and went 4 for 4 that day using Sardines. In freshwater, I primarily use J-Hooks. I fish for easily caught fish on anything for no particular reason. In saltwater, I prefer circle hooks, usually in red. "I use red hooks because some guys get frustrated when they don’t catch anything and claim other anglers' fish while sorting out tangles." I simply point to the red circle in the corner of the fish's mouth, and the argument ends.
So what are your experiences, Circle or J-Hooks? And while you're at it, take a look at what we sell and use in our tackle store. Any fisherman claiming they have enough or too much tackle hasn't been fishing long.......
