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Putting Circle Hooks to the Test
Posted on: Jul 22, 2010
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris, Product Info
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Lone Star Outdoor News matched small circle hooks with small, medium, and large bluegills in late June on a Central Texas pond. Three fisherman used Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp circle hooks, sizes 10, 12, and 14 baited with pieces of nightcrawler or with Gulp! crickets a foot or so below a small slipshot. Over a four hour period in 90+ degree Texas heat, more than 60 bluegills were landed and realeased out of a hot hole in the 5-acre pond, giving the hooks and baits a fair test.
Hook Location: Of all the fish they landed, only one fish had “swallowed” the hook and was hooked fairly deep. The hook removed relatively easy with no harm to the fish. Every other fish was hooked in the mouth.
Hook Removal: The small circle hooks were easy to remove, but forceps or a pair of needle-nose pliers could be helpful. The hooks have short shanks and are tough to handle with fingers. The barbed hooks were easy to remove with pliers or by hand after pinching the barb down.
Hook Sets: As with large circle hooks, no swift jerk is required, and attempting to set the hook (as if you were bass fishing) won’t catch many fish. In fact, the jerk usually pulls the hook out of the fishes mouth. Fishing in about 6-8 feet of water, simply lifting the rod is proven most effective.
Hooking Success: The group missed a few more fish than traditional hooks, but the fish were so plentiful it didn’t really matter. The bite was subtle on the test day, often only noticed by a slight twitch or tightening of the line while the bait was on the fall. The light bite may have been another factor in the number of missed fish.
Baits: The bluegill hit both baits consistently, but the Gulp! crickets won out on this day by a significant margin. The tiny legs on the plastic bugs may have attracted the fish, or a huge grasshopper crop in Central Texas may have played a role. The plastic crickets held up well, didn’t get dirt under the fingernails, and each bug was good for several bites and successful catches.
Overall: The tiny circle hooks were a big success. No fish were killed in attempting to remove hooks. No cutting the line and leaving the hook in the released fish hoping the fish would make it. The hooks are a definite plus for fishing with live bait, still fishing while anchored, or anywhere that fish populations are such that large numbers of fish are expected to be caught and released.