Don't you hate it when.....

[Bumble]

Been using the Owner fine circle hooks for 2 years now size 4 for my Chub fishing with Cheese paste incredible hooking potential in the winter never let me down very strange hook though.
It takes some getting used to .
Bumble

[Isis]

what's your hooking method for the bait, through the mouth and up through the top of the head would be my guess, am i right?

I only use the tail half of a mackerel, with the hook nicked into the flank about an inch from the tail root.
The hook is shown below.

And just to whet your appetite here's the dangerous end of a 30-12 on a cane rod (not traditional I'm afraid) with a repainted Cardinal 66

[GarryProcter]

Many thanks for the info Isis - much appreciated.

[Mike Wilson]

I have been using circle hooks for some time now for both perch and chub. They have been used for years in sea fishing.
As mentioned, one never strikes, just let the fish tighten up on you and they are nearly always hooked in the scissors. Unhooking can sometimes be a problem so, whilst not an anti barb man, I crush down the barb which makes unhooking easier.
Bought a load of hooks from Bass Pro in the States. I use Gamakatsu No 208406 [fine wire] and come in packs of 10 from size 8 upwards for 'pennies'. I'm told that Fulling Mill now stock a range of circle hooks.
There has been a lot of discussion in the States to educate sea anglers to use them in place of J hooks to reduce the problem of deep hooking and preserve stocks.

Mike

[Skeff]

What a great forum this is.... just the sort of informative and thought provoking thread I needed this evening. My pike fishing begins next week on the river and if i can get my hands on some of these hooks before then I will. I really like the concept of the hooks for a number of reasons but if they take hold in the scissors on most "strikes" they are just what I need. Thank you gents.

[The Sweetcorn Kid]

I used size 4 Drennan Specialist Wide Gape hooks when perch fishing on the Thames last winter, 5lb flouro hook-links and a smallish livey. Along with some super perch I also caught a handful of pike up to 15.4 and landed each one hooking them all in the scissors. There has to be something in the single hook thing.

[CraigM]

I can recommend single hooks for piking.

I ditched my trebles 3 years ago & have had no discernible hooking [not hooking] issues.

Caught my first pike of 2013 on Wednesday on a single no.10 with a small sprat as bait [on a water where they only run to @ 10lbs max. - for bigger baits I use 2 no.6s].

[MaggotDrowner]

I like the way this guy does it for twitched dead baits. One double hook at the middle of the fish (small into the back of the fish, big one facing up) and a single hook in the front. Looks much easier than trebbles and holds the dead on just the same as 2 treble hooks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WjFFFkbe8o&t=1m14s

By the way, this guy makes really good youtube videos. This is one of my favourites. Skip ahead a bit to get to the action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIVwQrcSJq0

[SeanM]

I use Owner Mutu light circle hooks for chub on some occasions. This site sells circle hooks in the UK

http://www.fly-fishing-tackle.co.uk/aca ... hooks.html