On Sat, 21 Jul 2007 20:41:05 -0400, "D.Duck" wrote:

I find that with circle hooks you are much less apt to gut hook the fish.
Usually catch them in the corner of their mouth. Easier to remove the
hook
and much easier on the fish.

That's true in general, but...

I've seen circle hooks get caught in odd angles - they don't work all
the time exactly the way they are intended to work.

Depends on the bait used and how much.

I agree, but I'm still convinced they're better than other designs.

It all depends on the situation. I use circle hooks a lot when
drifting down on structure in salt water or trolling around for
walleye/lake trout - those types of fish.

For example, stripers - circle hooks have something of an advantage
because stripers are side strikers - they generally won't come at
their forage from the front/angle or rear - they almost always come at
the bait from the side which gives a circle hook an advantage.

Other fish, like large mouth, while still ambush predators, will take
forage food from an angle or from the rear which doesn't give an
advantage to circle hooks.

Size, both hook and fish, are also considerations. If you are hitting
on primarily school or second year class fish, circle hooks have no
significant advantage over others.

In JWAFM's case, circle hooks wouldn't be any advantage at all because
he tends not to use the rod for striking power. He also has a
tendency to point the rod at the fish which loosens the line and gives
the fish a change to disengage. He's not really setting with the reel
either - he's basically allowing the fish to hook it'self. He also
has a tendency to let the line slack on retrieve so he can't feel the
fish when it takes or hits - that's an issue of touch and experience.

I'll eventually break him of these habits - I have a cattle prod I can
use everytime he does it. :)

Or maybe a shock collar would be better....

Hmmmm - need to think on that.