[AL_N_VB]

Ole' man Winter has started to seep into my bones.Guess I'll start a poll on the best circle hooks in the market.

 

[cocoflea]

I started using Daiichi bleeding bait hooks last year and I like them.

 

[Cdog]

Gami's

Although I'm giving th Mustad Demons a try now. Jury still out on them.

 

[bassn]

I have only used gami's so I am partial to them.

todd

 

[Digger]

In general I don't like Gami's kinda like a bananna. Owner are great hooks but a little pricey and in that range I tend to use the Diiachi.
Mustad for the price are solid hooks you just need to be able to sharppen them.

Now My best for the money is the Eagle Claw I forget the model but a 25 for 5 bucks and laser sharp they win for me.

 

[Anthony]

I use gamis and owner hooks. They are both great hooks although a little pricey. Any of the "premium" will do fine in almost any situation.

 

[sand flea]

Owners all the way. I've missed too many fish using Gamakatsu. They're a little pricey, but what's a few extra bucks when you have a trophy fish mouthing your bait?

I've had very few runs that I didn't stick when an Owner was on the other end and they always catch in the corner of the mouth...very important when you're fishing for reds or any other fish you want to release.

 

[8AnBait]

I use Gamakatsu I have used owners, but found that they are just as good nice wide gap easy to put bait on always razor sharp an takes a long time to rust id give them a 95% hook up rate and i have never straitend one and i dont use the 4x just the regs. I have used mustad you must sharpen thier circle hooks before useing them and I suggest off setting them with pliers they do start rusting pritty fast (( now im just saying all of this about thier circle hooks alot of their other hooks i love like their J hooks)) i give them a 70 % hook up rate. now for as Daiichi circle hooks ive never used them but im always open for new things. now the eagle claws lazor sharp hooks are trash if you ask me i got some thinking wow looks like nice hooks, and are cheap yeah cheap being the right answer that lazor sharp tip disapears in saltwater fast as a champ...

 

[Kozlow]

Owner has my vote .

 

[Digger]

I never said they were Drum hooks. I use circle hooks down to number 4. And this was best value. By the way the Gami's points in the 2/0 size last maybe 3 or 4 hours more than the Eagle Claw and cost 5 times the price.

 

[shaggy]

Gamis for 5/0, 6/0, 7/0 and 8/0, and Owner (since I can't find gammis) for 10/0. Never had a problem with any of them, but have used gammis a long time so guess a tad partial.

Have Jeep will travel.

 

[Jake Ace]

VMC - Cabellas House Brand

I started using the circles a couple years ago bouncing strips of cut fish for flounder. I lose so many hooks / rigs that I started stocking up on the Cabellas House Brand VMC ... go online and you can see them.

You can get a 25-pack for like $5.50 or so. I never had them break, and I'm sure they hook fish as well as any other. And at 25 for $5.50, they're a little easier to stomach losing when you lose 5 or 6 a day like I have a tendency to do.

The ones I use are the bleeding red ones in a 1/0 for strip bait. After using Kahle's for a few years, and then switching to circles, I think the key is more in the steady raising hookset that you have to learn when using a circle hook than anything else.

If you try to dislodge the fish from the ocean floor with a bone-jarring, pier-rattling, "pound 'em" hookset like you can do with those Kahle hooks then you're going to have a long day using circles.

But, grasshopper, if you can control your hookset and bring yourself to just apply a steady raising pressure to the fish once you feel him on, you'll get most all of them, and almost none will be gut hooked.

LOOKING FOR THE 1ST RELEASE FLOUNDER CITATION

Jake Ace

 

[emanuel]

I've had some great luck with drifting mudminnows in the current on an Owner Mutu Light Circle in a size 1. Couple split shot to weigh it down and it does wonders. Lethal on redfish, flounder and trout. The other bonus to those light wire hooks is that it doesn't wear out the bait as quickly as other hooks and they tend to snag less. I can even freeline a medium sized shrimp on one and he'll swim off with it, right into the jaws of a waiting trout.

 

[Sandcrab]

Do the "fingernail test"

Open a box of hooks and see if they stick in your fingernail. Bet most will not..

Get Gami's - sharp right out of the box!

 

[Digger]

Jake Ace those look good and with my experence with VMC trebles I will need to give them a try.

 

[TRIGGERFISH]

I like Eagle Claw circles 5/0 - 8/0 never had any problem with them and sharp and will stick in your nail. I found some Daiichi bleeding bait hooks(3/0) in a pack of 25 at BPS for $5 and will try them this spring.

 

[Orest]

I have only used gami's.

Never tried the nail test. But they sure can stick you good when making your rigs.