The Hunt For Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg

Larry,

I was thinking of nose-hooking a Zoom Super Fluke with a circle hook for peacock bass. I have some Owner Mutu, Mutu Light and Gamakatsu octopus circles, mostly 6/0 sizes. Will a circle hook work okay? I understand that I can't set the hook, but need to let the fish take it.

I'm also considering threading a regular jig hook and leaving the hook bend/point exposed. I want a weightless subsurface presentation that I can most fast with erratic action. I've seen your slip-through treble rig on Mr. Whitley, but I'm not sure I could reproduce that on a Fluke.

Thanks for any input.

Dan

Dan, I AM NOT LARRY (lol), but you have not had a response yet so I wanted to push you to the top again.

I will tell you this much........ I don't like circle hooks. They work for bait on some species, and they will work on some lures, for some species, but why use them?

Sure, if you are using bait and fishing for a species that takes and holds onto the bait, circle hooks are perfect. But, if the species lets the bait loose very easy, then unless they are gut hooking, I won't use it.

As for using circle hooks on plastics or hard baits, I just don't get it. The fish don't gut hook themselves normally with artificals so why loose fish to circle hooks.

I still think Larry would be a better source to ask, but I just don't have a love affair with them myself.

IMO aka is totally right. There are two reasons to use circle hooks; one is if the fish you are pursuing is getting throat or gut hooked because it's swallowing your bait, the other is for fish like tarpon which are notoriously hard to hook on conventional hooks.
When using a circle hook on an artificial the only way I have been successful is if the hook is actually ahead of the lure, and it's best if the lure detaches as like with a Coon Pop.
For a circle hook to work the fish has to turn and swim away, preferably in the opposite direction. They work well on bass, catfish, pan fish, grouper, sharks, billfish and other fish that inhale and fully engulf their prey. They work less well (or even very poorly) on fish with grasping seizing teeth and vomerine teeth like pike and muskies.
The key is that the hook needs to be in the mouth of the fish and ideally the fish has to get into a position where the line is coming out the corner of it's mouth and the hook then follows and rotates into the jaw.
They were invented by the Egyptians something like 3000 years ago.

And, by the way, circle hooks work great for peacock bass when using live bait and would no doubt be pretty effective on any soft plastic lure as long as it was in the front and they engulfed it completely.
Sorry for the slow response. I just got back from a trip.
best
L

Thanks AKA and Larry! I will be using live bait for peacocks on a circle hook, so I thought it might work if I "nose hooked" a Zoom Super Fluke or other soft plastic bait. I'll let you know how I do.

Experimenting with a simple bridle rig to connect the Super Fluke to a circle hook. I figure this will get the plastic bait out of the way during a hook set and minimize hook interference with the bait's action, just like with live bait.

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Good advice Watchhiller! Most of those 5/0 Kahle-style hooks aren't strong enough for peacocks, so I've been considering using a stouter circle hook.

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We're on the same page with the octopus circles! I use the Gamakatsu octopus circles all the time with live bait. Typically using a #2 for smallmouth bass with creek chubs/crawdads and 8/0 for flathead catfish using bluegill/bullheads. I love Owner hooks, but the Mutu circles are too "heavy" for soft plastics and the Mutu Light too weak for peacocks, in my opinion. I think the Gamakatsu octopus in 6/0 or 7/0 might be good with the Super Fluke. I only have the 8/0 ones, which seem a bit big, but would probably be fine. I think I'll head to the pond tomorrow and try them out.

Watchhiller,

I tried the corkscrew bait holder with the Super Fluke, and it works well! The 7/0 Gamakatsu offset octopus and 5/0 Owner Mutu circles look good in the practice pond. Proof is in the pudding! Have to land some peacocks before I know if they're effective!