What hooks for stripped bass?

[TheOtherSide]

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Hi there, been lurking here for a little while and wanted to take advantage of the great knowledge around this site. I'm fairly new to fishing, I've done a bit of FW but have started to fish the salt and could use a little help getting better.

I've been out to a place called cliffwood beach and using clams for bait as the guy at Crabby's Tackle told me. As I've read articles and stuff online, there seem to be a number of people talking about circle hooks. I know there's a whole forum about them but I didn't see anything about clams and bass so I figured I'd ask the local community that's out there actually doing it. I've been using size 5 baitholder hooks and it seems like I miss a lot of bites, would circles help me do better?

[Bluewater Sportfishing]

Originally Posted by TheOtherSide

Hi there, been lurking here for a little while and wanted to take advantage of the great knowledge around this site. I'm fairly new to fishing, I've done a bit of FW but have started to fish the salt and could use a little help getting better.

I've been out to a place called cliffwood beach and using clams for bait as the guy at Crabby's Tackle told me. As I've read articles and stuff online, there seem to be a number of people talking about circle hooks. I know there's a whole forum about them but I didn't see anything about clams and bass so I figured I'd ask the local community that's out there actually doing it. I've been using size 5 baitholder hooks and it seems like I miss a lot of bites, would circles help me do better?

right now with the water temps a little cold you want to use a J hook 7/0 should be fine I was using 10/0's the other day and felt they were a little big. as the water temps creep up the bass will become a little more aggresive and hang on to the bait and not let go, thats when you want to use the circles for the bass. What you want to do now is hold your rod and the second you feel the bite set the hook. You will notice when the bass get aggresive when that happens switch over to circles and leave th rod in the holder when you see the tip start to bend over just crank the reel with the rod still in the holder until its tight then pull the rod from the holder and reel the fish in like you would normaly.
hope this helps.

[shipmate bill]

I personally prefer circle hooks for everything. I'd use 5/0 or 6/0 octopus circles (size 5 are WAY too small) and put either 1/2 or 1/3 of a clam on the hook (elephants eat peanuts) Make sure you're using fresh unsalted clams. When you're shucking them they should still be alive. No self respecting bass will be eating salted clams (or if they are you'll get a lot more bites with fresh) Let them eat and the rod should just double over with a fish on (don't set the hook with circles). The small bites you're getting are either small bass or flounder. The bass back in cliffwood this time of the year are very small (mostly 12-24") but you'll catch bigger and bigger bass as the next couple weeks go by. Circle hooks won't help you catch more fish, but when you go to release them, every one will be hooked in the corner of the jaw and not deep in the belly.

[gradyfish265]

I agree, for the size bass back there now, a 5/0 or 6/0 circle is perfect, that is what I used when I use to fish there. As fish get bigger, a move to a 7/0 is perfered, but no need for huge hooks. Use a slider rig so the bass can run and eat a little, as Bill says, it should hook itself. If you have a biatrunner, let it run for 5 or so sec then stop the baitrunner, but don't set the hook, you will likely pull it from the fishes mouth if you try and hook it like you would with a j hook. I primarily use circle hooks when clamming since the bass are smaller and may possibly be released. If I fish live or large baits like bunker I use a J hook, but once I reach my limit and begin to release I will switch to a circle. This season I am planning to try and use all circles and avoid the J hooks altogether. I've had great luck with circles fishing offshore and it should be no different going to them inshore.

[hattrickll]

I use Owner SSW Circle hooks
Model no. 5178-171, they come in all sizes.
As mentioned above, almost always corner jaw. hook up.

[TheOtherSide]

Thanks for the help guys, I went out yesterday with a pack fo 5/0 Gmikatsu circle hooks and the slider rigs. It was really windy so it was tough to tell if I missed some fish, but my clams were getting taken and i had two times that were definately fish. I did catch one fish that was about 24 inches so i still haven't caught a keeper but the hook was in the corner of the mouth like you guys said. I hope to get out again this week and I'll be trying them again.

[Tunaman40]

Mustad 39950BL size 7/0 thru 10/0