The Circle Hook Up

[Jer]

The Circle Hook Up
February 2008

Article by Bill Pino

Fishing in Isla Mujeres allows everyone on the boat the chance to learn how to hook fish properly. Multiple shots will allow an angler to experiment with his own techniques and also experiment with the lessons an angler will get from a good mate and captain. Capt. Gary Stamm was our cool head on the bridge and our mate Skeebo kept us all involved. We learned quite a bite from the crew of the Pumpin Hard and were rewarded with releasing 14 out of 18 sailfish on our day.

Click any of the pictures to enlarge

This was a flat line bite. The angler had already taken the line out of the flat line clip. Rod was to the side, free spool, clicker off and he saw the fish about to engulf his ballyhoo. The ballyhoo was rigged with 60lb Moi Moi mono and a VMC 7/0 circle hook. At this point he let go of the line, and swung the rod towards his fish. Now notice. Rod is at the fish.

Notice that the angler's hand is covering the reel (he can feel a bird’s nest coming from any part of the spool and quickly slow it down) and his thumb appears to be on the spool. It is not. I know it is not because of one huge hint. Billfish require complete freespool so the fish will not feel any resistance. Notice the line coming off the tip. Where is it going? The line is falling down into the water, not straight out. If the line were to be going straight out then that would indicate the angler is either trying to slow it down with his thumb or the fish is exceeding the speed of the freespool. Both are bad situations.

Next – The angler does not thumb the line. It is hard to tell from this picture but if you look closely you can tell that his thumb is just above the line. Also notice what his thumb is touching. His thumb is on the side plate of the spool. If you must slow down a spool it is better to thumb the side plate of the spool because you will not inadvertently touch the line too hard and jerk the bait. Thumb the plate and keep your hand off the line.

Now the angler has felt a change in speed and has seen or felt the fish make a turn and has engaged the drag slowly towards the strike position. This is done in a slow deliberate manner. The angler pushes the drag up to about 2 lbs and stops to see if the line is still leaving the spool. If it is then he pushes up a bit more to 3 or 4 lbs and if the line is still leaving the spool then the fish is hooked up. The assumption is that the fish has taken the bait and started to turn away from the boat. The angler slowly pushes up the drag in order for the bait and hook to slowly exit the fish but the extremely sharp VMC 7/0 circle hook will catch the corner of the mouth of the sailfish.

Next the angler keeps the rod pointed at the fish and reels to ensure that the hook is in place. The angler does not raise the tip of rod just yet. He is reeling to make sure the fish is still tight and that any belly in the line may be put back on the spool to commence the battle.

At last the angler is convinced that the VMC 7/0 circle hook has caught the corner of the mouth and the battle begins.

[Squidnation]

thanks for posting jer. I noticed the second picture did not show the dropping off the tip as it should have so I am reposting here.

[Seaker]

Well I don't think you could paint a how to any clearer than this

Most excellent work and a huge thank you

Bill your camera work is always so freakin great thanks

[pitch bait]

Bill is the VMC a popular hook?

[Squidnation]

Bill is the VMC a popular hook?

Bobby the VMC is probably the sharpest circle hook that I have found. It is an non-offset hook that has a slightly wider gap then the others but is still an approved circle hook. It is what I use on when using circle hooks on my boat. I have seen it sold and used it quite a few florida stores and boats.

[pitch bait]

Have they actually set a standard for the "tourney legal circle hook" or are they jut qualifying certain hooks made by cetrain brands?

[flatbottom]

thanks Bill, Jer.....the tutorial is great..... When the line is initially coming off the reel.....do you give it a pull to put the wheels in motion....to get the coil off the tip....or the rod going to the side starts the coil off the tip ?? If I didn't say this right...correct me.....

thanks for putting this together guys. The model in the picture looks familiar.....is that Russell Crow?

[Squidnation]

thanks Bill, Jer.....the tutorial is great..... When the line is initially coming off the reel.....do you give it a pull to put the wheels in motion....to get the coil off the tip....or the rod going to the side starts the coil off the tip ?? If I didn't say this right...correct me.....

thanks for putting this together guys. The model in the picture looks familiar.....is that Russell Crow?

Flat - I have seen quite of few guys do this but I don't. Especially on a long rigger bite where the line should be coming out rather freely.

I am not the pro I am just reporting what is being taught to us. And I have never been taught (by what I would consider to be a seasoned billfish pro) to manually pull the line out by hand. Shoot, half the time you are trying to slow it down. I would think that if you had to manually pull line out then either the reel is not conditioned properly to allow for a total free spool or you inadvertantly bumped the drag up and did not notice.

[OffTheHookB&T]

Bill, thanks for doing an awesome job showing us how the pros are using circles around the world. You are becoming the resident SFC billfishing corresepondant and PRO It's funny you mention the VMC's we've stocked them for awhile, but know one touched'em?? The hot circles last year were Owner and Eagle Claw.

[pitch bait]

Chuck you should sell those VMC at a dicount price since no one wants them. I will buy them all so you have more space to put more Owners and Eagle Claw. I do not have any VMC in my hook collection. I knew there had to be something in your store I didnt have.