Circle hooks and meatfish trolling

[frankypettolina]

Is opening the gap legal in a tournament? That is the question.

[Squidnation]

Is opening the gap legal in a tournament? That is the question.

great question franky - the rule reads non-offset circle hook. But doesn't go as far as to describe what they consider to be a non-offset circle hook or if a hook can be manipulated in anyway. Furthermore the rule says that it is up to the tournament to police the rule. so It would be up to the individual tournament to answer that question

[BlueFin103]

What brand/model circle hook you using? Thanks

[thums up]

We have been meat fishing in CR fishing the circles and riggging just like we do for billfish with no problems.

We fish the rods in almost free spool drop back and push up the drag slowly and reel. Caught plenty of tuna up to 190 lbs. this season on dead bait. Haven't had time to get out up here in NJ yet this season to try it.

I think some people are making one of two mistakes. First over thinking it. Circle hooks make it so easy, almost to easy! Second, I don't know how many guys say they don't set the hook on a circle hook, only to go fishing with them....what is the first thing they do. Set the hook, even a little hook set screws it up!

[Barefootin]

That is indeed the hardest thing to learn and teach; especially with the guys who have been fishing Js their whole life. The hookset just becomes instinctive and a very hard habit to break. The few reports of my circle hook jig not working are all related to technique.
As far as hook selection; there does seem to be something to the use of the heavier gauge hooks; whether it is "ballast" or "keel weight", I am finding a better hookup ratio with these hooks when rigged free swinging.
I also find that a slightly offset hook greatly increases hookup rates when you can use them. My go to hook is a 10/0 Eagle Claw L2004F.
The hook on the jig is an med wire 8/0 Owner 5379 and the hook below it is the much more effective 8/0 L2004F.

[T380Fisher]

Alright...our crew needs some circle hook help

We went out for tuna last weekend in the Wilmington and went 0-9 until our first hookup....ended the day with 2 yellowfin and a skippy and were 3 for 16 with overall pulls

This was our first time with circles while trying for meatfish. We tried the same tactics as with marlin, ie. hook passed through floss that is wrapped around the mouth and head, not buried in the bait and the drag set to next to zero. It is a lot fun experimenting, but 3-16

Any suggestions would be great. Should we have the drags set to the strike for tuna?

Other notes, we had about a 300 lb Blue marlin miss one of our baits (actually we and it thought it was hooked at first, it attacked a green/blue bullet head skirt, it got the skirt, but not the bally or hook. It did a great dancing show for us, but we could see the bally flapping off of it's face while the skirt was in it's mouth and the leader was wrapped around it's bill. The show lasted about 5 seconds before coming unwrapped and it was gone....but that's fishing)

[bobdu11]

I've made two trips since rigging my circle hooks J-hook style, using Gamagatsu 10/0 non-offset circle hooks. As Bill said, I ran the hooks up as high into the meet as possible, came out as far down the hoo as I could get it, making sure the eye was pushed up inside the gills, take some wraps with the Monel, add Sea witch, Islander (with beads to get the hook outside the hair) and so far it's been OK...

have gone 3 for 3 on the Yellow Fin Tuna up to 68 pounds, 0 for 2 on the Mahi (Small flippers) and 2 for 2 on the White ones. This is fishing with a drag set for Tuna trolling (tight Drag).....all YFT came off the short Rigger....Baits run frigging great.....

More testing needed though but feeling alot more comfortable fishing for meat with Circle hooks rigged this way...bob