Double circle hook rigging

[CaptainSteve]

Does anyone have any images that I could look at to figure out how to rig a double circle hook for a lure?
Thanks
Steve

[lemaymiami]

I don't have any pics but here's how I've always done a tandem hook rig in heavy mono for lures...
Do a speed snell on what will be your bottom hook, then using the same leader repeat with a second snell, setting the second hook the distance needed from the first hook. Just before you tighten that second snell, hold the knot in one hand and you should be able to turn the hook if you want that classic 90degree orientation between the two hooks, then cinch it down.

Once the two hooks were snelled up we usually just slipped a tiny egg sinker onto the leader and crimped it into position to act as a stopper to get the hooks the right distance from the head of the lure.

Hope this helps.

Tight Lines
Bob LeMay

[CaptainSteve]

Bob:
Do you use a 10/o circle hook?

[Innovator]

What application are you looking to use double circle hook rigs? I have fished double J-hook rigs on marlin/wahoo lures in the past, but ultimately prefer single J-hooks. My concern of a double circle hook is the second hook would interfere with the whole premise of how a circle hook is supposed to work to begin with. Has any one had any luck with double circle hook rigs?

[BahamaLure]

I just asked a friend who has used double circles on lures, he did get them to work somewhat but did not pursue it further. He rigged them in tandem and 90 degrees. He had issues with them causing the lure to spin that he never really solved.

I am keen to try single circle hook rigs, here is my first try. I kept the hook as freely moving as possible on the swivel, took off the barb (does nothing anyway IMHO). I;ll pull it from the rigger with the absolute minimum tension on the clip so it breaks off as soon as the fish turns and the drop down gives max time to turn the hook and set it as the fish turns away from the boat. ell, that's my theory anyway!

[CaptainSteve]

I want to use them in lures, on the troll. I have seen guys do it and I have seen some guys be very successful with it. I have used single circle hooks in the past in this application. I just want to take it to the next level.

[BahamaLure]

but why 2 hooks?

[CaptainSteve]

i figure one is good, two is better. is that a charlie brown10/O hook?

[Captain Fred Archer]

I've made no secret of the fact that I've fished with circle hooks in both lures and baits for decades now. I found the circles to be very deadly in trolling lures, yielding very high hookup and those even more important landing ratios. No double hook rigs for me. As stated here, they can work against each other and among other negatives, the much larger size and weight of the circle hook versus the J mitigates against most lures running as intended. The non-kirbed, single circle gets the job done great.

I write extensively about circles in lures with many rigging drawings, etc. in my books. Way too much detail on the subject to put down here and I gave up trying to convince people to try the circles first in baits and then in lures long ago because there were too many "experts" who "knew they wouldn't/didn't work" who had never tried them or hadn't tried them right or for long enough to make an informed decision jumping my bones. I don't come to this site for that stuff. The information is there for those interested.

One suggestion for B-Lure. Try running your reel drags and 'rigger releases at the regular, not real light pressure settings. I think you'll find that you will actually hook more fish that way than with the very light drag deal. The dynamics of a lure bite versus a bait bite when using circle hooks change things pretty radically as far as how fast the bite and the tightening of the line, etc. things work. I actually had the most success with circles in lures trolled at the 1/3 of the line test or thereabouts way and had great success with it. One advantage was that a striking fish that missed the hook (not all that common), usually didn't pop the release clip, the fish didn't get pricked, the lure turned into "a teaser that was missed" and the re-bites were almost guaranteed. That was part and parcel to the much higher hookup and landing ratios.

I'd be interested in knowing how the swivel works. We terminated our hook leaders with good sized chafed plastic loops that allowed the hook to turn and slide, but kept them from spinning and tangling skirts. We had trouble with that when we tried it long ago, so I'm interested in how it works for you.

After experimenting and seeing how barbless circle hooks held fish AND made them far easier to remove and release fish from, we fished all barbless circle hooks in lures. And since circle hooks are designed to wrap around fish jaws, not stick in them, we took the sharp points off of our circle hooks too.

Circle hooks...first accepted in baits after much resistance (remember?). How long will it take with lures? I dunno, but however long it takes, it will have been too long! Only my opinion, of course.

[Chuck Richardson]

We recently put up a video on our home page covering Mullets with Double "J" Hooks.

There is another video going up soon rigging the same baits with Tournament Legal Circle Hooks.


Single or double hooks.

For as many natural mullets rigged on a dredge teaser, I would think a rigged one trailing near by would be would be a plus in any spread.

www.tournamentcable.com