Circle hooks for Pike?

[MIKE*A 0]

Hey gang,

This summer I will have the opportunity to go Pike fishing for the first time.....I have read a lot in recent years about the use of circle hooks in the salt and their effectiveness on fish such as Barracuda and how a lot of people no longer use steel/heavy mono leaders because of the hook. Would this also be an effective hook to use for Pike? I would think it would be, but haven't heard much in that regard....anyone have any experience with this? I realize that the hook set is entirely different from traditional hooks, just thought it might be interesting to try this summer.

 

Thanx in advance

 

Mike

[wiggleminnow 0]

Yes they are, you just have to be careful of the hook set, let the fish set the hook. They can be hard to adjust to for that reason. They were designed for live bait because the predator fish holds on to live bait and when they swim off with it, it sets the hook. What you can do, when the fish strikes point your rod tip at the fish and hold on to the fly line with your left hand, when you feel weight raise your rod tip. hope this helps.

[phg 0]

I can't say for pike, but here in NC, they've become the hook of choice for most saltwater species. What we are told is that you don't set the hook, you just start reeling in. The shape of the hook is such that it will pull out of a fish's throat without snagging, but when it gets to the lip, it digs in, especially if the fish is going away from you. The result is that almost all fish are hooked in the lip, so the teeth never get to work on the leader, and the fish are easy to release if they are undersize.

[Sean Juan 0]

Hi Mike,

 

Circle hooks are the best hooks to use in any situation where the fish grabs the fly and then turns, doesn't have to be a full turn. The worst situation for them is when a fish takes the fly and then stays still (most often the case with largemouth bass fishing). Most of my striper fishing is done with circle hooks, and all my bluefish flies are circles

 

Pike have a tendency to strike both ways. If I was tying flies for them to use in still water I'd stick with traditional J hooks, in rivers I'd be more tempted to use a circle hook. If I knew I was going to hookup with a monster pike I'd perfer to fight him on a circle hook.

 

Not a definitive answer I know.

[MIKE*A 0]

Thanx for the input guys.

[Peterjay 0]

Regarding leaders and toothy fish; I haven't used circles for pike, but I've caught numerous bluefish on them, and while there is definitely an advantage over J-hooks, if the fish rolls over and the leader passes through the mouth, the fish can still bite through the leader. Better than J-hooks, but still not perfect. A mono shock leader should help.