Circle Hooks
Help Protect Our Stripers
Many anglers now release the striped bass they catch. Using non-offset circle hooks can significantly reduce mortality. Experienced striped bass anglers find that baited circle hooks almost always hook fish in the lip or jaw because the point is turned inward. Points on J hooks, are more exposed and can lodge in the gills, throat, or stomach—internal organs where injuries are often fatal.
What makes circle hooks different from J-hooks?
The circle hook point is turned inward (see image). The vast majority of fish caught with circle hooks are caught on a corner of the jaw. J-hooks are more likely to lodge internally.
Are circle hooks more difficult to use?
While circle hooks are slightly more challenging to bait, by slowly rotating the hook point into the bait you should have few problems. When removing the hook from a fish, the reverse action is required. The hook needs to be rotated to back it out of the fish.
Do not jerk the rod tip to set the hook. If you jerk the rod tip, you’ll simply pull a circle hook out of the fish’s mouth with little or no chance of a hook up. Just let the fish “take” the bait and then simply start reeling in the line to get a hook up.
What kind of circle hooks should I buy?
Purchase circle hooks with a bend size comparable to the J-hooks you now use. Corrodible circle hooks with a non-offset point are required when fishing with bait for striped bass and bluefish. Offset points on circle hooks are more likely to gut-hook the fish.
