Circle hooks in current??

[froghunter]

Anyone that has fished the big jetties in poc knows there can be a ton of current there. I normally use circle hooks in calmer areas where bait can stay suspended or laying on the bottom, giving fish time to eat and swallow the hook. One tactic I use in the jetties is to cast bait up current and let it make a pendulum style swing as it goes past the boat then bring it in and start over. This works great during the bull run. My question is how will a circle hook perform here in a faster paced fishing?

[glen]

All I use and never had a problem. I drift live bait with them as well. Doesn’t kill fish either

[TexMax]

A true circle or shiner type?

[froghunter]

A true circle.

[Brazos Hunter]

A true circle.

That is all I use and have caught some nice fish in strong currents. I do have to let them take it a little longer than I do in calm waters before setting the hook.


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[TexMax]

10-4. I'd go to a shiner hook for what you want. They have a wider gap. More hookset friendly while staying out of the rocks.

[kaizen]

I fish that exact way a lot at those jetties. I use either a gamakatsu octopus circle or just a simple light wire 2/0 J-hook on a 1-2 oz fish finder rig. If the sheephead, redfish, drum are killing it and I know I'm going to bounce the bait down the rocks and its not really going to sit, I use the jhook usually with a shrimp. I hang up the tip of the hook a lot on the rocks but with a 30lb leader and 30lb braid, I can straighten out the hook and not break off. I never hook anything other than hardheads too deep. The bait doesn't stay still long enough I guess. Tap, set hook like bass fishing. If I'm using perch or cut bait, if the rod will be in a rod holder, or if the current is light enough that the egg weight sits in place for awhile, I switch to the circle hook. Circles work fine for reds. Smaller sheephead (15"-18" or so) will just pick the bait off if they are thick. Drum can be tricky. They can bite like a red or a slot drum can crush a shrimp on a circle hook and spit the hook out without ever moving the line. If holding a tight line with braid, it feels like your rolling a few pieces of gravel around in your hand. Lift the rod if you feel that and hook up is good.