Circle Hooks on Tip-ups

[striperboyz]

Testing out #6 and #8 circle hooks on my salmoniod tip-ups, after gut hooking one too many nice fish that deserved better, only been out once with them, had one long run off(30ft+) but no fish. Has any one tried them out on the traps? Good/bad results? Any suggestions in rigging them?


Josh

[PeteV]

Nice idea. I used circle hooks on my kids rods when they were using worms (it really cut down on the gut hooking). I've never caught a largemouth with them yet but I would think Ice fishing would be tailor made for them. I'm going to try it.

[striperboyz]

Nice idea. I used circle hooks on my kids rods when they were using worms (it really cut down on the gut hooking). I've never caught a largemouth with them yet but I would think Ice fishing would be tailor made for them. I'm going to try it.

We almost never catch bass up here through the ice, maybe a smallie once in a blue moon, I'm curious about circle hooks and salmonoids, their mouths are harder and more narrow then a bass, so do you think the circle hook would still do the job?

[Bob Parsons]

I think the key to success with circle hooks while ice fishing will be to hit them while they are running with the bait. The idea is that the line is at the corner of the mouth and the hook will slide out and catch them in the corner. You see a running fish - just clamp on the spool. Like when you use them in saltwater, you don't set the hook, you simple apply tension so the fish hooks himself. Otherwise you still can gut hook them or simple pull the whole thing out of their mouths.