Vmc Hooks

[hottyscotty]

I got a pack of VMC hooks of various sizes. I've never used these type of circle hooks.

What species of fish are these hooks good for? and how would i use them? I can't imagine they would be easy baiting up cut fish flesh.

They're 7381's from VMC if you didn't get the mag

[jewgaffer]

Hi Scotty I don't use circle hooks myself.. Even when I was trying to put a bait on a circle hook properly I finished with my elbow in my mouth.

Here's one for you... people who do tie them, instead of threading the line thru the back of the hook, they thread the leader line thru the front of the hook and always make the wraps along the shank ... apparently threading the line thru the front of a circle hook changes the hook swing on hook up... use a piece of meat or something see if you can see why

Cheers

jewgaffer

[bluebottle18]

I tried to use mine today. I had a look to see if they had any instructions. Yes very difficult to use.

AS I always use a stinger hook when i fish i decided to use it that way to hold up my squid.

Caught two throw back flatties .Linley Point.

[slinkymalinky]

G'day hottyscotty,

I think everyone knows by now that I LOVE circle hooks.

I got the same mag and the different sized hooks cover a range of species. The really small ones would be great for whiting, the next size... about a 2/0... are the size I use heaps up here for bream, flathead and so-in in places like the seaway. The bigger hooks would be great for snapper, strip-baits for kings, school jew.

Circle hooks are no harder to use than any other hook. Like with every bit of fishing tackle, you just need to know the basics. A uni-knot is fine, but a snell as Jewgaffer described is possibly better (I'm yet to decide one way or the other). Describing what the direction the line goes through the eye does is pretty hard but have a look... one way makes the point dig in more when you pull on the line, the other makes it pull away from whatever it's touching. The idea with circles is you want the hook point to be able to pivot into the (usually) corner of a fish's mouth.

The 2 main things to remember with circles is don't overload the hook with the bait.... pin it once and once only. This lets the hook work properly.

The 2nd, is DON'T strike. When you get a bite, let the rod load up. The fish will usually hook themselves and all you'll do by striking is pull the hook straight out of their mouths. If you seem to be getting a lot of bites but no hook-ups it's most likely just very small pickers but you can sometimes try s-l-o-w-l-y lifting the rod.

Almost everyone who has ever fished on my boat in the Gold Coast Seaway or on the local reefs has gone away a circle hook convert... they work.

Cheers, Slinky

[jewgaffer]

Player 1

A confident opinion from an expert on circle hooks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLoOi9LCh6g&feature=related

Cheers

jewgaffer

Player 2

This never give up expert's opinion speaks for itself

[Littledinghy]

G'day hottyscotty,

I think everyone knows by now that I LOVE circle hooks.

I got the same mag and the different sized hooks cover a range of species. The really small ones would be great for whiting, the next size... about a 2/0... are the size I use heaps up here for bream, flathead and so-in in places like the seaway. The bigger hooks would be great for snapper, strip-baits for kings, school jew.

Circle hooks are no harder to use than any other hook. Like with every bit of fishing tackle, you just need to know the basics. A uni-knot is fine, but a snell as Jewgaffer described is possibly better (I'm yet to decide one way or the other). Describing what the direction the line goes through the eye does is pretty hard but have a look... one way makes the point dig in more when you pull on the line, the other makes it pull away from whatever it's touching. The idea with circles is you want the hook point to be able to pivot into the (usually) corner of a fish's mouth.

The 2 main things to remember with circles is don't overload the hook with the bait.... pin it once and once only. This lets the hook work properly.

The 2nd, is DON'T strike. When you get a bite, let the rod load up. The fish will usually hook themselves and all you'll do by striking is pull the hook straight out of their mouths. If you seem to be getting a lot of bites but no hook-ups it's most likely just very small pickers but you can sometimes try s-l-o-w-l-y lifting the rod.

Almost everyone who has ever fished on my boat in the Gold Coast Seaway or on the local reefs has gone away a circle hook convert... they work.

Cheers, Slinky

Totally agree with Slinky, I am Slinky converted circle hook user and couldn't be happier with the result, I had my PB Bream (41cm) on circle hooks caught last week. By the way Slinky, I kept using my normal uni knot and hasn't failed me yet. Thanks.

Littledinghy

[hottyscotty]

Thanks for the tips slinky

I might give this a go on drummer, just wondering how i go with baiting up a prawn. Don't see bread or cunje would pose a problem

[slinkymalinky]

G'day hottyscotty,

The important thing with circles is to leave the barb and point really well exposed, otherwise the hooks won't do their job. Ideally, bait up your hooks like this....

With really soft baits like a peeled prawn or ab gut, you could experiment with threading it on the hook in any way that stops it bunching up down in the gape of the hook and obstructing the point. I hadn't discovered circles back when I used to chase Drummer as my favourite target species but I guess what I'd personally do with say, a prawn, is to just in it once through the thicker end once peeled and see how that works first.

Cheers Slinky