Thanks you for this video. The recent ban on J hooks has come into effect and I have gut hooked over 10 fish with circle hooks in the past two weeks. I can not remember a time gut hooking a fish with a J hook and I needed this info. I really care about our striped bass population and next thing I know I’m killing more fish than releasing due to circle hooks. We need this info
Hi Owen, yes they are deadly hooks and will gut hook just as many as a J hook. I think the data somes from long liners who use them because they are so effective and do generally hook the fish in the mouth and hold the fish until they pull the lines in. So hooks deep hooked will be bitten off and not counted as data. J hooks when used proper are actually just as well as better I think as you set before the swallow. Bottom line is they are hooks.
@@FishYourWay totally agree. I wish there could be some discretion within our fisheries. The way I fish is very active, and J hooks would be much less harmful as I feel when the fish eats my bait. With the implementation of circle hooks I’m almost forced to let the fish swallow the bait more than I otherwise would.
CLIP MUST BE SHARED Not only the best fisherman in this platform, but also the best communicator on how can we safely keep the sport going so future generations can also have the same if not better opportunities we all are blessed to enjoy. Please share this clip 👍 HAPPY 2021 Jerry and to all your subs as well. Mag
Jerry really cares and thinks about fishes and fishing. To me this really is new info. Thx as allway. Greets from germany Btw: do you really have to set the hook or can you just let the fish do job, while holding the line tight?
@@robertjanko6709 Thanks Robert! You dont have to do much, slow tension is all that is needed. The hookset is like a trap theoretically the hook cant come out unless fast sudden movements so slow pressure is key either by rod or reel
Thank you Jerry and Billy the Bass!! Superb demonstration. Everything stated in your video has proven true for us when fishing live shad for striped bass in freshwater lakes.
Hi David and thank you much! Cool to hear the verification in a different part of the country to! Me an Billy the Bass wish you a Happy New Year! Thanks David!
Thanks Slack! Yea the theory trends across most species. The circles for sharks actually most days are supreme as the sharks mouth protrudes and lends to the circle perfect for a perfect fit!
Thank you for sharing your personal thoughts and experiences with circle hooks. I learned by trial & error and keep learning with videos like yours. I experienced that in my area a 1-3lb seabass and small dinner plate sized and smaller stingray would swallow a snelled 3/0 circle hook very fast vs a J hook of similar size. I now use 5/0 or bigger circle hooks, depending on the target. The only time I use smaller circle hooks is with tiny live anchoive bait while fishing from a boat with 15-17lb line with the reel ready to flip into gear.
Much welcome anotherflores91, you got that right via trial and error. I find even sea robins can be a pain with the smaller ones go to the 7/0 and problem resolved. probably 9/0 even better for the bass considering mouths are so much bigger. Snappy fish should be ok with small ones and sometimes you do need to match the bait. I would not want to use a 7/o with a bloodworm especially the price they fetch for!
Happy New Year everyone! I learned something today. Thank you Jerry. I knew to use large hooks between a 7/0 and 9/0 for striped bass. However, I didn't know about the offset hooks gut hooking fish while the straight hooks didn't. Now, I know why I was gut hooking fish.
Hi Eddie thanks for the feedback, yea the offsets are probably one of thee most effective hooks out there. They have noth properties of a J and circle hook so you get mouth and gut hooks a very deadly hook great if you plan to cull your catch!
Hi Jerry, Happy New Year !! That was a perfect demonstration on an in-line circle hook. I love the way you made "Billy the Bass." It was a great visual demonstration of how the circle hook catches on the jaw. I use barbless circle hooks any time I use clam, squid or any cut bait and for all species of fish. Great information !! Take care and good luck this year, Mickey
Happy New Year Mickey and thank you! Billy says Hi too! Kinda just came to me as I was working with it. Box first, drew some gills then I saw a perfect mouth. I really like them better barbless they work great, have a blessed new year again you and family
Wow that was great. You should be a teacher. So helpful. I’m hoping to catch some herring this winter and use as bait this spring and was wondering what size hook to use. If that doesn’t work out I’m gonna have to buy clams. I hate dealing with bunker. One question I have is if I crush the barb will it affect the bait staying on the hook?
Thanks for the kindest of kind words Robert! I have used the 7/0 for herring chunks and strips. They actually work great with herring. Be sure to salt your herring before freezing and even add more the day you take them out of the freezer to fish. It will firm them up. The head works great, cut on a angle with the guts all on side. sometimes I will just cut just about the tail by the gut cavity back end. hook through the lips all your hooks exposed but you can do the eyes of back of the head. chunks I may go as close to the top of the back I can and feel assured the bait will stay on. strips and squid amazing for fluke. And sometimes the fish will take them better then bunker. The bait will be fine as the herring has to swing around completely to come off the hook. Cant say it wont happen but will be good to go most baits.
Love the informative video!!! I was so used to using at least a 7/0 bait holder hook, snelled with some good ol ande 30-50lb mono for stripers using fresh clam. Now with the push to use circle hooks for them, this really helps. Definitely going to hit the surf with a lot of bait this spring. Gotta thank Billy for the demo!
Thanks Robert! They are super but too small and no good for what the circle hook was intended to do so hopefully we save a few fish. 7/0 - 9/0 will get it done probably the 9's be perfect. I historically used the 7/0 but gonna beef it up this year just to be on the safe side with bunker clam on the 7/0. Billy say your welcome Robert!
@@FishYourWay this will be the first season using circle hooks. My brother has been the master of bait fishing 2019-20. Pulled a 15lb bluefish on bunker, as well as a 37” striper and a nice sandbar that somehow was hooked on the corner of the mouth, but all on J hooks 7/0-9/0 even! I’ve got to get to his level and yours! Time to hit some nyc waters they had it very good in the spring and early summer!
Thats awesome Robert! Yea, I been using J hooks for a good while and cant remember the last time I gut hooked a fish with one. Be warming about soon the days are getting longer and thanks for sharing Robert!
I would not use a circle hook for a teaser I like a regular shanked hook, the mustad 3407dt 3/0 is what I use for the bass teaser and 3407dt 2/0 for the surf teaser
Good tutorial...Thankyou ! You may want to check the regs on cardboard striped bass: They all looked short, and it looked like an awful lot of them. Hopefully it was all catch and release... Tightest...and Happy New Year Jerry! Frank
HAPPY NEW YEAR Frank you and family a blessed 2021 wishes for lots of fishes and timeless moments on the water to you. I will have to double check the regs on the CardBoard Bass last time I checked there were none but they way things change I cant keep up and so I just catch and release. They are kinda bland anyways kinda tastes like cardboard so its mostly catch and release - hehe could not resist that one!!!
Been enjoying your videos, good info I just subscribed, I fish here in Maryland off the Atlantic coast and also the Chesapeake Bay, ocean city assateague island. Can I ask you a quick question why do you prefer the baitcaster Reels instead of a regular spinning reel?? Thx in advance. Ken
Hi Ken thank you for watching commenting and subscribing much appreciate! Sounds like a neat place to fish where you are! I really have no preference. It is just cause that is what I been using mostly from growing up. The do feel much better to my touch just because I am used to the feel. The ergonomics in my mind I guess. BUT I do think they are great for a few reason I find spin don't offer. One is I can lay the line on my fingers and feel for touch. Also you get nice drag control and they are built well really made to last and easy to fix if anything needs done. I am a big advocate of use what feels and works best for you!
@@FishYourWay Awesome thx for that info and quick reply I've been binge watching your surf fishing, bait vids my fav type of fishing. Thx keep up the good work.
Just curious, how do you set the hook on a circle hook when you have the rod in a rod holder on the beach. Do you set the drag really loose and let the fish run for a little bit, then tighter the drag, and reel fast while still in the rod holder to set the hook? Or do you tighten the drag and leave it in the rod holder for the fish to set the hook by itself? Or lastly, do you leave the drag tight, pick the rod out of the holder and side sweep to hook the fish? Thank you in advance for the advice
Thats a great question. Short answer is all 3 ways you mention work. If I am holding the rod a sweep I found is best. In a spike I will keep some slight tension then go slowly up on the drag to set the hook. If I take someone fishing with me I will keep the drag close to tight and tell the other person just pick up the rod and crank em in slowly. All three work
Wanted to post this axiom separate and again on selecting hooks. Selecting a hook can be a quandary. I always say you have to be hypocritical to be a good angler and give the instance of fishing large sandworms for bass. I would feel too uncomfortable using a 7/0 circle. The worm will not play the current its best even on a light wire circle so I would go with a 3/0 circle hook, be on my toes and ready to crank or lift. Live bait to. You want to go small sometimes per presentation. Clam I would beef up my clam bait to suit to the larger 7/0 circle hook and bunker I would do the 9/0. Lots of hook also helps with big bait. You want that whole hook exposed as much as possible with any bait you use. My opinion a J hook would be safer then a small circle in that sandworm situation but I would risk the circle gut hooking for the optimal presentation and no choice. I wanted to put more of this in the video but it would have gone well over an hour talking about the circle hook so I tried to stay on topic and stress inline and larger which in general is the the way to go. Have to love the hook! 2
It depends, stripers have a suction so the bait actually gets inhaled when it opens it mouth and enters the gullet quick. Bluefish are snappy so you should be able to get away with a smaller hook. The 3/0's there I used to use for blackfish smaller mouths. So it does vary per species, good question Henry
Selecting a hook can be a quandary. I always say you have to be hypocritical to be a good angler and give the instance of fishing large sandworms for bass. I would feel too uncomfortable using a 7/0 circle. The worm will not play the current its best even on a light wire circle so I would go with a 3/0 circle hook, be on my toes and ready to crank or lift. Live bait to. You want to go small sometimes per presentation. Clam I would beef up my clam bait to suit to the larger 7/0 circle hook and bunker I would do the 9/0. Lots of hook also helps with big bait. You want that whole hook exposed as much as possible with any bait you use. My opinion a J hook would be safer then a small circle in that sandworm situation but I would risk the circle gut hooking for the optimal presentation and no choice. I wanted to put more of this in the video but it would have gone well over an hour talking about the circle hook so I tried to stay on topic and stress inline and larger which in general is the the way to go. Have to love the hook!
Clever use of a box to simulate how the circle hooks work. New regulations in Connecticut require use of circle hooks the fishing bait for Striped Bass. Years ago I used circle hooks for flies. I stopped because they seemed to stick less than a J hook. Also they were pricey .. Only advantage of a circle hooks for flies is if you make a bad fly cast and hit yourself with the fly the the point would not stick you. Another downside is if you hook a big Blue you have to unscrew the hook from the fish's mouth which increases the risk of getting bit. I'll stick with J hooks. Thanks
I never used them on a fly but heard about it thanks for sharing that Theodore! Makes sense it be safe when it hits you in the head though. The circles work great with bait just gotta make sure they are inline and big. Thanks as always and sharing a bit as always Theodore!
Starting 2021 in NYS you are not allowed to use off set circle hooks while using bait for stripe bass...only inline circle hooks while using bait..new regulation.
I am so sick of these self righteous fishermen telling people this BS. Not only are we being made to use their preferred gear but use it the way they want you to use it.
