Circle Hooks Vs. J-Hooks

The J-Hook

Made in the shape of the letter J, these hooks are effective for bait fishing. The barb is located on the hook point, at the short end of the J. Originally designed to keep your bait on the hook, the barb also prevents the J-hook from backing out of a hooked fish. That's great for catching fish, but when a fish swallows your bait and is hooked beyond its mouth, getting the hook out without injuring the fish is nearly impossible. Anglers can reduce risk of injury to the fish by crushing down the hook's barb with a pair of pliers.

Circle hooks are made in the shape of an open circle. The bend in the hook continues all the way around to the hook point. Typically turned down, the point of the circle hook is positioned at a 90-degree angle to the hook shaft. When a fish swallows the bait deeply, the design of the circle hook allows the hook to slide back up through the fish's throat. When it reaches the inside of the fish's closed mouth, the circle hook stops moving. As you pull with your fishing rod, the shaft of the hook comes through the fish's mouth and the hook turns until the point catches the fish's lip.

When you fish with J-hooks, set the hook as soon as the fish starts to swim with your bait. Setting the hook drives the point of the hook into the fish. Often, a fish will bump the bait once or twice before taking the bait and swimming away. Setting the hook quickly reduces the odds of the fish becoming gut-hooked. J-hooks are good for small, soft baits like worms, clams and squid. When fishing with large baits like chunks of menhaden or mullet, fish need more time to eat. The added time increases the likelihood of the fish being deeply hooked.

Unlike fishing with J-hooks, it's important that you do not set the hook when using a circle hook. For many seasoned anglers, it is difficult to make the switch from J-hooks to circle hooks after many years of setting the hook. When a fish takes your bait on a circle hook, simply begin reeling until the line comes tight and then lift the rod tip high. This smooth motion allows the circle hook to spin around and hook the fish in the corner of its mouth. If you fall into the old habit of setting the hook, the circle hook will probably pop out of the fish's mouth before the hook point can catch on the fish's lip.

If you need to release a deeply hooked fish, it is often better to cut the line as close to the hook as possible and leave the hook in place. Any fish that you're releasing should be handled carefully, and kept out of the water for the shortest time necessary. Caught fish are usually tired and may be disoriented. Hold them upright in the water and move them so water passes over their gills. When fish regain their breath, you will feel their strength return. Release the fish when it struggles to break free of your grasp.