Hooks
- Thread starter john/r
- Start date
i've only used circles as a top pennel and they almost always catch the corner of the mouth, not very easy to remove in that meaty area, once in there it has a good hold, well in cod anyway dont use them for much else
j hooks have better pricking properties but can be shaken off or pulled easier, once a circle is in its going nowhere easily imo
j hooks have better pricking properties but can be shaken off or pulled easier, once a circle is in its going nowhere easily imo
I certainly wouldn't say circles are easy to use, can be awkward to bait up and a bitch to unhook if they get imbedded in the side of the fishes mouth. Need a junior hacksaw! I like them for a pennel top hook also. I felt I got a lot more secure hook ups last year after I switched to that set up.
hound hunter
Well-known member
I like the semi circles or the chinu's for the top hook of the pennel,I find the chinu(varivas pattern)very very strong n incredibley sharp...
sean start
Well-known member
I use chinu's as a pennel as opposed to circle hooks also and they are excellent.
bilbobagins
Well-known member
never used circle or semi circle but always fancied trying them, I have always used aberdeens in heavy wire and do ok with them if by any chance I get a deeply hooked fish which I want to return I always cut off the hook and the fish swim off ok 99% of the time
GEORDIE H
Well-known member
Deans
Well-known member
Been trying large 6/0 circle hooks for top pennel. Learned not so good from a drifting boat. However still in two minds about shore bait fishing for cod. I have been offsetting them and managed to pull in a couple of codling. One hooked through top lip and out of bottom lip. If this was a double figure cod in heavy kelp i guess it wouldnt of been shaken off. I guess circles will be in my box next season. Also been practicing braid on multiplyers. Heavy braid on multiplyers never been a problem for me but been toying with medium diameters to get good distance. And getting that balance that the braids not too thin for obvious reasons. Found a couple of braids which work and don't bed in at all. No need for a fixed spool for me. However it has taken lots of practice and wasted braid. Key is finding the correct braid and using mags properly.
Stewart 1971
Well-known member
Which braid you using Dean? I quite happily pendulum cast with .36mm (66lb) Power Pro on my Saltist 20 and 525 mag but if you have found a cheaper option that works well I'd be very interested...
As to the OP, I used to use semi-circles a lot on the South coast but gave up on them when I lost a few decent Bass in heavy seas on the retrieve. Was clear that the fish had thrown the hook because it was lip / jaw hooked in that boney mouth that Bass have.
Though Cod have much softer mouths that Bass I'm not sure how confident I'd be pulling a decent one through kelp knowing it was likely only hooked in the jaws
Philthebag
Well-known member
Chinu hooks are good in tidal clean ground but horrible in the heavy stuff, once there stuck there stuck
