[mikeozo]

Ok, guys...Definately need some advice.

After last summer of losing or missing several flatties, I decided I would experiment with different hooks in the beginning of this summers season. By the way I am fishing out of a boat using double action Monster Rod Holders.

I started out using 8/0 Gama Octo Circles. The first time out my hook up ratio was excellent with 7 strikes and 6 fish landed. I will take that any day of the week. However as more nights went on it was a mixed bag. The only time I was really confident is when they would hit so hard that they hooked themselves which doesnt seem to happen a whole lot with flatheads...at least early on in the season...

After 2 outings with mixed results, I decided to try King Kahles which I purchased last year and used a couple times when fishing from the bank. Well we tied the Kahles on to our leaders last night hoping that we would have more control over the hook set and from what I have heard you miss alot less fish...Well not in our case. We had 6 or 7 excellent strikes and only set the hook into one fish. It was large and took me into a snag and we never got to see the fish. Other than that we were missing. When using the kahles, I use by bait feeders on my cabelas salt striker reels. These fish were running for at least 15-20 seconds pilling off line and clearly seem to have the bait...when I thought they had it, I would flip the bait feeder off, let the rod load up and let them have it. Just could not put a fish in the boat. I was using 4-5" gils although the one that I got hung up was on a big rock bass.

When I was using circles, I tried different methods to try and see what worked best. When the pole would start loading up I would leave the rod in the holder and start reeling which which seemed to be working OK...or I would take the pole out of the rod as the fishing was loading and start reeling and lifting...

I just would like some advice on what you guys do with Circles, and also what you guys do with kahles because I am sick of losing fish. If you can give me actual scenarios of what you guys do it would be a big help...For instance if you have a flattie that isnt loading up the road but is running with the bait using circles...or if you are using king kahles and you have one running...how long do you wait?

By the way, I am fishing in current so I hook my live gils in the lips except for cut bait.

Should I try J's? Double Action?

Thanks ahead of time for all your help!!!

 

[STLbluesNmuds]

I used to use the 8/0 octopus but switched to the 8/0 4x circles. Check the octopus hooks points. They don't stay sharp for very long. The point will bend sideways. Thats why I switched to the 4x circles. The next hooks I am going to try is the 10/0 sickle hooks.

 

[STLbluesNmuds]

I also like to use braid. The circles will pretty much set themselves.

 

[jdstraka]

Mike are you leaving enough hook exposed ?? One suggestion you might try is to start using a stinger hook in the back underside of the gill by the tail.I know I have had the same thing happen to me and the hookup rate improved when I started using a stinger hook.I also fish fast current The Missouri River and most times it's Cooking.Hope this helps,J.D.

 

[Romo]

Could just be small fish grabbing the tail of the bait and running with it. Around southeast PA right now we are catching a ton of small 2-5 lb flatties. The runs are fast and furious almost like big channels. Sometimes there are big flats mixed in, though. Bottom line is don't get discouraged because you will start rushing things or changing things about your hookset and then everything gets screwed up. Its just like a golf swing! Trust yourself and blame the missed fish on external factors and you will eventually start hooking up again. This strategy gets me through the slumps!

 

[Brenardo]

Ever since I found out how circles work I have used them. Since I switched to braid I think they are working better.

With cut bait and smaller live bait I don't use the bait feeder and I let the rod load up until there is no doubt the fish has hooked it self.

With larger live bait I will use the bait clicker let the fish run 10-20 seconds sometimes more then I turn the handle in the holder to stop the fishes run and wait til the rod is loaded up until there is noo doubt he is hooked.

We still miss fish from time to time but we have a great hook up %.

Just stickk with it man and you will figure out what works for you.

 

[Brenardo]

There are soooo many variables that are hard to account for in each and every situation.

It is hard to say what will work best for you.

 

[Mudcatboy]

I Know Exactly How You Feel. After Many Years Of Setting Hooks I Kept Hearing
About Circle Hooks And How They Could Improve Your Success. I Too Started With
The Octopus Circle And Found That If They Hit Hard And Loaded Up The Rod I
Could Start Reeling And Most Of The Time I Would Catch The Flat. However There
Are Those Times When He Will Eat The Bait And Not Move. I Have Tried Reeling
Slowly, Reeling Quickly, Sweeping The Rod, All With Below Average Success. Lets
Face It You Don't Get Unlimited Amounts Of Flathead Hits Every Trip, So When You
Farm Them, It Hurts!!! I Have Switched To The Team Catfish 8/0 Double Action
Hook. It Is A Circle Hook With A Kahle Look To It. My First Trip With It I Had 9 Hits
For 8 Flats, And The One I Missed Was My Fault.

 

[TonyInKS]

I don't wanna sound like a [email protected]$$, but are you sure they aren't gar taking your bait? Where I fish, it is SO frustrating 'cuz the damn gar'll take your bait and run with it getting you all excited, then nothing, and the only reason I know it's gar is by the way the rod tip will almost vibrate, and I get a few in now 'n then cuz they get wrapped up in my line/leader, hope you have better luck than I do man! I just need to get a boat!,lol

 

[kitsinni]

Here is what I would suggest, forget the monsters, actually forget any rod holder for a while. If you are pretty sure you are sitting on some flats and you are missing them keep the rod in your hand with your finger on the line so you can feel even the smallest tap on that thing. After a while you will be able to tell a whole lot about what the fish is doing based on the feel of the line.

 

[catfisherman369]

10 to 20 seconds seems a long time to let a fish run , but I could be wrong . It sounds like they are just grabbing the fish and not the hook . You could try the double hook trick . On large bluegills I like to use a 9/0 circle or bigger . I get them from mustad . It could be gar or the hook not exposed enough , but I would bet it is being grabbed without grabbing the hook . Good luck on figuring it out .

 

[ramon06]

Yeah it sounds like Gar as they will grab the fish and not swallow it so you cant hook up much

 

[byron9393]

Yeah it sounds like Gar as they will grab the fish and not swallow it so you cant hook up much

I fully agree it sounds like gar.
A flathead will usally pull your rig straight down, not run w/the bait out to the side.

 

[Mercer]

Aye i agree it sounds like a gar. And i hate gar's i am starting to let them learn to walk back to the water i wont put them back in. If they can make it back to the water on there own thats fine with me but i wont help them.


It may sound unsportsman like and probably is but we been infested with them the past year or 2. same with leatherback turtles.

 

[bigd4xman]

I have had really good luck with my Gama Octopus Circles in 6/0 and 8/0. I will either let them run with my clicker for a split second and flip the switch and reel a little with the rod still in the holder, or let them load the rod tip good and reel down with the rod still in the holder, just remember if you set the hook to just sweep it slow.

 

[USCA-RECLAIMED-ACCOUNT]

Aye i agree it sounds like a gar. And i hate gar's i am starting to let them learn to walk back to the water i wont put them back in. If they can make it back to the water on there own thats fine with me but i wont help them.


It may sound unsportsman like and probably is but we been infested with them the past year or 2. same with leatherback turtles.

A dead gar,s a good gar!

 

[playin4funami]

I'm gonna suggest trying a pack of tru-turn saltwater grade hooks in size 8/0 and up,get a small good file/hook sharpener and make those things razor sharp, to where you bleed just looking at them,lol. let the reel be on freespool and let them run a bit,when they stop wait and when they move agian slam that hook home. a flattie will nip a bait and run with it sometimes then stop to swallow/eat the bait then return to moving about.If it is a slow run it is probably a flattie,if it is a quick run it is usually a gar or something else. flatties often don't move very much after taking a bait where I fish making circle hook a poor choice at best,lots of mouth there and the circle has to make it to a corner to hook up properly which often doesn't happen with flatties,at least in my neck of the woods. channels and blues tend to take the bait and go a big flattie might tae the bait and not even move a foot.

 

[USCA-RECLAIMED-ACCOUNT]

I'm gonna suggest trying a pack of tru-turn saltwater grade hooks in size 8/0 and up,get a small good file/hook sharpener and make those things razor sharp, to where you bleed just looking at them,lol. let the reel be on freespool and let them run a bit,when they stop wait and when they move agian slam that hook home. a flattie will nip a bait and run with it sometimes then stop to swallow/eat the bait then return to moving about.If it is a slow run it is probably a flattie,if it is a quick run it is usually a gar or something else. flatties often don't move very much after taking a bait where I fish making circle hook a poor choice at best,lots of mouth there and the circle has to make it to a corner to hook up properly which often doesn't happen with flatties,at least in my neck of the woods. channels and blues tend to take the bait and go a big flattie might tae the bait and not even move a foot.

I,ve sharpened some of those Tru-turns up,it takes a while!

 

[moose22dog]

give those circle away to someone else, and switch over to a ocopuss j hook with a off set, gamma and mustad make good ones in 7/0-10/0. will you miss some fish ..sure but what i have found you get a stronger hook set. the majority of the time the hook will be in there bottom jaw or top jaw.. not on there stomach. think circle hooks are for saltwater fishing, and diff not for flattys. just my two cents good luck and tight lines justin