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Angling Fish - by James Rickard

Using circle hooks

August 25th 2008 00:09
As we learned yesterday, circle hooks have been around a long time. Despite this, through a renewed interest, they appear to be something new!

The fish catching ability of circle hooks can not be denied! After the hook is swallowed (often literally) by a fish, the angler applies a steady pressure upon retrieval which not only sets the hook but also pulls the hook form the animal's stomach! It is the unique, curved shape of the circle hook that allows this.

circle hook
Almost any species that can be caught with a hook and line is fair game for the circle hook. In fact, commercial fishermen have been using circle hooks for years. Despite this, a circle hook is NOT the best choice for small fish! Nor is it practical for fish that nibble at the bait before biting because proper hooking requires the hook to be fully engulfed in the fish's mouth.


When it comes to rods, you don't want anything too stiff. A "willowy" rod, or one with plenty of give will often work best--especially for beginners. Many times, if a rod with "give" is used, a fish will bite and begin swimming away only to be hooked when the angler is doing nothing!

Experience is going to have to be the teacher if a stiff rod is used. Hard as it may be, you MUST remember not to jerk in an effort to set the hook! Nine times out of ten, you're going to pull the hook right out of the fish's mouth. Often times, the fish will hook itself as it swims away. If you use a rod with give, you're going to see your rod tip bend but let it go. When you see that, it means a fish is on the line and it is probably hooking itself as you watch the rod flex.



Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
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What are circle hooks?

August 24th 2008 00:45
Although circle hooks are one of the hot "new" items when it comes to fishing and conservation, they've actually been around for centuries. Ancient use of circle hooks was far-reaching to say the least. Archaeologists have discovered circle style hooks in North America as well as Japan and Polynesia.

Exactly what is a circle hook?

[ Click here to read more ]
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Making barbless hooks

August 22nd 2008 01:43
When you catch a fish with a ripped up lip you know they must not feel pain or, at least, they're not too smart because, surely, they wouldn't be biting on anything that causes pain.

Anyway, those ripped up lips don't have to be if you use a barbless hook.

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Weekend tip--Unhooking yourself

September 14th 2007 22:49
I've been REALLY lucky and haven't hooked myself for longer than I care to admit. Although I wanted to talk about this a LONG time ago, I'm not brave enough to stab myself in the hand just to illustrate a point. I like my readers but, let's get real! Anyhoo, I was at the library the other day and saw this in a book. A guy showed it to me a long time ago and I want to share it with you, also. You can practice this on a piece of raw meat. I've done it like that a few times each year so, if I ever need to put this into practice, I haven't gotten rusty.

I hope you never need this info!

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Apologies to Mac Davis!

One area that has seen a lot of change over the past few years is hooks. It used to be that a hook is a hook is a hook. Now days, you can find a wide variety of hooks on the market in various sizes as well as finishes, and for various applications. Despite all the hooks you may find, one constant holds true—the smaller the size number, the


[ Click here to read more ]
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