circle hook help...

[Tubbytuba]

i was hoping some one could tell me whats going on here with my circle hooks. ive used them on numerous occasions, (caught some huge fish in alaska on them too), caught a lot of fish on them. i dont really like that i don't actively set the hook but i got over that. i fished silver wood Saturday early in the morning with size 4 ganakatsu circles and had a huge bite as soon as i was set up. thought the pole was gonna go in the water, but i kept the tension and... nothing. rebait, recast, same thing. big catfish like bite, held the tension, nothing. i ended up switching to some Jay hooks but that big fish was gone. were my hooks too small, or was i not doing it right? i like to use these hooks because i can release them if i wish but they seem to have been failing me recently. any tips would be appreciated...

[plumbertom]

I've had problems when I wasn't careful how I baited the hooks.
If the hook cannot turn the right way it will slide right out of the fishes mouth.
Try using bait bags for cats and don't sink the hook all the way in them just hang the bag from the hook. Remember catfish don't care.

[Tubbytuba]

thats a really good idea... does the bait siting on the bottom hurt the chances of them working?

[mjc89]

If you going after catfish you should use a #1 circle hook or bigger. I like using 1/0 circle hooks for cats and i almost always hook them. I dont think letting them sit on the bottom affects how they work. You just got to let the fish take the bait and they just pull back slowly and keep pressure on them. Dont set the hook because all you'll do is yank it out of their mouth. Sometmes the fish come of because you barely hook them by the whisker. Ive pulled out alot that have been barely hook but if you just let them pull drag and let them get tired they come in easy.