Many anglers have been asking about circle hooks.

The reason for angler interest is that circle hooks are safer for fish due to the fact that the circle hooks very often slide into the jaw corner before penetrating the fish's mouth. There is less chance to deeply  hook a fish. Conservation-minded catch-and-release anglers like that! So far, circle hooks are becoming well-accepted for live bait applications. Why? Fish help hook themselves as they try to swim away with a bait, the hook is hard for a fish to throw during the fight, plus fish can be released with less damage to its mouth tissue. All very good! However, artificial lure fishermen are still wondering - can circle hooks be used with lures such as soft plastic baits?

The answer is a partial YES. I have used a circle style hook - the Yamamoto Crooked hook - with soft stickbaits, floating worms, tubes, and grubs. At least for these baits fished in the manners described below, the Yamamoto Crooked hook does work as desired - hooking fish in the corner of the jaw with only line pressure as they swim away with the bait! Mind you, these are mostly OPEN WATER or LIGHT COVER applications on a slack or semi-slack line where there is either no weight used or else the bait is separated from the weight by a short trace of leader line. I believe that the circle style Split Shot hooks excel in such situations.

In weeds, moderate to heavy cover, or for "dragging" bottom on Carolina rigs, I caution you against using circle style hooks. You are likely to pick up too many weeds or get snagged with exposed circle style hooks. In weedy or snaggy environs, you may want to stick with an offset shank rigging hook hidden in the bait when fishing weeds, snags, and for "dragging" bottom. But in this article, let's keep talking about these incredible little circle style hooks, okay?

Gary Yamamoto Crooked hooks. These are a special kind of rounded, short shank hook made exclusively for Gary by Gamakatsu. Very strong steel. In size and shape, Split Shot hooks closely approximate what's more commonly known as a circle hook. However, the bend of the Split Shot hook is much better designed for seating soft plastic baits properly on the bend of the hook. Why is the bend better? Because it is what I can only describe as "squarer" that a true circle hook bend. This allows the bait to poise much more comfortably nestled in the crook of the Split Shot hook as compared to a true circle hook.

Actually, "Split Shot" is a poor name for this hook because it does much more than just splitshotting. It is also a good hook for "wacky worming" and for nose-hooking trick worms, floating worms and soft plastic stickbaits, plus single tail grubs and other soft plastics. Let me tell you how I've used it...so far!

Yamamoto Ika (solid-bodied tube bait alternative) 

1) Weightless Near Surface. You just insert the Split Shot hook crossways through the nose of the Ika, cast it out and start twitching it under the surface. Let it fall dead too. When a fish takes, you let the fish go down and swim away from you with the Ika. Don't worry, they won't let go. Just start reeling in line and the steady, gentle pressure of a slow sideways sweep of the rod tip causes the circle-style hook to catch in the corner of the jaw, hooking the fish without actually "setting" the hook!

2) Splitshot - Suspended. This is simply adding a light splitshot a few feet up the line from the weightless Ika with the Split Shot circle-style hook. You let it drift down through suspended fish - or engage the reel, thereby holding the bait at the depth that the fish are found. You can deadstick it or shake it.

Yamamoto Senko (soft subsurface stickbait) 

1) Wacky Rig. Gary Yamamoto's exclusively-made Gamakatsu "Split Shot" hook excels for this. In shallow water (0 to 6' deep) you can rig it "wacky" with the little Split Shot hook in the middle and unweighted. If you want to get deeper than this, stick a small piece of solder or nail weight right in the middle where you put the hook. Keep in mind that all Yamamoto baits are made of denser plastic which is slightly heavier and sinks faster than other plastics. With or without an embedded weight, just let it settle down to the bottom and shake the rod tip slightly from time to time during its descent. Hooked and weighted properly in the middle, the Senko should sort of flutter back and forth as it falls.

2) Split Shot Rig. You can stick the Split Shot hook straight through the nose about 3-4 ribs back, then pinch a few split shot two feet up the line to sink it quickly about 10 to 20 feet deep...then just deadstick it or start twitching it back through mid-water where your electronics mark suspended fish.

 

Trick Worms, Floating Worms (soft topwater stickbaits) 

1) Nose-piercing. I like to use big, buoyant floater worms about 7" long. I am sure many vendors make good worms to use... Zoom, Gambler Worms...many others. Simply pierce them through the nose! When nose-piercing, you can use an incredibly small size of Split Shot hook! Such a small size lets the worm float better and it avoids weeds/snags better.

2) Cuckoo Bird. To make this rig, simply pass the Split Shot hook through the bait - about 1/4 to 1/3 the body length back from the bait's nose. I use a larger size hook than when nose-piercing. Cast this quivering Cuckoo Bird weightless in open patches around cover for topwater twitching action. Rig it with a light splitshot 2 feet up the line - let it sink to the bottom in shallow water - and twitch it as it sinks, suspends and darts like crazy. My friend Eto invented this rigging as far as I know. Try it, you'll like it!

Single Tail Grubs

If possible, I always prefer to rig 4" and 5" single tail grubs on an open hook jig whenever possible. Rig with the tail pointing down. But when weeds or underwater obstructions get a little bothersome, I may instead rig with a few splitshots pinched on two feet above Yamamoto's specially-made Gamakatsu "Split Shot" hooks. Just stick the split shot hook through the nose of the grub about 4 "ribs" back. You MUST make sure the hook point comes out on the same side as the grub's curly tail is pointing "up". If that gets hung up too much, I go to a fiberguard jig head for moderately heavy cover, and ultimately to Texas-rigged grubs for the worst possible cover.

 

Mister Twister Exude Fry (zipper style bait) 

Have I saved the best bait for last? I think so, buddy. This one rules on a Split Shot hook! Use ANY method described above. The head is wide. Hook in the bottom, out the top so it lays flat. It has a central core spine along its length to get Wacky and do the Cuckoo Bird...and some of the biggest, softest protruding ribs of all zipper-style lures hang off this spine. The bigger ribs cause it to drop slowly and erratically. The bait's ridiculously soft. As if that's not enough, the plastic exudes molded-in salt, scent and flavors that create a slippery coat of fish-attracting slime when wet. Just add water! The bass will do the rest. Remember - use a soft-tipped rod and do NOT set the hook!

Swivels. In the types of rigging described above, you may very often desire to use a small swivel and trace of leader line to prevent line twist. Please note that the line twist is NOT caused by the circle hooks or by the specific brands of baits mentioned above. Line twist is a common occurrence with ALL hook styles and soft plastic bait models used with weightless, twitchy, slack line presentations. So, swivels always help!

Lots of room to experiment here!

A Circle Hook (or the Yamamoto Split Shot hook) is an OPEN HOOK. It works best in OPEN WATER that's relatively weed-free and snag-free. If you keep that in mind, you should have no problem using them with many brands/models of floating worms, zipper style baits, and soft plastic stickbaits.

With any bait, you will need to test FOUR different ways to find which one presents your bait with the best action and the least line twist: 1) in bottom/out top, 2) in top/out bottom, 3) in right/out left, 4) in left/out right. That is all piecing the nose of the bait. In addition, you may want to explore for the best hooking spot to get "wacky" and to do the "cuckoo bird" rigging styles.

Just remember, IN COVER, you cannot easily use a circle style hook. You will need to use an offset hook rigged tex-posed for thin cover, tex-skin for moderate cover, and good ole' style Texas rigged for the heaviest cover.

Below is a brief guide on how to rig moden plastic baits. This guide covers 11 basic ways to rig soft plastic baits such as the: the weightless rig, unpegged Texas rig, Shakin' rig, pegged Texas rig, Screw-in rig, Mojo rig, Carolina rig, Rockhopper rig, Splitshot or Slipshot rig, Dropshot rig, and the Wacky rig.

Weightless Rig The purest form of rigging, and most deadly with the Senko. No sinker is used and the hook can be tied directly to the main line. Optionally, tie the hook to a 12" to 24" inch leader tied to a swivel to reduce any line twist that may occur with weightless rigs.

The 6" 9L Senko (color 187) rigged weightless produced an amazing 10.27 lbs. world record spotted bass for California angler Bryan Shishido.

Unpegged Texas Rig A bullet sinker is allowed to slide freely on the main line, with the hook tied directly to the main line. One issue is the sinker can slide far up the line away from the bait. This makes for inaccurate casts and imprecise presentations. For more control over an unpegged sinker, you can contain it on a short 12 to 18" leader tied to a swivel. This gives you the freedom of unpegged lure movement and you gain better control over the cast and presentation.

Shakin' Rig Use a bead on an unpegged Texas rig. The sinker will hit against the bead and make a clicking noise that can attract fish at times.

Pegged Texas Rig Jam a wooden toothpick in the end of a bullet sinker and break it off. Don't jam it in so tightly that you risk weakening the line. Slide it down the line, and the toothpick will hold the sinker securely against the nose of a soft bait used in heavy cover. The sinker and bait will act like one unit that slips through weeds and resists snagging in cover.

Screw-In Rig An advancement over the toothpick-pegging method, screw-in sinkers are molded around a thin Teflon tube and a corkscrew wire that screws in to the nose of a soft bait. Slip the sinker on the main line, tie the hook directly to the main line, and screw the sinker into the nose of the bait. This provides the ultimate in weedless and snagless presentation for big bass in heavy cover. Note: With a pegged bullet or screw-in sinker, it can be important to thread the hook eye up to an inch or more into the bait. This leaves room so the hook eye is not jammed immovably against the sinker. Otherwise, if the eye is pressed against the sinker, gripped inside the fish's tightly-clamped mouth, then you only move the entire bass/weight/hook forward without penetrating on the hookset. Leaving up to an inch or more of slack ensures enough room to move the hook and have it start to set before it jams up behind the sinker.

Mojo Rig Mojo sinkers are long and thin. The sinker shape allows a Mojo rig to slide easily through rocks, weeds, and brush better than most other sinker types. Mojo rigs also work for vertical fishing in deep water where baits are suspended for bass lurking in or under the tops of flooded trees or brush. They are part of a complete system that includes rubber strands that thread through the sinker to peg it from 12" to 24" inches up the main line above the bait. The rubber strands cushion the line from any potential damage that can occur with wooden toothpicks or crimping splitshots on the line.

Carolina Rig Most often used on open, relatively unobstructed bottom. Thread a 1/2 to 1 oz sinker onto your main line, followed by a bead that clicks when the sinker hammers against it. Then tie on a swivel, an 18"-24" inch leader line (but can be longer), and your hook. As with all the rigs we describe here, use lighter weights of Carolina rigs with light tackle, and heavier weights of Carolina rigs with heavier rods, reels and lines, a simple principle.

Rockhopper Rig An advancement over the Carolina rig for rock-strewn bottoms. The Rockhopper sinker can come through snags that stop most other sinker types.

Splitshot or Slipshot Rig Knot a hook to the end of your line and pinch one or more split shot 18" to 24" inches above the hook. Keep in mind, don't pinch the splitshot shut so tightly that you risk damaging the line. The Mojo Slipshot is an advancement that uses rubber threads to cushion the line. If not used in snaggy areas, simply nose-hook the bait with Yamamoto's series 53 Crooked Hook. A splitshot rig is most often used with light line. Since splitshot sinkers are typically smaller and lighter than any other sinker types, you can slowly drift a splitshot rig down past bass suspended in mid-depths above deep water. A splitshot can be used for a delicate lightweight presentation in shallow water, or to sweep a bait down with the current flow in a stream or shallow river. The bait will swirl and sway as it is buffeted around by the water flow while the splitshots keep it hunkered down near bottom!

Dropshot Rig Tie a Yamamoto series 53 Crooked Hook onto the main line with a Palomar knot. The loose tag end of the knot is left anywhere from 12" to 24" inches long. After the knot is tied, the tag end is threaded through the hook eye in the direction that keeps the hook point positioned up. A swiveling style of sinker is then clipped onto the dangling tag end of the line anywhere from 6" to 24" below the hook. The bait is then nose-hooked. Optionally, the bait can be wacky-rigged in the middle to reduce any line twist that may occur with dropshot rigs.

Wacky Rig Tie a Yamamoto series 53 Crooked Hook to your main line. Use a long thin bait such as a Senko. Bend the bait in the middle so both tips touch. Then poke the hook straight through the bend in the middle.