Very interesting how some days they've worked seemingly fine and then they didn't. Do you think it all has to do with how they're eating the bait?

@JHoss  I think it does, i also think that I wouldn't have had a 100% failure rate if I had been using trebles instead of circles on those baits yesterday.  I don't want to keep using these hooks if I have days where they fail to work a majority of the time.  I haven't decided yet what failure rate I will accept.

The last 2 days I fished were bluebird days, north wind, and the water temp had dropped since the last time I was out (from 59 down to 52), but I still caught fish.  

Always a challenge...even though this challenge is self made!

@Lottabass yeah it sounds like they were just slapping or nipping at it this time around. I can't imagine circle hooks would be effective in that situation. 

7 hours ago, JHoss said:

 Do you think it all has to do with how they're eating the bait?

I think so too.

 

Particularly when they are on/near beds, I get a lot of side swipes or half hearted hits and bumps.

Interesting discussion. I've been thinking of trying a similar setup, not with circle hooks, but with j or octopus hooks, for fishing crankbaits in heavy cover.

 

Never occurred to me to do it for less hand hooking. That's a great idea though.

 

It's interesting that some days you get a good hookup ratio and some days not.

@Bazoo  I've got some Gamakatsu Octopus Offset Circle hooks to try.  The offset is negligible so I may have to work on that with pliers.  The hook eye is very small so it will be a challenge for me.  I will have to use another split ring to get the hook to ride up.  The hook size is comparable to the crankbait circle hooks.

I fish squarebills in wood often so I was hoping that circle hooks on those would slide through brush better.  I will continue to play around with this circle hook project and report my results and would like to hear any others results as well.

I have never had a hook in the face, only in my hands, except one time I had a squarebill pop out of a fish and catapult over my head and stick in the middle of my back.  Couldn't reach it so fished all day with that plug hanging there!  Not fun!

@RRocket @JHoss @scaleface @GRiver

@Lottabass I think this is the answer to your problem. These are made to replace trebles with a single hook with a large eye for attachment. If you’re still concerned with hooking your self just pinch the barb down with a pair of pliers. They provide a conversion chart so you don’t have to guess what size to use. They make a regular & an extra strong.
 

@Dwight Hottle YES!  I have some ordered!  Thank you!

I was looking at those last night actually.

 

I was hooked once, by someone else, in the back. Thankfully I had a friend with me and my trusty leatherman tool. It was resolved in short order.

9 hours ago, Lottabass said:

@Dwight Hottle YES!  I have some ordered!  Thank you!

The guys at Salt Strong did a review of those hooks.

Yesterday a small SB with circles caught 2 on rear hook in corner of mouth.  Then 2 bites without hooking up.  Then a good one grabbed a jerkbait (with circles) right near the boat.  I witnessed the bass engulf the lure and when she turned the bait popped clean out of her mouth.  Switched to a SB with trebles and had no problems spankin' 'em the rest of the day.

I learned this trick from Bill Dance. Makes the lure more weedless. Just gotta let em take it good before striking

 

https://youtu.be/j6HuL00OaCg?si=owryI3qfKafyjuyy

@Harold H I'm confused.  Please report your experience with Circle hooks.

1.  The Gamakatsu Circle Hook for Crankbaits already has the eye in line with the shank.

2.  If he is talking about the Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Offset Point Hook then, yes, it would have to be twisted, like he said to be inline with the shank.  The hook in the video looks like the Crankbait Circle Hook.

3.  He says the catch rate is "tremendous" and "phenomenal".

4.  I'm not naive.  I know he is a salesman for Gamakatsu.  He is also Bill Dance and I give everything he says due respect and consideration.

But I question his description of the catch rate.  At the onset of this project I had pretty good success hooking fish, and I was happy that this project was looking promising.  In the last few days I have had trouble hooking fish to the point that I am considering this project a failure.  That being said I still have some Owner Replacement Hooks to try (they are not circles) and I will continue using the circles to see what happens.  

I can't explain why the hookup rate went from acceptable to unacceptable.  The only thing that has changed is the water temp has warmed up.  I'm using the same tackle and the same way of setting the hook which is pulling into the fish, not jacking them like you would with a jig or a frog.  So, I'm still learning.

After going back and looking at your OP, I see you're using #1 hooks. I would go to at least 1/0 hooks, maybe 2/0, for better hookups. If that doesn't help, maybe just avoid trebles altogether

Fished on Wednesday.  Surface temp warming into the 60's.  Cloudy and breezy.  Good spinnerbait bite.  Caught 2 on a Maverik jerkbait with Owner J hooks as pointed out by @Dwight Hottle.  Used 17# mono as I felt the bass were higher in the water column.  1 on a Frittside with J hooks.  Many on a spinnerbait, so that's what I threw the most.  The J hooks (not circles) worked but didn't give them much of a test as the spinnerbait was getting wacked.

Yesterday surface temp was low 60's.  Cloudy and windy.  Air temp was warm but dropped sll dsy.  Visability wa 12 inches.

Fished a Maverik jerkbait and a Speed N with Owner J hooks (not circles).  Caught 7 crappies and 5 small bass all hooked well.  Had 2 bites that I missed.  Caught 4 good ones stroking a bladed jig in 6 fow.

No hook info from yesterday.  Everything I caught came on a swim jig.  All of 'em.

Yesterday caught good ones on a DT 4 with Owner j hooks.  Well hooked.  Had 3 bites with no hookup.  Crappie was hooked outside the mouth.  Fished thru area with a similar bait with circle hooks and got 2 bites with no hookups.

Seems like the J hooks are doing better than the circle hooks, but maybe not hooking as many as traditional trebles. Fair assessment? 

 

I was thinking about this thread while I tried to get 3 sets of trebles out of a fish yesterday.

@JHossYes, that is my thoughts exactly and you rasselling that fish with all the trebles in it is exactly why!

We interupt this hook project to bring you FROG SEASON!!!!!!

Here is a thought concerning this hook project.  It messes with your head when you know that you are using a lure that you will miss some fish with.  We all know how important confidence is in our fishing.  I've found myself wondering if the fish that I miss were the ones I really wanted to catch.  I love catching bass and if I catch bass all day long but no big ones I'm happy, but I love a big, fat one too, and I'm blessed to get my share.  Lately, as I've been fishing a lure without trebles that doubt creeps into my head, and that ain't good.

47 minutes ago, Lottabass said:

.  Lately, as I've been fishing a lure without trebles that doubt creeps into my head, and that ain't good.

I'm slightly different.

 

I'll be using this exclusively on top water baits and seem to miss some regardless (either they whiff on the strike or come off half way home).

 

It remains to be seen, but I don't think this will affect my confidence in any way.

 

This fish are juuust starting to become active in my area...So my testing is about to begin.

 

 

2 minutes ago, RRocket said:

I'm slightly different.

 

I'll be using this exclusively on top water baits and seem to miss some regardless (either they whiff on the strike or come off half way home).

 

It remains to be seen, but I don't think this will affect my confidence in any way.

 

This fish are juuust starting to become active in my area...So my testing is about to begin.

 

 

This is great!  I was hoping to bring my experience to others to get their own experiences.  Please @RRocket let us know what happens!

3 hours ago, Lottabass said:

Here is a thought concerning this hook project.  It messes with your head when you know that you are using a lure that you will miss some fish with.  We all know how important confidence is in our fishing.  I've found myself wondering if the fish that I miss were the ones I really wanted to catch.  I love catching bass and if I catch bass all day long but no big ones I'm happy, but I love a big, fat one too, and I'm blessed to get my share.  Lately, as I've been fishing a lure without trebles that doubt creeps into my head, and that ain't good.

It would 100% wreck my confidence too