Circle Hooks For Giant Northern Pike
Like most people I was once a quick strike user. In the past three ice fishing seasons I have not tied on a single treble hook. Not because they don't work but rather because the circle hook single handedly saves fish, and hook up rates when used properly are equal or even slightly higher. The key is bait/ hook size. Since there is just a single hook in the middle of the bait, you need a bait rigid enough to sit horizontal. Smelts, ciscoes, herrings and even some alwives are perfect for this technique. The baits we run are anywhere from 5-10" in length. Small baits when targeting giant pike but like any fish big pike are opportunistic and will eat these bite sized meals. Hook size can be experimented with but what we have found is 5/0 owner hooks perform exceptionally well. Pictured above is another 30lbs pike with a 5/0 circle hook in the corner of the mouth. We have found that roughly 8 out of every 10 pike caught on a circle hoo...
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