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 hook are hooked coffin corner.  

As far as fishing them goes it's the same technique up until the hook set.  All you have to do is tighten down on a moving fish, or lightly pull on a stationary fish.  

I can say in the past three seasons we have collectively landed hundred's of pike over the 40" mark.  I will say in complete honesty by being careful not to freeze a fishes eyes and gills as well as using circle hooks instead of trebles that not one fish perished because of being caught.  If you haven't yet given this technique a try, you should because it is a method that will not only help you catch fish but it will help to sustain your fishery as well. 

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