Probably been asked before but....

[Bob Watson]

.....

Given the recent debates regarding circle hooks, I know!!

Today I fished a tiny club water (farm pond) that gets zero angling pressure, for perch, hoping that it might throw up a surprise. I had a few small fish that engulfed the worm and size 8 hook, prawns produced some very tentative lifts on the bobbin but nothing more.

I was using my old go to super speccies and had a couple of deep hooked fish. I got to thinking about the recent debates on here so got the forceps out and bent the hooks into something resembling a circle hook shape, subsequent bites were missed. I presume my manufactured hook pattern wasn't "tweaked quite right". So without dismissing the idea completely, because I'm sure a proper pattern would have put fish on the bank, what is a good circle pattern for perch in what sizes and will they see a reduction in deep hooking of perch?

I've asked specifically about sizes because when I look at packets on the shelf, different makes and sizes don't measure up to each other!

[Bob Watson]

Some great footage here
He has some cracking videos up!

[cookiesdaughtersdad]

Seamed to work very well in the video with one or two hooking themselves against the lead.
The hook pastern Mike J recommends for pike is probably the one he would also say to use for perch.
Well worth a go on the back of that!

Cheers Alan

[Kev Berry]

did none of you notice that several perch didn't have the hook in the mouth when they zipped off? and the pike that grabbed the roach was off at a great rate of knots with the roaches head (and the hook) out its gob as well?

this is where single hooks fail

what it did show was the different way perch and pike take a bait---the perch engulfs it, so a circle hooked bait if taken head first works well, but the pike grabs it, I know they don't always and sometimes they will engulf a bait the same as a perch. I don't want to take the chance that the hook MIGHT be in the mouth.

[Rik W]

Hi Bob,
I have been Roach fishing lately. Iv'e been using mini bolt rig tactics. When I have fished half a lob hooked end on I have been catching quite a few Perch to around 2lbs ish.
The hook I have been using was recommended by a friend. Made by Guru it is called a QM1. Barbless pattern (which put me off a little to start with) after using foe several sessions I have lost few fish and am most impressed. The hook is a really good hooker. Not sure they go to the size you are after, but might be worth a look? Certainly a Size 10 hasbeen working with half a lob.
So much for 'Perch don't like resistance' the bolt rig has been working a treat.

[delboy]

What I saw was ,Now I remember why I packed up livebaiting and I still think that if you miss any pike on singles/circles then 99% of the time they will be smalllike the one in the video

[Duncan Holmes]

Hi Bob,
I have been Roach fishing lately. Iv'e been using mini bolt rig tactics. When I have fished half a lob hooked end on I have been catching quite a few Perch to around 2lbs ish.
The hook I have been using was recommended by a friend. Made by Guru it is called a QM1. Barbless pattern (which put me off a little to start with) after using foe several sessions I have lost few fish and am most impressed. The hook is a really good hooker. Not sure they go to the size you are after, but might be worth a look? Certainly a Size 10 hasbeen working with half a lob.
So much for 'Perch don't like resistance' the bolt rig has been working a treat.

The qm1 has become my go to hook for short hooklength bolt rig fishing for tench. Amazing how few 'liners' you get using them.

[Bob Watson]

Hi Bob,
I have been Roach fishing lately. Iv'e been using mini bolt rig tactics. When I have fished half a lob hooked end on I have been catching quite a few Perch to around 2lbs ish.
The hook I have been using was recommended by a friend. Made by Guru it is called a QM1. Barbless pattern (which put me off a little to start with) after using foe several sessions I have lost few fish and am most impressed. The hook is a really good hooker. Not sure they go to the size you are after, but might be worth a look? Certainly a Size 10 hasbeen working with half a lob.
So much for 'Perch don't like resistance' the bolt rig has been working a treat.

Cheers Rik,

Size 10 is the biggest they do and probably the smallest I'd use, so might be worth a try

[Rik W]

I would love to see 6 and 8 barbed for the Tench lol
Worth a try, you will like them

[Mike J]

Hi Bob,
Go to UK hooks and get yourself a selection.
They used to come in boxes of 25 and all the smaller sizes are black.
You will need to try various sizes, go for a gape width on the circle the same as your normal hook.
Dont worry about how big the hooks 'looks' your only looking through the eyes of someone who hasn't proved to themselves they will actually work.

Snell the line to the shank and thread the line back to front so it exits the eye towards the gape and you'll be in business.
Dont worry how long you leave it, the hook will still be in the corner of the mouth if its a goer.
If it comes back empty its a nipper and you wouldn't want it anyway.





I would send you some but the last of my spares went to someone named Horton.

[Bob Watson]

Hi Bob,
Go to UK hooks and get yourself a selection.
They used to come in boxes of 25 and all the smaller sizes are black.
You will need to try various sizes, go for a gape width on the circle the same as your normal hook.
Dont worry about how big the hooks 'looks' your only looking through the eyes of someone who hasn't proved to themselves they will actually work.

Snell the line to the shank and thread the line back to front so it exits the eye towards the gape and you'll be in business.
Dont worry how long you leave it, the hook will still be in the corner of the mouth if its a goer.
If it comes back empty its a nipper and you wouldn't want it anyway.





I would send you some but the last of my spares went to someone named Horton.

Thanks Mike, I'll check it out!