How To Pick The Best Inshore Hook When Fishing Live Bait Or Cut Bait
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on November 21, 2017
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing
What is the most important link between you and a fish?
The hook, of course!
Unless you are an expert at snaring fish using your fishing line (or you are a noodler), the hook is possibly one of the most important pieces of the fishing rod and reel setup.
It is the very last link connecting you to the fish.
With how important this piece of tackle is, you would be surprised by how overlooked hooks are by anglers – from beginners to the advanced.
When we walk into our local tackle shops or sporting goods stores, there is always one aisle (and sometimes more) that is lined from end to end with various shapes, sizes, brands, colors, and styles of hooks you can think of.
I really want to narrow down what types of hooks you should be using for inshore fishing with live or cut bait, and help you better understand why some hooks are made the way they are.
The 2 Best Hooks For Inshore Fishing:
The “J” Hook
The J-hook has been around for as long as fishing has existed, and when you think of a fishing hook, this is typically the style that comes to mind.
Let’s take a look at some Pros and Cons of the J-Hook:
Pros
- Longer shank J-Hooks help keep toothy fish from breaking you off
- Great around structure – as you set the hook, this pulls fish away from structure
- Typically cost less than circle hooks
Cons
- High risk of gut hooking or foul hooking a fish
- Missed strikes due to poor hook setting (more common with beginner anglers)
- Can be tough to remove if hooked deep into the mouth of a fish – best to cut the line
The Circle Hook
This style of hook is a bit different than that of the J-Hook.
Instead of the point of the hook facing straight up, it is actually facing 90 degrees to the shank of the hook, creating a circular gap in the hook.
Circle hooks are most popular with catch and release fishermen, but are also used by those harvesting fish that may live around other protected species that have to be released and are unintentionally caught.
Now let’s see the Pros and Cons of the Circle Hook:
Pros
- Very minimal risk of gut hooking or foul hooking a fish
- No hook set required – great advantage for beginner anglers – just let the fish run.
- With hook sets settling in the lip of the fish, much easier to remove than a J-Hook
Cons
- “Offset” Circle Hooks can still gut hook fish
- A little more expensive than standard J-Hooks
- Not the best around structure since the fish has to run for the hook to set
Let’s Get to the Point (pun intended)
Ready to over the two main types of points on a fishing hook?
It is very important to know the different types of hook points out there, as they will determine which species of fish they are best suited for.
First, is a Needle Point hook.
The tip of this hook is round and will easily penetrate the mouth of a fish that is relatively soft.
These fish include Speckled Seatrout, and Snook.
Second, Is The Cutting Point Hook
The tips of these hooks may be triangular in shape, or have a blade-like edge on them which is suited for digging into the mouth of a fish that is very tough.
These fish include Redfish, Tarpon, Drum, and Sheepshead.
You do not want to use these hooks when targeting fish with soft mouths because it will create a larger hole and really tear into the mouth, causing you to lose more fish from the hook falling out.
In the following video, I have put together some tips that will help you better understand J-Hooks and Circle Hooks for inshore fishing with live or cut bait.
By the end, you should have a better understanding of which hook will work best for you depending on what species you are targeting, and the type of structure you are targeting them in.
Enjoy!
Choosing The Right Hook for Live or Cut Bait [VIDEO]
Conclusion
As you can see, both circle hooks and j-hooks have their own advantages and disadvantages.
I would definitely keep both types in my tackle box at all times.
Any questions about choosing the right hook for live bait or cut bait when inshore fishing?
Let me know in the comments!
Fish on!
Related Posts:
- The 3 Best Live Bait Fish For Inshore Fishing In Florida [Gulf Coast] See It Here
- How To Hook A Shrimp Like A Pro – See It Here
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Fish On!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
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- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
This was really great info. I once fished an offset eye hook tied with a uniknot and realized I couldn’t set the hook and switched out.. Now I know why. However, a question: Are some hooks a ‘combination’ of the two hook styles J and circle eg a Kahle hook?
Excellent information
That was really helpful.????????
Great video. Ive been using the offset eye and missed tons of hook ups now i know why. Now i could be wrong cause theres so many. But are there hooks with the eye offse the opposite of the 1 you showed. So is it better to just have the eye inline when using circle hooks and short shank j hooks for live bait.
Thanks for the advice. But whats the best hooks and size hooks for sheepsheads, trout, redfish, floundef etc? Is there a particular hook i can use for all?
Been searching relentlessly for information like this. Thank you so much. Super informative. Just what I needed.
No problem Rachel!
Tony, I’ve been using circle hooks for a couple of years fishing for seatrout and reds. I use a loop knot on straight circle hooks and Snell the octopus style circle hooks. Recently I have hit a streak of fouled circle hooks that hooked back into the bait and resulted in pulling the bait out of the fish’s mouth. Super frustrating. I’m not setting the hook like you would with a j hook. I’m reeling tight then lifting.
How can I prevent the fouled circle hook curse?
Hey Joe,
If the hook is pushing back into the bait, you may be hooking the bait too deep. Also, your hook may be too small. When using a circle hook, I like to make sure the hook point is exposed enough to grab my hand easily if i slide my hand over the bait towards the hook.
At times, it can be tough to keep the hook from fouling up, especially if you are fishing in current and the bait is tumbling around. Also, if you have other small fish picking at it, the bait will be bouncing around and your hook may foul up into your bait. Catfish are really good at re-hooking your bait and making it snagless haha.
Thanks Tony. Good info.
This is great. Very informative. I have been looking for information like this for a long time. Thank you!
No problem Fay, and thank you for the great feedback!
Hey Tony Ron here what brand is good owner or lazer sharp by eagle claw
Hey Ron,
It is really personal preference, because when it comes down to it they are all made out of the same material, and more than likely by the same manufacturer, just under a different name. I have always used Owner Hooks so I tend to stick with them.
I cannot believe how little I knew about hooks. This is a really fantastic video!! Salt Strong has made me a much more informed and better fisherman. You guys do great work!!!!
Thank you for the awesome feedback Joseph!
Hey Tony,
Awesome video mate. You discussed hooks with an offset eye which you would use the snell knot on, can you also use a loop knot with an offset eye?
Thanks!
Hey Elan,
If tying your line directly to the eye of a hook that has an offset eye, I would use a knot that is snug to the hook, such as a traditional fishermans knot or trilene knot.
A loop knot allows for the hook to move around a lot and you could possibly miss hook sets.
The ability of circle hook to allow you to free endangered or protected species of fishes when caught during one’s inshore fishing trip is perfect as we wouldn’t want to be part of the problem and be the monsters to make them go extinct. Additionally, it would make it the best hook for beginners as there is no hook set required nor any trouble in removing a hooked fish as you’ve mentioned. That is perfect for my son’s very first inshore fishing trip as it would help him focus more on the fun of fishing and less on the technicalities. I’ll be sure to take some of these hooks you’ve recommended to our trip in the summer. Thanks!
Hey Jeremy,
No problem! I’m glad you enjoyed the info and can put it to use! Circle hooks are definitely good for beginners. When you get a strike just start reeling!
Great video on J & circle hooks, but recently I saw some unusually shaped “circle” hooks. What can you tell us about them?
There are some other hooks out there that may look like circle hooks but they may be a kahle hook or octopus hook. A true circle hook has its point 90 degrees to the shank of the hook.
Do you know the name or brand of one the hooks you are referring to?
Yes, it was a kahle hook. What is the thought behind this design?
The kahle hooks have a wide gap on them which allows for good hook sets, but they are known for gut hooking fish because of the way they are shaped. Similar to J Hooks but with a wider gap.
Tony, another very informative video. Thanks
No problem Doug!
Hey Tony, I’m a beginner. I’m doing ‘fine’ with Owner Twistlocks on my gulp shads and gulp mud minnows, and J hook jig heads on my gulp shrimp and swimming mullet…. but I’m wondering if there are any circle hook set ups like the owner twist lock… or circle hook Jig Heads that might help me hook up more often? I’m not using any live/cut bait right now… but it seems that the circles really only work for those?
Hey Edward,
Circle hooks are more meant for live or cut bait. If you were to use them with artificial lures, you would actually get less hook ups. They don’t require setting the hook, so you may have a knee-jerk reaction when using them with artificial lures to set the hook. This just pulls the hook right out of the fish’s mouth. J hooks are the way to go with artificials.
The only time I have used circle hooks is with gulp shrimp when sight casting to schools of redfish or black drum. When you cast that combo into a school, they will most likely pick it up and run with it, hooking themselves in the process.
Good stuff, Tony. One area not covered is sharpness. Trokar advertises the sharpest hook, which are expensive.
Should we pay more for sharper hooks?
Hey Gary,
I don’t really bother with buying hooks that are advertised as being the sharpest. The only time I bought Trokar hooks they were on sale for $4 a pack (probably because no one was buying them). It is recommend to keep a hook sharpener with you and sharpen hooks right when you take them out of the package and throughout the day as you fish with them. Much more cost efficient than paying more than double for a pack of hooks. You also want to check the point of a hook every now and then to be sure it didn’t break or dull after a catch or snag.