Circle or Not

nope

not gonna work!
shad are not big enough "normal size" to take bait swim off and set the hook.

they would rather chop the bait into pieces!

maybe someone does use circles, but j hooks would be much more successful.
 

Chicken of the Sea

Senior Member
willem wikkel spies wrote:
nope

not gonna work!
shad are not big enough "normal size" to take bait swim off and set the hook.

they would rather chop the bait into pieces!

maybe someone does use circles, but j hooks would be much more successful.

Caught plenty Shad on the standard two circle trace I use for kob (no steel). Caught them from tiny right up to a 3.5kg plus number. Yes the smaller ones attack your bait more often than swallow it but they seem to always find that bottom circle hook. I just see my rod bouncing and the fish is already on. Yet to be bitten off like this (even with 0.4 hook snoot) as you always get a good hook set. I am usually using 4/0 fine wire demon circles with this trace and the intended target is usually kob. If actively targeting shad on circles two hooks would be essential and obviously not too big. You can add a piece of plastic tube between the hooks to further reduce the chance of bite offs. Fishing like this I can't see you being any less successful than with J-hooks if not more.

And before anyone starts saying you can't fish two circles together I would probably agree with big hooks and thick steel and shark baits but with smaller hooks and small soft baits the two circle setup works amazingly well.
 
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