Circle Hooks

Name: eRegulations
Price range: $

Did you know...

Recreational anglers in Massachusetts catch and release millions of fish each year!
Sometimes fish die from their hook wounds after they are released back into the ocean.
Circle hooks can help lower the number of these deaths by 50%!

Using Circle Hooks

When using live bait, turn the hook through soft flesh or bridle the bait to the hook.
For cut-bait, rotate the piece completely onto the hook to ensure it doesn’t fall off.
When the fish takes the bait, be patient and don’t set the hook.
Calmly reel the line tight and the hook will do all the work.

Why don’t circle hooks snag?

Circle hooks are designed so that the point is turned back towards the shank at a 90° angle. This causes the hook to catch on the lip or mouth instead of the gut or gills.

Side-by-side comparison of a circle hook and a J-hook used in saltwater fishing. The image highlights the gap size on the circle hook, which is designed to reduce injury to fish during catch-and-release. — Circle hooks (left) are designed to reduce injury and increase survival rates during catch-and-release fishing, unlike traditional J-hooks (right).

Avoid offset hooks

Offset hooks are NOT true circle hooks! The offset shape makes it easy to “foul-hook” a fish.

Side-by-side comparison of an offset hook and an inline circle hook used in saltwater fishing. The offset hook shows the point angled away from the shank, while the circle hook has the point aligned straight with the shank. Proper hook choice supports safe catch-and-release practices. — Offset hooks (left) have the point angled away from the shank, while inline circle hooks (right) align with the shank to reduce harm during catch-and-release fishing.