There’s all kinds of room for experimentation here regarding hook sizes, styles, and presentations. Nose-hooking dead baits with this rig works well, as does nose-hooking livebaits in current that’s too strong for baits that are back-hooked in the traditional manner. When using this rigging below floats or other vertical presentations, hooking baits through the dorsal fin area can be very effective.
Nowadays there are many shapes, sizes, and styles of circle hooks, not to mention colors—tinned, chrome, bronze, black, and red. Although circle hooks like the Owner Super Mutu are heavy and super-strong, those that are strong yet lighter work fine for bigger catfish. The circle hook design makes it inherently stronger than a J-style hook made with an equivalent wire thickness.
I recently fished with Mustad’s #39951 extra-fine-wire Demon Circle hook (8/0) in red with excellent results, boating fish up to 40 pounds. Lighter wire hooks weigh less and are less likely to impair the action of smaller livebaits, especially when hooked in the upper back part of the bait. Going light or heavy in hook design has its trade-offs, with the biggest consideration being how large the catfish grow in the rivers you fish.
Rods and Line
Fiberglass rods shine for circle hook applications, especially those with a softer, more parabolic action as opposed to fast-tapering models. A soft-action tip is key, as the trick to getting a good set is a slowly increasing tension on the line and hook after the reel is engaged while the fish is running with the bait.
It takes some practice using circle hooks to get it right, but it’s worth the effort, as the majority of hook-ups are in the corner of the catfish’s mouth, making for easy hook removal. After a strike, I let the fish run until I think it has the bait inside its mouth, then with the fish running and the reel in freespool, I hold the rod at a 45-degree angle, put the reel in gear, and let the fish pull the rod tip down until it’s pointing at the fish, finishing with a slow, sweeping hookset.
I prefer monofilament line because the slow stretch helps for proper sets. In the snag-laden waters I fish, I typically use 50- to 80-pound-test mono mainline with a heavy-braid leader—130-pound-test Spiderwire has worked well for me. Catfish are less likely to reject baits on softer, limper braided leader, as opposed to stiff springy heavy mono.
Braided line is best to make the connection between hooks on the Colorado River rig, enabling the circle hook to twist freely. I’ve had the best results by using a snell knot to attach a circle hook, particularly when the mainline exits the hook eye on the same side as the hook point.
This rig is, for the most part, still experimental, but I’ve had positive results so far.
*Kirk McKay, Winnetka, California, is an avid angler who has written previous articles for In-Fisherman publications.
