Originally published in August 2013, this guide was fully updated in 2026 with expanded circle-hook rigging, fishing techniques, and troubleshooting tips.
Circle hooks are my preferred way to fish bait for halibut when we’re anchored and using spreader-bar rigs. They’re remarkably effective once you understand that fishing a circle hook requires a different approach from setting a conventional J-hook.
Instead of striking when a halibut bites, I give the fish time to take the bait before gradually bringing on the drag. When everything works properly, the circle hook catches securely in the corner of the jaw, giving me a solid hookup and making it easier to release fish that cannot be retained.
That’s a simplified explanation of the technique, but there are several important details that can give anglers a considerable advantage. In this guide, I’ll cover some of the history behind circle-hook rigging, how I choose and rig my hooks, why I prefer heavy monofilament leaders, and the fishing techniques that have worked well for me over the years. For our complete halibut system—including finding fish, anchoring, bait, rigs and landing techniques—see the FishinBC.COM Complete Guide to Halibut Fishing.
In This Guide:
- Why I Prefer Circle Hooks for Halibut
- Responding to a Halibut Strike on a Circle Hook
- Circle Hook Sizes for Halibut
- Circle-Hook Rigging Methods for Halibut
- How to Bait and Deploy a Circle Hook
- Troubleshooting Missed Circle-Hook Hookups
- Circle Hooks vs J-Hooks for Halibut
Why I Prefer Circle Hooks for Halibut
I prefer circle hooks because they turn halibut fishing into a very consistent system. Once the bait is down and the rod is in the holder, I can let the halibut take the bait without having to judge the exact moment to set the hook. I wait until the fish has had enough time to take the bait properly, gradually bring on the drag, and let the circle hook do the work.
This is especially useful when we’re anchored and fishing several rods. Nobody needs to stand over each rod waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The clicker lets us know when a fish is working on a bait, and we can give it time to take the bait before picking up the rod.
The other major advantage is where the hook ends up. When a circle hook catches in the corner of a halibut’s mouth, it gives me a solid connection during the fight and makes the hook much easier to remove if the fish needs to be released.
Responding to a Halibut Strike on a Circle Hook
Recognizing a Halibut Bite
A halibut doesn’t always pick up the bait and immediately swim away with it. Often the first indication is movement in the rod tip, a few bounces or an occasional click from the reel as the fish works on the bait.
This is where patience matters. I don’t grab the rod at the first sign of a bite. I leave it in the holder and give the halibut time to take the bait. What I’m waiting for is a change from those initial taps and short movements to the fish steadily taking line and producing more consistent clicks from the reel.
When to Pick Up the Rod
When a halibut starts working on the bait, I want it to feel as little resistance as possible. I leave the rod in the holder with the reel clicker on and the drag set very light, giving the fish time to take the bait without realizing it’s attached to a fishing rod.
Sometimes a halibut will approach the bait cautiously, nibbling at it or moving it around before taking it. Other times, a fish may grab the bait aggressively and immediately swim away, with line screaming off the reel.
It’s important to remember that just because a halibut is taking line doesn’t necessarily mean it has swallowed the bait. A fish may simply have chomped onto part of the bait and started swimming away with it. If the hook is still outside the fish’s mouth, tightening the drag too early could pull the bait away without hooking the fish.
For that reason, I try to give the halibut enough time so it can fully swallow the bait and hook before applying pressure. Even when a fish takes line aggressively, I resist the temptation to immediately tighten the drag.
If the halibut is still nibbling or stops taking line, I may pay out some additional line to give it more freedom to move with the bait. The idea is to avoid pulling against the fish before it has had time to swallow the bait and hook.
Once I feel the halibut has had enough time to fully swallow the bait and hook, I pick up the rod and prepare to increase the drag gradually, allowing the rod to load under steady pressure rather than using a conventional hookset.
Apply Drag Instead of Setting the Hook
This is the most important part of fishing a circle hook: don’t strike back to set the hook.
Once I feel the halibut has had enough time to swallow the bait and hook, I pick up the rod and begin gradually increasing the drag. Rather than jerking the rod backward, I let the pressure build smoothly as the fish continues to move away with the bait.
As the line tightens, the circle hook is designed to move toward the fish’s mouth and rotate into the corner of its jaw. This is where the shape of the hook and the direction of pull become important.
I continue increasing the drag until the rod loads up and I’m clearly connected to the fish. If the hook has seated properly, I can then begin fighting the halibut normally.
The basic sequence is simple:
Bite → give the fish time to swallow the bait → pick up the rod → gradually increase the drag → let the rod load → fight the fish.
The hardest part for anglers accustomed to J-hooks is resisting the instinct to strike. With a circle hook, patience and steadily increasing pressure replace the traditional hookset.
Circle Hook Sizes for Halibut
For most of our halibut fishing, we use a spreader bar with a heavy leader and a large circle hook. Our typical setup consists of:
- 16/0 circle hook baited with salmon head, herring, or octopus.
- 18-to-24-inch leader made from 200 lb monofilament.
- Large spreader bar to separate the weight from the bait leader.
For more on the rods, reels, line and other equipment that make up the rest of the setup, see the FishinBC.COM Halibut Fishing Gear and Tackle Guide.
The commercial Pacific halibut fishery provides a useful starting point for understanding circle-hook choices. The Mustad 39965 16/0 circle hook has been used for decades in the commercial fishery and in research and stock assessment surveys conducted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). Tests documented in a 2004 technical report compared 13/0, 14/0 and 16/0 circle hooks. The smaller hooks caught 27–37% more sublegal halibut than the larger hooks. Sublegal halibut in this research were fish measuring less than 81 cm (32 inches).
An 81 cm fish weighs approximately 14 pounds, while the 2026 maximum size limit in BC—a 112 cm fish—typically weighs in at approximately 40 lbs. I believe that a smaller halibut has more difficulty getting a large 16/0 circle hook with bait into its mouth. When I am fishing for halibut, I would prefer to catch a larger halibut closer to the maximum size, so I tend to use the larger hook sizes. The small fish can try to mouth the salmon head, and they raise a bit of a ruckus down there, but they don’t get hooked. The salmon head is tough, and it generally will not come off the hook. This ruckus, or “feeding frenzy,” by the smaller halibut does not go unnoticed, and given time, some larger halibut will pick up the scent and move in to investigate.
If you are new to halibut fishing and do not have any confirmed halibut spots, or if you are getting frustrated with nibbles and want to see what is down there, then it may be worth using a smaller 14/0 circle hook and appropriately sized bait. The first priority is often finding out whether there are halibut in the area and what size of fish the spot is holding. Even catching a smaller halibut provides useful information. Once you are confident there are halibut in the area, I recommend switching to 16/0 hooks to reduce the likelihood of hooking smaller fish.
📷 Photo: A comparison of Mustad 16/0 (left) and 14/0 (right) circle hooks, with a measuring tape for scale. I generally prefer the larger 16/0 hook when fishing established halibut spots.
Circle-Hook Rigging Methods for Halibut
There are several ways to rig circle hooks for halibut, with different combinations of leader materials, knots, crimps, and connections. Since most circle hooks are sold individually, anglers must decide how to rig them, and it isn’t always clear which method is best suited to recreational halibut fishing. To better understand these differences, I looked at traditional commercial halibut rigging methods and techniques used in offshore billfish and big game fishing, with the goal of understanding the history and providing practical recommendations for recreational halibut anglers.
Commercial Halibut Circle-Hook Rigging
Commercial halibut are commonly caught using longline gear, with baited hooks attached to the mainline by short leaders called gangions. Commercial research has used gangions 24–48 inches long, traditionally made from heavy braided nylon, including No. 72 hard-lay nylon. The No. 72 designation refers to the material’s thread count rather than its breaking strength. Everson Cordage lists approximately 670 lb breaking strength for its No. 72 gangion line. Braided nylon is flexible, durable and well suited to tying secure knots, making it practical for commercial crews handling large numbers of hooks.
The traditional method of attaching a gangion to a circle hook uses a fixed loop formed with a Ganging Knot. The loop must be large enough to pass over the entire hook, allowing the gangion to be attached without tying a knot directly to the hook eye. For a 16/0 circle hook, a finished loop approximately 4–5 inches long provides enough room to pass over the entire hook. The Ganging Knot is illustrated as knot No. 276 in Clifford W. Ashley’s The Ashley Book of Knots, first published in 1944.
Research published in the IPHC’s 2000 Annual Report examined how the direction of the gangion through a circle-hook eye affects catch performance. Across 26 longline sets, hooks threaded from the front, or hook-point side, produced approximately 30–40% greater halibut catch by weight than hooks threaded from the back. To make a front-threaded connection using a traditional gangion loop, the loop is passed through the eye from the hook-point side, the entire hook is passed through the loop, and the gangion is pulled tight. The IPHC study demonstrates that a relatively small detail in how a traditional gangion is attached can have a considerable effect on halibut catch rates.
In addition to traditional gangion loops attached directly to the hook eye, local suppliers also offer circle hooks with swivels, and fully assembled monofilament gangion rigs with the monofilament crimped to a circle hook and swivel combination.
Billfish Rigging Research
Offshore billfish fishing provides another useful source of information about circle-hook rigging, particularly when using heavy monofilament leaders. Anglers targeting giant marlin commonly use heavy monofilament, with documented Australian and New Zealand rigs using approximately 480–650 lb leaders and circle hooks ranging from 16/0 to 20/0. Monofilament offers abrasion resistance, some stretch under load, and relatively low visibility in clear water. These heavy leaders can be attached to circle hooks using several methods, including snells, crimped loops, and wrapped-and-crimped connections.
An Australian black-marlin rig described in Aussie Heavy-Tackle Setup by Marlin magazine uses 650 lb Momoi Extra-Hard monofilament and Mustad 39960D circle hooks ranging from 16/0 to 20/0. The hooks are snelled to the leader, creating a connection along the hook shank rather than a freely moving loop around the eye.
An Australian black-marlin skipbait rig described in Three Ways to Rig for Granders by Marlin magazine uses approximately 550–650 lb monofilament and a large circle hook secured with a crimped connection. Protective tubing reduces abrasion where the leader contacts the hook, while a properly sized and compressed sleeve secures the monofilament. Depending on its construction, a crimped loop can allow the hook to pivot relative to the leader.
A New Zealand live-bait rig described in Building a Live Bait Circle-Hook Rig by FishTrack uses 480 lb monofilament and a 16/0 circle hook. The leader enters the eye from the hook-point side, wraps twice around the shank, and passes back through the eye before being secured with two double-barrel crimps. The wraps position the leader along the hook shank rather than leaving the hook free to move within a loop.
Recreational Halibut Rigging
Commercial halibut fishing and offshore big-game fishing provide useful examples of the different ways circle hooks can be rigged. There are a number of good options for recreational halibut fishing. Anglers can select a rigging method based on their own preferences, experience, and the materials they have available. Here are my observations and recommendations for each method.
Traditional Commercial Gangion — This method uses No. 72 hard-lay braided nylon, which is available at local fishing supply shops and is relatively inexpensive. The traditional ganging knot is used to form a loop approximately 4–5 inches long. To attach the gangion, pass the loop through the hook eye from the hook-point side, then over the entire hook before pulling it tight. This creates a reliable connection that has been used in commercial halibut fishing for decades. The direction of attachment is important. Research by the IPHC found that front-threaded gangions produced approximately 30–40% greater halibut catch by weight than back-threaded connections in the commercial longline sets studied. For this reason, I recommend threading traditional gangion loops from the front, hook-point side. I also checked local suppliers and found that Pacific Net and Twine sells Powers No. 72 Hard-Lay Gangen Twine, along with Ashaway Tuna Leader Line in 200, 300, and 400 lb spools. The Ashaway line is marketed for use as both tuna leader and gangen material.
Monofilament Gangion — I have a supply of 200 lb Jinkai monofilament leader material that I use for some halibut rigs, repairing downrigger clips, and making dummy flashers for salmon fishing. Although I’ve never fished with a monofilament gangion, I experimented with making a 4-inch loop secured with a crimp, then threading it through the circle-hook eye from the front, just like a traditional commercial braided gangion. The main differences are the leader material and its strength: 200 lb monofilament compared with approximately 670 lb No. 72 hard-lay braided nylon. I found that the monofilament cinched down tightly against the hook eye, and the crimp made it easy to adjust the loop to the precise length needed to pass over the hook. However, I also noticed a small gap in the metal where the hook eye meets the shank. Under tension, the monofilament could potentially contact the exposed metal edges at this gap, posing an abrasion or cutting risk. I haven’t found documented examples of monofilament gangion loops being used in this configuration. Although the connection appears to orient the hook favourably for engaging a halibut’s mouth, I’m concerned about the possibility of the line being damaged or cut. For that reason, I’m hesitant to recommend this method without evidence of consistent success over a substantial number of fishing trips. I’d be interested to hear from anyone who has experience fishing with monofilament gangions. Please leave a comment below with your observations.
📷 Photo: Experimental 200 lb monofilament gangion loops secured with crimps and threaded into 16/0 circle hooks. The top gangion is threaded correctly from the front (hook-point side) of the eye; the bottom shows the incorrect back-side orientation.
Pre-Tied Halibut Leaders for Commercial Fishermen — Pacific Net and Twine also sells bundles of 50 pre-tied commercial halibut leaders made with 500 lb Super Star monofilament and Jinkai sleeves crimped at both ends. At the hook end, the crimp secures the leader to a 5/0 swivel, which is directly connected to the eye of the 16/0 Mustad circle hook. An International No. 96 stainless steel snap is attached at the opposite end. Although I wouldn’t purchase a bundle of 50 leaders for recreational fishing, I found it interesting that these heavy monofilament leaders are being marketed for use in the commercial halibut fishery. What I find particularly interesting is that the swivel connection allows the hook to pivot and rotate, rather than maintaining the consistent orientation established by a traditional front-threaded gangion loop. The fact that this rig is commercially available demonstrates that the traditional gangion is not the only rigging approach used in commercial halibut fishing. I wouldn’t recommend these particular rigs for recreational anglers because of the snaps at the longline end, but I would build them myself and replace the snap with a simple loop to connect to the spreader bar. Seeing this configuration commercially available gives me further confidence that monofilament leaders with loops crimped to swivels or directly to circle hooks are suitable for recreational halibut fishing. I’ll discuss my experience with this type of connection in the next paragraph.
Monofilament Leaders Looped Directly Through the Eye and Secured with a Crimp — This is the method I’ve used successfully for years. In the offshore big-game sport fishery, particularly for billfish and tuna, heavy monofilament leaders are commonly used with crimped connections. I’ve caught plenty of halibut using these connections, and if you’re interested in making your own crimped monofilament leaders, this is the method I recommend. Using a circle hook with an attached swivel is another option, but since the spreader bar already has swivels at both load-bearing connection points, I believe an additional swivel at the hook is unnecessary.
Snelled Connections — Snell knots have been used with heavy monofilament leaders in the offshore big-game sport fishery for many years. I’ve read articles indicating that crimped connections can be stronger than snell knots, and I’ve also found that getting a snell knot properly tightened can be difficult with heavier monofilament. I believe these limitations can be addressed by using sufficiently heavy leader material and practising the knot until you can tie it consistently. If you don’t have crimping sleeves or crimping pliers, a snell knot is a practical alternative. One advantage of snelling a circle hook is that, when the monofilament passes through the hook eye from the hook-point side and is secured around the shank, the resulting alignment and pulling forces should be similar to those of a traditional commercial gangion and I expect this arrangement to favour effective hook engagement.
How to Bait and Deploy a Circle Hook
There are a few important details to consider when baiting and deploying circle-hook rigs for halibut. Proper bait placement helps ensure the hook can do its job, while the way we lower our gear and position the rods around the boat can make a big difference in avoiding tangles and fishing effectively. Read on for more details on how to put these tips into practice on your next halibut fishing trip.
Rigging Bait on a Circle Hook
We use different types of halibut bait depending on what we have available at the time, including salmon heads, octopus or squid, whole herring and salmon pelvic-fin strips. With salmon heads, I prefer smaller heads rather than unnecessarily large ones unless I am deliberately using a larger presentation to target bigger halibut. I normally run the circle hook through the snout and through both jaws so the mouth stays closed while fishing. This reduces drag in the current while leaving the hook point and gap exposed.
Regardless of the bait, one rule for rigging is especially important: ensure the circle hook’s point and gap are not blocked by the bait. If the hook point is buried in the salmon head, or the entire hook gap is packed solid with flesh, the hook may not be able to rotate and penetrate properly when the line comes tight.
For a deeper look at bait selection and rigging, see the FishinBC.COM guide to Best Halibut Baits: How to Rig, Scent and Fish Them.
Lower the Rig Without Tangling
A properly rigged circle hook won’t do much good if the leader wraps around the mainline on the way to the bottom. A spreader-bar rig can become tangled if the leader is too long or the bait wraps around the mainline during the descent.
I’ve found that the most important factors in preventing tangles are using a long spreader bar and keeping the bait leader relatively short. This provides enough separation between the bait and the mainline that I can usually let the weight drop quickly to the bottom without having problems.
Before lowering the rig, I make sure the bait and leader are hanging freely and aren’t already wrapped around the spreader bar or mainline. Then, when I’m ready to lower it, I simply flip the free spool lever and let the rig descend at full speed.
If tangling becomes a problem, first check that you’re using a longer spreader bar and a relatively short halibut leader. Consider shortening your leader slightly to reduce the chances of the hook reaching the mainline. If tangles persist, try pausing briefly after the first 50 feet to allow the current to pull the bait and leader away from the mainline. Depending on the current and where you’re fishing the rod, a short, controlled lob behind the boat before lowering the rig can also help create some initial separation, and this is especially useful for the rods fishing at the stern.
Once the weight reaches bottom, I reel up enough to keep the weight and bait just above the bottom while still staying very close to where the halibut are feeding. This also helps keep the bait away from crabs.
Fishing Several Circle-Hook Rods at Anchor
When we’re anchored for halibut, I like to spread the baits out. This is important to avoid the lines tangling together, and it also covers a larger area of the bottom. I do this by using different weight sizes depending on where each rod is positioned.
The rods toward the stern typically get lighter weights, usually 1 lb lead balls. These are heavy enough to reach bottom, but the current tends to carry them farther behind the boat. For the rods farther forward, I use 2 lb lead weights. The heavier weights keep those lines closer to vertical and their baits more directly under the boat. This approach distributes the baits over more bottom rather than having several rigs fishing in essentially the same place.
Pro Tip: It may take time for halibut to detect the scent trail of your bait. Once they do, they will start moving up current toward your bait. If someone on the boat is overdue to catch a halibut, I’ll often put them on one of the stern rods fishing farthest back. With their bait positioned furthest down-current, it is likely that their gear will be the first rig encountered by the halibut, and they will be the first to catch a fish.
Avoid Line Tangles and Catching the Anchor
Occasionally, we’ve encountered some significant tangles and snarls, and the worst have been around the anchor line. The greatest chance of this happening is on a relatively calm day when you’ve anchored and fished all the way through a tide change.
During the tide change, when the current goes slack and then changes direction, the boat will change position. While the boat is moving, if your lines are still down, the lines from different rods may become tangled, or you may even get tangled around the anchor line.
To prevent this problem, it’s important to know when the tide change is happening and periodically reel in and reset your rigs during the transition as the boat changes position.
Troubleshooting Missed Circle-Hook Hookups
Circle hooks work very well when the rig and technique are right, but sometimes a halibut will work on a bait without getting hooked. If this starts happening repeatedly, there are several things worth checking before changing your entire setup.
Not Enough Time for Halibut to Swallow the Hook
If you’ve given the halibut time to swallow the bait, even paying out additional line, but the fish gets off when you tighten the drag, there are a couple of possible explanations. The halibut may have been too small to fully swallow the bait and hook, or you may still not have given it enough time. In either case, the hook may never have been far enough inside the fish’s mouth to engage properly.
If this happens repeatedly, try giving the fish more time before tightening the drag. Keep the drag light and, if necessary, pay out additional line so the halibut can move away with the bait without feeling much resistance. When you’re confident the fish has had enough time to swallow the bait and hook, gradually increase the drag rather than striking back with the rod.
If smaller halibut are responsible, this may be perfectly fine. Not hooking the smaller fish gives a larger halibut more time to find your bait. If you do want to catch the smaller fish, you could experiment with a smaller bait to improve your chances of hooking them.
Check the Hook Point
The first thing I check when I’m getting bites but missing fish is the hook point. A large circle hook may look sharp but still have a point that’s been dulled by contact with the bottom, rocks or normal use.
Run the hook point lightly across a fingernail. A sharp hook should immediately try to dig in rather than sliding smoothly across the nail. If it slides, sharpen it before putting the bait back down.
Circle hooks can be reused many times, so I routinely inspect the point rather than replacing an otherwise good hook. For more detail, see the FishinBC.COM guide to Sharpening Fishing Hooks.
Make Sure the Hook Isn’t Buried in the Bait
If you’re getting bites but not hooking fish, check how the bait is attached to the circle hook. The hook point and gap need to remain clear so the hook can rotate and catch in the corner of the halibut’s jaw.
This is particularly important when using salmon heads. The hard, bony structure of a salmon head can interfere with the hook if the bait is rigged incorrectly. That’s why I rig salmon heads so the hook point and gap remain clear of the bone, allowing the circle hook to work as intended.
For more information on how to rig a salmon head for halibut fishing, see the FishinBC.COM guide to Best Halibut Baits: How to Rig, Scent and Fish Them.
Try a Jig or Smaller Bait
Repeated bites without a hookup can be a sign that your bait is too large for the halibut you’re encountering. Smaller fish may pick away at a large salmon head without getting the hook properly into their mouths.
When this happens, I don’t necessarily change my circle-hook bait right away. Sometimes I’ll drop down a jig to see what’s actually feeding below the boat. It’s a good way to find out whether smaller halibut or other bottomfish are responsible for the bites.
Don’t Mistake Bait Thieves for Halibut
Not every bouncing rod tip means a halibut has found your bait. Smaller bottomfish and crabs can pick away at a bait, causing repeated taps and movement without ever producing the steady run you’re waiting for.
If a rod has been getting repeated bites but nothing develops into a steady run, I’ll eventually reel up and inspect the bait. Sometimes much of it has been stripped away without a halibut ever taking the hook.
When you reel up, check that the bait is still securely attached to the hook and that enough remains to make a good presentation. If it’s badly torn apart or mostly stripped away, replace it with fresh bait. There’s no point spending another half hour fishing a bait that’s already been picked clean.
Circle Hooks vs J-Hooks for Halibut
Both circle hooks and conventional J-hooks can catch halibut, but I strongly prefer circle hooks when fishing bait from an anchored boat. Once you learn the technique, I think they’re easier to fish and provide a more reliable hookup.
The biggest difference is how you respond to a bite. With a J-hook, the angler typically sets the hook with a deliberate strike. With a circle hook, I can leave the rod in the holder with a light drag and give the halibut time to take the bait. Once I feel the halibut has had enough time to swallow the bait and hook, I gradually increase the drag and let the circle hook do the work.
Circle hooks also have an important advantage when a halibut needs to be released. Because a circle hook is designed to catch near the corner of the jaw, it can be easier to remove and may reduce deep-hooking injuries. That’s particularly valuable when fishing in areas with size and retention restrictions.
When drifting for halibut, I’d be more inclined to fish a jig rather than bait on a circle hook. But for the anchored bait-fishing system described in this guide, I see very little reason to choose a J-hook over a properly rigged and fished circle hook.
Your Turn
Circle hooks have become my preferred way to fish bait for halibut at anchor. It takes a little practice to resist setting the hook, but once you get comfortable with the process, it’s a technique that’s hard to beat.
I’m always interested in hearing how other anglers rig and fish their circle hooks. What hook sizes and leader materials are you using, and how are you attaching them to the hook? I’m particularly interested in hearing from anyone who has experience using either braided or monofilament gangions.
If you’ve made the switch from J-hooks to circle hooks, I’d also like to hear how they’ve compared for you. Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.