The one fish hook that catches almost everything

POINTED DIFFERENCES

At first glance, octopus (above left) and circle hooks (above right) appear similar, but there are important differences. Octopus hooks always have an upturned eye, for example, while circle hooks can have either an upturned or straight eye. But more importantly, an octopus hook has a standard round bend, so its point is parallel to the hook shank. Circle hooks bend much more dramatically, so that the hook point faces inward toward the shank of the hook. As a result, a circle hook will set itself into the corner of a fish’s mouth when the fish swims away with the bait. Octopus hooks, on the other hand, need to be set by the angler.

Saskatchewan’s Mike Hungle has an extensive arsenal of fish-catching tricks.