hooks ?

[DBITE]

thanks for all your info. i have tried using circle hooks in the past but i had a difficult time threading the mac on the hook. is this common or was i just not doing something right ?

That's why I like to use a bigger circle hook than I would J hook. The larger the circle hook the bigger the gap between the point and the shank. For bigger macs you should use a bigger circle. It's a good idea to carry circles from 1/0 to 5/0 so you can match it to the bait. Also, using too small of a circle on a big bait may result in the hook embedding in the mac and the loss of a fish.