circle hooks vs j hooks

[catfish mike]

hey just wonderin i am buying my first shar setup i am gettin a 12/0 spooled with 1100 yards of ande 50 pound test and a topshot of 100 yards of iron thread 100 pound test atached to a penn mariner 6 foot rod i also have a fighting belt i bought the 600 pound test cable for the leader i just need to know what is better bigger j hooks or circle hooks because i always thought with that much line out u cant ever get a good hook set with the j hook cuz too much strech in the mono and i will not use braid because i have not had good luck with power pro in the past. and also should i get dacron or mono

[Possum]

longliners use circles.
Good luck with the sharks. Sounds like you are good to get started.
Catch a few and stick with the stuff that works for you... and leave out the stuff that doesn't..enjoy the process.

[Tall Paul]

Circle hooks work.... But just a thought, you may want to rethink spooling with 50# test. I understand wanting a lot of line to allow the shark to run and not get spooled. But you get to a point where the drag on the line excedes the breaking strenght of the line. 2. Because you are using mono (which I think is best) there is the stretch factor, with 50# test, in most cases you will not be able to put enough pressure on the fish to effectivly fight it with that amount of line out.

[catfish mike]

ok well i was just thinking about puttin 50 pound test dacron would that be ok

[Tall Paul]

Dacron has less stretch, but I would still step up to at least 60# better yet 80#, BUT, that is just me learned from experince off-shore marlin fishing and I still like mono better.

[Tall Paul]

Another thought, I don't think you need 600# test cable, you can back off to maybe 275 or 400#.

[catfish mike]

ok the only reason i would go with dacron is th line bein that for away from me and the strech of mono that far away

[EricF]

Tall Paul has it on the mark.....and.....longliners use circle hooks because the gubmit says they have to.

[speckhunter80]

Go with an 80lb test line like Momoi with a 300 or 400 lb test Floro leader like Seaguar. If you use a 6'-10' leader then you don't need a top shot. If you are going to use a top shot then use a bimini twist. The cable leader you speak off will catch in the sharks teeth therby negating the circle hooks ability to properly act.