I recently made the switch to 5/0 eagle claw circle hooks for rod and reel fishin for cats, and am VERY please with the results. Im definitely sold on them for rod and reel. Sure seems like i hook more fish. Like some have said, its kinda hard to get used to not settin the hook.

Im thinkin about using circle hooks on my jugs and trotlines next time out. Are cicle hooks as effective this way? What do yall think? Any other hook suggestions?

I'd go with gamakatsu circles if it were me. That's what I use when and if I use them.

I use 7/0 eagle claw circle hooks on all my rods and reels and my noodles! I am very happy with them on both and I will give you a tip, sharpen your hooks and you should see your catch rate go up even more!

When using circle hooks on rod & reel, are you finding most of your cats are lip hooked or are you still finding them deep hooked ? I release a lot of my fish & this is a real concern to me.
Roger

I did some r/r on calaveras w/circle hooks all were corner mouth hooked

Of the past 50 or 60 fish I have caught using circle hooks I cannot remember one deep hook. BUT I do see the hooks in the eye frequently.

roger, so far every cat i have caught thus far, except one, has been caught in the corner of the mouth. The one exception was hooked in the roof of his mouth just inside the upper lip.

My buddy had a 44# yellow snagged in the top of the head with a 11/0 VMC circle the other day, I would have said that was a near imposibility.

I've made the switch to circles too. I have now gotten used to not setting the hook hard. I've yet to deep hook one however several have been hooked above the mouth where a nose would be,,that was kind of strange. One thing with the non-hook set is if you find they dropped it the bait is not moved out of the zone. I've just let it rest after a short run that I missed 'em on and they nearly always come back to it. I don't do the trotline or jugs so I couldn't comment on those.