I realize there is great discrepancy between manufacturers and hook sizes, but what do y'all find to be most effective when targeting small eaters? I've seen suggestions for the big guys, but I'm not deluded enough to think I'll get to deal with any of those in the near future.

So what size circle hook in what brands? Thanks in advance.

I've caught TONS of "eating size" catfish, mostly channels, and a few blues, on number 6 circle hooks.

i like to use a 2/0 owner circle hook or a 2/0 VMC circle hook.
both are very sharp and strong hooks

1/0 and 2/0 vmc circles are the best small circles I've ever used ... caught fish up to 36 lbs on them and a fish can't hardly touch them without getting hooked due to the good offset and sharpness of the hook. caught lots of fish on them around november when the fish would spit larger hooks I'd switch over to the vmc hooks and bait with shad fillet and they were deadly

Thanks for the input so far. I guess I should try to find the VMC's in 1/0 or 2/0.

Starless, if you don't mind, what brand is that on the size 6?

Little funny aside: several years ago I ordered #12 circle hooks and #12 circle snells, both made by Eagle Claw. The plain hooks were about one quarter the size of my pinkie nail. The snells were about the size of a #1 Aberdeen.

Docworm, they are Gamakatsu. By Catfish standards, it's a very small hook, a 6, not a 6/0. We mostly use it for carp fishing, but I've seen 20lb catfish caught on hooks that size, to say nothing of the countless 5lb and smaller fish.

I'll be looking for it.

On jug lines, I use the 11/0 Mustads from Academy. $5.00 for 25 hooks. They will catch from 1/2 pound to 40 pound cats. I never use a dip net because they don't fall off with these. I only use a gaff for those over 15 pounds. Using Zote soap it is unreal how efficient these hooks will catch blues.

I use 2/0's (can't remember the brand) for all my cats. My PB is only a 5 lber, but I've caught everything from small 9" guys on up.

On the Mustads, I've noticed the demon circles seem to run much smaller, so an 11/0 probably isn't as big as it sounds, right?

I've got 2/0's in Eagle Claw, so I'm set in that dept. Need to check out the Gamakatsu's.