The thing with J hooks is that they can quite likely present the hook away into on empty space in a fishs' mouth.

That's my theory anyway. 

Alan, I suspect your bridle is too long try shortening your bridle length up quite a bit. Fish are taking your bait in but not the hook,.

I dont know how it works on game leaders but the bridles i see used have the hook sitting on the bait fish

This is why fishing is never boring. I hardly fish exactly the same 2 days in a row - esp gamefishing. Always trying to change the odds. But he is using my bridle rig - which I have evolved to. The bridle is as long as the fish. Reason being they always turn the fish and swallow head first. Many missed hook ups (J and circle) I am sure were because the hook was getting squashed against the flank of the fish - short bridle. So evolved to the point where the circle is by the tail of the fish (as swallowed). He has had some decent success this way. Few weeks ago got 2 YF like that and no one else landed anything. When it works it works well - but there is some other factor in here that is confounding the hook up rate. With short rigs I have had a lot of hits that never translated to hook ups. Trying to change the odds. Must be able to improve on that. But you can imagine - say a bridle half the length of a skippy - fish gobs it down - the hook is half way along the fish. Put some tension on to set the hook - often when they feel that they spit the fish. So you need the hook to set immediately. If the hook is near the tail - it should be the first thing to catch on the way out - as soon as the line pulls tight?

Wish I knew everything about this stuff. Even something would help sometimes.

Alan

There maybe something in that ..

 Have wondered abstractly why one way and not the other.. made in nthern hemispere maybe?? dunno.

 I aways had a problem simply flicking the hook out like they do on TV and some of the crew..

So have gone to no offset, doesnt seem to effect catch rate..and still cant flick the damn hook out

But has suggested snelling a 2nd hook above the circle hook.

 My straylines have a J no knot snelled above...and when looking at m8s very knowledgeable and  generational experienced off shore rig( mentioned above) rig I commented at the time its basically an over grown version of my stray line.. except its all crimped.

Check the hook gape too. I use Korean hooks from Hooker Tackle- excellent hooks btw - and my preferred 15/0 circle has a larger gape (22mm) than the 16/0 (20mm). 

Keep us posted - the long bridle is an interesting deviation from sop.

He is using my BKK #10s (I left him with my spares). But I will check the gape size comparison. They don't make a 12 AFAIK. I have looked before. It may be the gape is just too small for big fish. I have caught plenty on these hooks, but it is possible the gape is just a bit small and flicks off the gob on the way out. You can imagine that happening quite easily if there is a small gap between the point of the hook and the shank and the corner of the mouth is about the same thickness.

Thanks

Lots to work on. By the time I retire from fishing and end up in some rest home, I will know everything. Just a few years too late.

Alan

So I am interested in the Mutsu hooks. It seems a number of suppliers claim to sell Mutsu hooks. BKK have Mutsu circle hooks. Is Mutsu a style?

I am buying BKK circle hooks.

Is the difference that the offset is the opposite way?

It seems their size 32 (biggest) is equiv to the #10. Which is as big as I can buy (and use) in the BKK.

Some more info on them would be useful.

Thx

Alan