Bait Holder Hooks

[Don]

I tried to be a wise guy (no dice), I changed to small circle hooks to use as bait hooks. Terrible, I catch very little and can't keep bait on the hooks. Perhaps they would work better if chunk fishing but I was after Crappie and Gills. The old size 10-4 eagle claw down-eye bait holder hooks seem hard to beat. I also like medium length Aberdeen shaped hooks.
I rarely fish bait any more but I do sometimes. I'm curious and to what you folks use as bait hooks?

 

[Solitario Lupo]

What bait are you using. I pretty much just use circle

 

[truecrimson]

We used to use a lot of Eagle Claw pre snelled bait holder hooks in sizes from 2 down to 12. Size 6-8 is as small as I can really handle any more. Small sunfish will consistently steal bait from a 6 or 8, but will swallow a 10 or 12. It was always a choice between feeding fish or injuring them. We got away from those as I got away from bait and into artificials. What size circles are you using? Maybe try going up a size or 2.

Since I bought those other hooks I posted before in the What Did You Buy Now Thread I haven't been out much so I can't really comment on them yet.

 

[Don]

I bought size 4 and 1 circles and it seems like the crawlers just slide off. When I do actually hook up it is easier to unhook.
size 4,2 and 1 eagle claw has proven so far to weed out the tailing sunnies and hook up well on keeper sized fish. When I move to longer shafted Aberdeen’s the hookup rate seems the same but I lose more bait. Aberdeen’s are easier to remove and I believe Bass and Pickerel throw them easier.
Sol what size circles are u using?

 

[Solitario Lupo]

Anywhere from size 12 to 8/0. If your using worms for them I usually push them up the line a little then a wrap on the hook.