The circle hook craze traces its roots back to research conducted by Dr. John Graves of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Between 2002 and 2009, Graves and his researchers caught 272 white marlin, 132 sails, and 123 blues using circle hooks and J-hooks. Circle hooks showed a dramatic benefit in preventing post-release mortality in whites and sails, but J-hooks had less of an effect on blues. A significant percentage of the whites and sails hooked with J-hooks died, compared to only two of the 31 blue marlin that ate a J-hook. Nonetheless, Graves and his team concluded that the benefits to using circle hooks for blue marlin out weigh the risk of loosing any more of these precious fish.
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