Offset em. I still like the J's. Have tried em a couple times, and wasn't gettin a good hookup ratio. Best way to keep em from gettin gut hooked is keeping a close eye on the rods. Its inevitable that it will happen. Check the pics from Fishalways post 1-2-07. If you enlarge the shot of the guy in the red ball cap you'll notice I've got my arm down that fishes throat goin after the hook. Not always feesable. Luckily I had Catching with a vice grip on the fish so i could go diggin. The fish revived real spunky thanks to dan and hopefully we'll hear back in a couple years that she was caught @ about 300lbs. The fisheries guys say If the fish is hopelessly gut hooked, they still have a better survival chance if you short clip the leader, and revive and set free. Hooks do rust out, and I've filleted many fish w/ hooks in thier bellys that weren't ours.
Try the circles I'm gonna use em on my live bait rigs from now on cuz my hookup ratio couldn't get any worse.
Good Luck,
Butch