Post by Gbru on Jan 17, 2019 22:54:30 GMT -5
There are so many hooks out there and anglers just don’t know which ones to choose. There are long shank hooks, short shank hooks, curved hooks, circle hooks and even hooks of various colors. On top of that, there are loose hooks and hooks with snells. And to make it even more confusing, there are hooks with different lengths of leaders!
If you are going to target flounder, most anglers choose the Kayle or “wide gap” hook. They are what they say they are. There is a wide gap between the point of the hook and the bend. In fact, some companies call them “wide bend” hooks. Anyway, they all look pretty close to the same, and are less likely to “gut hook” a fish than a long shank hook. For flounder, anglers choose a size #1, #1/0, #2/0, #3/0 and #4/0. If you are targeting only big flounder using large flounder baits, go with the larger sizes. If you are also targeting croaker, small trout, or whatever else might hop on your hook as well, go with the smaller realm of hook.
If you are ONLY targeting croaker, use this same Kayle or wide gap style of hook in a size #4 or #2. If the croaker are the only fish biting and you are having a hard type extracting the hooks from the hard mouth of the croaker, go with a Pacific Bass long shank hook. These hooks have more to grab on to. Anglers use these hooks when they deal with fish that are hard to unhook or that are likely to bite the leader off such as bluefish, sharks and blowfish. For snapper blues, you want a Pacific Bass type hook in size #2 through #2/0. For blowfish, size #4 or #6. For sharks, anywhere from a size #1/0 to a #10/0.
Hook sizes start at #10 in salt water which is the smallest and go up to size #1, then “0s” are added to them to progressively make them bigger. So it goes like this from smallest to largest: #10, #8, #6, #4, #2, #1, #1/0, #2/0, #3/0, #4/0….#10/0 …. The #10 would be the tiny hooks we catch little spot fish with, and #10/0 would be like a shark or big striper hook.
Every brand is different! So it’s a good idea to also “eye ball” those hooks when you are buying them. For example, if you are fishing for bait spot and need a little tiny hook to put on a little piece of bloodworm or fishbite bloodworm, you want to look for a size #8 or #10 hook. Generally the little bait holder type hooks on a pack of freshwater type snelled hook is much smaller than a long shank type hook. Look for bronze or gold hooks when fishing for bait fish. The hooks on a Sabiki rig that has 4 to 6 hooks on a line are usually always the correct size for catching baitfish. If you can’t find the right hook, always ask the clerk in the bait and tackle store. They will point you in the right direction.
If you are using bloodworm or Artificial Fishbite Bloodworm or nightcrawlers and taking the kids to a shallow water area or in any of the canals around Ocean City, use the small freshwater type hooks in size #6 or #8 to catch spot, sand perch, or small croaker. Look for the bronze or gold hooks. Bear Paw makes a flicker spinner hook in size #6 that is very popular in our area for small pan-size fish. They are sharp little long-shank bronze hooks with beads and spinner blades. Great for sliding on a bloodworm or nightcrawler.
In the summer months, there’s a lot of variety of fish out there. If you are targeting kingfish, spot, croaker, small trout, or anything else that will eat a bloodworm, Bloodworm Alternative, shrimp, or small strip of squid, buy a rig made out of size #6 or #8 hooks. These can be either long shank, or wide gap type hooks. Some people make their own rigs out of small circle hooks in size #6 or #4. Whatever you use, use a small surf float next to your hook to make it more visible to the fish and to keep it slightly off the bottom away from the crabs. Only use surf floats in the ocean. Do not use them in the bay.
If you are targeting snapper blues and sand sharks, use a long shank Size #4 to #3/0 with cut squid, mullet, bunker, or spot. If you are targeting keeper stripers or large sharks, use a circle hook in the #4/0 to #8/0 or even larger for big sharks. Use a whole bunker head, chunk of bunker, whole squid, or whole king or croaker head.
Many anglers fishing live bait like to buy loose hooks and tie up their own leaders. If you do, buy an Octopus style hook for flounder, and an Octopus or Circle type hook for stripers. Always buy “Lazer sharp” hooks. Generally, hook sizes in the #3/0 to #4/0 range are good. You can buy some hooks such as “Owner” brand already tied up with Fluorocarbon that is nice.
If you are buying snelled hooks, always look to see how long the leaders are. You want shorter leaders up to 12-inches if you are putting them on a top and bottom type rig. If you are fishing a single rig, you want to grab the hooks that are 30 to 36 inches long. If you accidentally grab the long leadered hooks and try to put them on a top and bottom rig, you can have a tangled mess! (Look before you buy!)
"All Purpose" hooks tend to be Octopus styled hooks. They will work for just about anything as long as you get the proper hook size. They have a little more “shank” than the wide gaps, but not as much as the Pacific Bass. I like them for tautog (1/0- 2/0) and stripers (3/0 to 5/0). The smaller sizes are good for pan fish.
Red is supposed to be a low visibility hook in the water. After about 3 feet most of the red light is filtered out of the water. The fish sees the bait and not the hook! Some anglers think this is all hoopla, but…. Gold verses nickel-plated? I’m not sure, but the rule of thumb seems to be gold on overcast days and nickel on bright days… But if you save your hooks for another day, nickel will outlast the gold plated. Black seemed to be the preferred hook for tautog and stripers.
Hooks, hooks, and more hooks…. If you just don’t know which ones to use, ask the clerk in the tackle store and he’ll be more than willing to help you out!
If you are going to target flounder, most anglers choose the Kayle or “wide gap” hook. They are what they say they are. There is a wide gap between the point of the hook and the bend. In fact, some companies call them “wide bend” hooks. Anyway, they all look pretty close to the same, and are less likely to “gut hook” a fish than a long shank hook. For flounder, anglers choose a size #1, #1/0, #2/0, #3/0 and #4/0. If you are targeting only big flounder using large flounder baits, go with the larger sizes. If you are also targeting croaker, small trout, or whatever else might hop on your hook as well, go with the smaller realm of hook.
If you are ONLY targeting croaker, use this same Kayle or wide gap style of hook in a size #4 or #2. If the croaker are the only fish biting and you are having a hard type extracting the hooks from the hard mouth of the croaker, go with a Pacific Bass long shank hook. These hooks have more to grab on to. Anglers use these hooks when they deal with fish that are hard to unhook or that are likely to bite the leader off such as bluefish, sharks and blowfish. For snapper blues, you want a Pacific Bass type hook in size #2 through #2/0. For blowfish, size #4 or #6. For sharks, anywhere from a size #1/0 to a #10/0.
Hook sizes start at #10 in salt water which is the smallest and go up to size #1, then “0s” are added to them to progressively make them bigger. So it goes like this from smallest to largest: #10, #8, #6, #4, #2, #1, #1/0, #2/0, #3/0, #4/0….#10/0 …. The #10 would be the tiny hooks we catch little spot fish with, and #10/0 would be like a shark or big striper hook.
Every brand is different! So it’s a good idea to also “eye ball” those hooks when you are buying them. For example, if you are fishing for bait spot and need a little tiny hook to put on a little piece of bloodworm or fishbite bloodworm, you want to look for a size #8 or #10 hook. Generally the little bait holder type hooks on a pack of freshwater type snelled hook is much smaller than a long shank type hook. Look for bronze or gold hooks when fishing for bait fish. The hooks on a Sabiki rig that has 4 to 6 hooks on a line are usually always the correct size for catching baitfish. If you can’t find the right hook, always ask the clerk in the bait and tackle store. They will point you in the right direction.
If you are using bloodworm or Artificial Fishbite Bloodworm or nightcrawlers and taking the kids to a shallow water area or in any of the canals around Ocean City, use the small freshwater type hooks in size #6 or #8 to catch spot, sand perch, or small croaker. Look for the bronze or gold hooks. Bear Paw makes a flicker spinner hook in size #6 that is very popular in our area for small pan-size fish. They are sharp little long-shank bronze hooks with beads and spinner blades. Great for sliding on a bloodworm or nightcrawler.
In the summer months, there’s a lot of variety of fish out there. If you are targeting kingfish, spot, croaker, small trout, or anything else that will eat a bloodworm, Bloodworm Alternative, shrimp, or small strip of squid, buy a rig made out of size #6 or #8 hooks. These can be either long shank, or wide gap type hooks. Some people make their own rigs out of small circle hooks in size #6 or #4. Whatever you use, use a small surf float next to your hook to make it more visible to the fish and to keep it slightly off the bottom away from the crabs. Only use surf floats in the ocean. Do not use them in the bay.
If you are targeting snapper blues and sand sharks, use a long shank Size #4 to #3/0 with cut squid, mullet, bunker, or spot. If you are targeting keeper stripers or large sharks, use a circle hook in the #4/0 to #8/0 or even larger for big sharks. Use a whole bunker head, chunk of bunker, whole squid, or whole king or croaker head.
Many anglers fishing live bait like to buy loose hooks and tie up their own leaders. If you do, buy an Octopus style hook for flounder, and an Octopus or Circle type hook for stripers. Always buy “Lazer sharp” hooks. Generally, hook sizes in the #3/0 to #4/0 range are good. You can buy some hooks such as “Owner” brand already tied up with Fluorocarbon that is nice.
If you are buying snelled hooks, always look to see how long the leaders are. You want shorter leaders up to 12-inches if you are putting them on a top and bottom type rig. If you are fishing a single rig, you want to grab the hooks that are 30 to 36 inches long. If you accidentally grab the long leadered hooks and try to put them on a top and bottom rig, you can have a tangled mess! (Look before you buy!)
"All Purpose" hooks tend to be Octopus styled hooks. They will work for just about anything as long as you get the proper hook size. They have a little more “shank” than the wide gaps, but not as much as the Pacific Bass. I like them for tautog (1/0- 2/0) and stripers (3/0 to 5/0). The smaller sizes are good for pan fish.
Red is supposed to be a low visibility hook in the water. After about 3 feet most of the red light is filtered out of the water. The fish sees the bait and not the hook! Some anglers think this is all hoopla, but…. Gold verses nickel-plated? I’m not sure, but the rule of thumb seems to be gold on overcast days and nickel on bright days… But if you save your hooks for another day, nickel will outlast the gold plated. Black seemed to be the preferred hook for tautog and stripers.
Hooks, hooks, and more hooks…. If you just don’t know which ones to use, ask the clerk in the tackle store and he’ll be more than willing to help you out!