Choosing hooks

[AustinHellickson]

How do you guys select hooks for your rigs and soft plastics?
 

I have searched YTube before but had found nothing that helped. All i know how to rig successfully is Texas rigs, and rigging a tube.

 

How do u select your hook sizes for Small & Large mouth?

 

how many different sizes do you keep with you?

 

If you need to know what i use i bank fish, willing to use any soft plastic, usually craws, single tail worms, or senkos just want to catch some fish. 

 

Thanks

[J Francho]

General rule, use a hook with twice the gap as the thickness of the plastic you are putting on it.  I keep around four or five types of weedless hooks in mostly 3/0, 4/0, and 5/0.  That covers most soft plastic baits.

[CenCal fisher]

I base my hook size off of the size bait I'm using. I use 3/0 and 5/0 for worm hooks and 2,1 or 1/0 for dropshot

[Darren.]

I use 1/0 to 3/0 for TX rigging, lighter wire hooks, but I have

4/0 and 5/0 for heavier TX rigging.

Gamakatsu O'shaughnessy bend is my preferred TX hook.

 

For wacky and drop shot, I normally use a 1/0, but I vary

from as small as a size 4 up to a 2/0.

 

Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse and Split shot/Drop shot hooks.

[RoLo]

To select the proper hook size, you need to have the bait in your hand.

Lay the bait on top of the hook-shank and notice how much hook throat is exposed.

If that gap is too small, it'll take an awful lot of pressure to compress the soft-plastic.

 

Roger

[WIGuide]

I pick my hook sized based on the thickness of the plastic I'm using. I carry quite a few hooks though since my plastic selection varies quite a bit. I've normally got 1/0 - 5/0 EWG's 1 - 2/0 Weedless Wacky hooks, 1- 2/0 Helix Dropshot or Spinshot hooks as well as some specialty hooks for tubes straight shanks for flippin' and belly weighted swimbait hooks 4/0 - 10/0. My most used hook is a 4/0 EWG 

[the reel ess]

If you buy some Berkley baits, it says on the bag what hook size and type to use. Then I go find the Gamakatsu brand of that hook. There are lots of premium brands of hooks that will work as well. I just love Gamakatsu. But over time you'll get your preferences figured out and deviate from what others like. We all do.

[AustinHellickson]

35 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

If you buy some Berkley baits, it says on the bag what hook size and type to use. Then I go find the Gamakatsu brand of that hook. There are lots of premium brands of hooks that will work as well. I just love Gamakatsu. But over time you'll get your preferences figured out and deviate from what others like. We all do.

I usually get Gary Yamamoto baits not Berkley

[frosty]

Mr. Yamamoto recommends a 3/0 hook with senkos 

[Angry John]

I use small hooks because i think it helps keep the action of the bait more lively and helps slow the sink rate.  On a standard 5" worm i use a 2/0 ewg gammy.   The wire size goes up a lot from 2/0 to 3/0 in most manufactures lineups.  i dont have a ton of hooks 2/0 and 4/0 ewg worm hooks 2/0 and 4/0 round bend strait shank and the same sizes in flipping hooks is about all the plastics other than drop shot which i use #2 and 1/0 alot.  If your not punching than thats 6 packs that will do almost anything.

[Al w.]

I've gotten to where I like to fish 3 and 4 in grubs on a light wire hook. That way when I get hung up on something (my son asks if I like to), I can just pull hard and straighten the hook without losing the bait. I'm using 10-15 pound braid on this set up. 

[RMax]

I like leave room for the head on craw style baits (estimate head size based on length of lure), use a 3/0 on stick baits, and a 3/0 or 4/0 on everything else.

[ww2farmer]

My way is not very scientific.............I buy a size/style "I think" will work good with the bait/rig I want to use it on, and if it does, I keep using it and buy more. But if it don't, I see what else I have that will match up better with it, and try it there. In the odd case if they just don't seem to work out for me, I give them away to someone else who might make better use of them.

 

I have a pretty good system down now after years of trial and error, and don't change much anymore, other than trying something new. This is what I use and like:

 

Drop shotting:

nose hooked or wacky rigged baits...........VMC #2 spinshot

weedless...........VMC EWG spinshot 2/0 or baits like 4" finesse worms, small pit bosses, 3" chigger, 

power shot.....VMC Power shot spin shots in 3/0 for small baits, and 4/0 for large baits

 

T-rigging, and C-rigging:

2/0 EWG Berkley Fusions for small baits like 4" yum dingers, 3" pit bosses and chigger craws, 4" power worms, 4" + 6" yum sharpshooter worms and bottom hopper worms. I will use "regular wire" hooks if I am using these in light cover on M power rods, with 10-12lb line or 10-20lb braid, and bump them up to "superline" hooks if I am using them on MH powered rods and 15+ lb line or 30+ lb braid.

 

I like the 3/0 EWG Berkley Fusions on 5" yum dingers, 4" chigger craws, 3" tubes, 7" power worms, 6.5 bottom hoppers, etc.....

 

4/0 on pit bosses, crazy legs chigger craws, 4"+ tubes, 6" yum dingers

 

5/0 on 10" power worms, the big chigger craw and pit boss, etc....

[papajoe222]

Aside from the size and style of hook to choose, you should also take into consideration the thickness and strength of the hook itself.  I use a lot of light wire hooks because many of my rods are medium power and I rarely use heavier that 12lb mono. 8lb is the norm.  No way am I getting a good hook set with a 3X EWG.  They not only penetrate the fish's mouth easier, they go through the plastic easier also.

[S. Sass]

3 hours ago, ww2farmer said:

 

My way is not very scientific.............I buy a size/style "I think" will work good with the bait/rig I want to use it on, and if it does, I keep using it and buy more. But if it don't, I see what else I have that will match up better with it, and try it there. In the odd case if they just don't seem to work out for me, I give them away to someone else who might make better use of them.

 

I have a pretty good system down now after years of trial and error, and don't change much anymore, other than trying something new.

 

^^^ This is pretty much the way I am. I carry quite a few hook sizes and shapes. Mainly because what I take goes with me no matter if I am pool hopping or in my bass boat. My terminal tackle box is just one that goes no matter what and it's full of assorted styles shapes sizes etc. My terminal box has a lot of 3/0 4/0 and 5/0 as these I use more than any other sizes. But I do not finesse fish at all and rarely use a Senko. Most of my plastic craws and creature baits are 4" and up. And my worms are usually no less than about 7.5" long.  

 

I have got away from the EWG style hooks although I do occasionally have one on as I bought them and I am trying to use them up. 

 

I'm not completely brand specific. I just buy brand name hooks like Eagle, Mustad, Gammy, or Trokar. In this day and age every name brand hooks tip is more than capable of sticking that fish. 

 

As for size I wouldn't want to start a list of sizes and styles for each particular bait. I fish a lot of plastics and most are pretty obvious if you go to big or too small. They wont fit the bait or won't be able to penetrate enough to hook the fish consistently.  

 

I prefer the old school straight shank or the straight shank barbed hooks.

I will use a Plastic Worm Hook like this Trokar TK100 on certain plastics mainly worms. 

 

[CTBassin860]

Just do what we ALL do.Buy every hook ever made on 3/0 4/0 and 5/0.Then only use 20% of them 50% of the time.

4/0 or 5/0 straight shanks for flipping/pitching.3/0 or 4/0 twistlocks for worms.4/0 belly weighted for swimbaits 4-5 inch.4/0 EWG because you'll need them for everything.

Oh and buy OWNER hooks.

[AustinHellickson]

4 hours ago, MassBassin508 said:

Just do what we ALL do.Buy every hook ever made on 3/0 4/0 and 5/0.Then only use 20% of them 50% of the time.

4/0 or 5/0 straight shanks for flipping/pitching.3/0 or 4/0 twistlocks for worms.4/0 belly weighted for swimbaits 4-5 inch.4/0 EWG because you'll need them for everything.

Oh and buy OWNER hooks.

Advantage of EWG then regular straight shank or offset?

[RoLo]

The idea of an Extra-Wide Gap hook (EWG hook) is to accommodate the bait

and have enough leftover throat to hook the fish.

 

On the other hand, 'straight shank' and 'offset' refer to the shank rather than the point.

Technically speaking, the word 'offset' was originally used to describe the offset between

the point and the shank (lateral offset). A 'kirbed' point was offset to one side,

while a 'reversed' point was offset to the opposite side. Today however, the word "offset"

typically refers to the shank of the hook, a Z-bend used as a trailer keeper.

Trailers can also be retained with a shank-barb, screw coil or (you guessed it) superglue.

Nonetheless, many anglers (count me in) believe that the line-of-pull of a 'straight-shank hook'

offers a better hook-up ratio than an offset hook. This notion in fact, gave birth to the 'rebarb' hook

 

Roger
 

[scaleface]

14 hours ago, MassBassin508 said:

Just do what we ALL do.Buy every hook ever made on 3/0 4/0 and 5/0.Then only use 20% of them 50% of the time.

4/0 or 5/0 straight shanks for flipping/pitching.3/0 or 4/0 twistlocks for worms.4/0 belly weighted for swimbaits 4-5 inch.4/0 EWG because you'll need them for everything.

Oh and buy OWNER hooks.

LOL yep . I tried lots of hooks  and use what works best for me . I want my bait to be extremely  snag proof and as straight  as possible  . For the time being  my favorite is the VMC round bend . For me  ,its the easiest to rig straight , minimizing that dreaded line twist .  The short section at the eye is bent so it points straight  at the barb making it easier to get the bait kink-less .

 

[J Francho]

Owner provides some very good info for choosing hooks and rigging:

http://www.ownerhooks.com/basshooks.htm

[Spankey]

I seem to be able to rig anything that I'm fishing with Owner or Gammys. 

 

But I'm certainly not fishing huge plastics. I max out at 6" with worms. No flukes or Senkos over that size either. 

 

The hook world seem endless. I'm into sharp hooks and keeping them sharp. 

[AustinHellickson]

8 minutes ago, Spankey said:

I seem to be able to rig anything that I'm fishing with Owner or Gammys. 

 

But I'm certainly not fishing huge plastics. I max out at 6" with worms. No flukes or Senkos over that size either. 

 

The hook world seem endless. I'm into sharp hooks and keeping them sharp. 

I'm using 5-6" senkos, 4-5" twin tails and single tails usually, 2/0 and 3/0?

[J Francho]

I use a 4/0 standard offset hook for 5-6" senko.  If you're using genuine GYCB plastics, the plastic is pretty soft, so you don't need a wide gap hook.  FOr the twin tail grubs, it would depend on how fat the grub body section was.  I generally use a twin tail as a jig trailer, but I Texas rig Rage Craws which are similar, and a 3/0 or 4/0 wide gap hooh works fine.  I like Owner's Wide Gap Plus or Rig'n Hook.

[RoLo]

39 minutes ago, Spankey said:

I seem to be able to rig anything that I'm fishing with Owner or Gammys. 

 

But I'm certainly not fishing huge plastics. I max out at 6" with worms. No flukes or Senkos over that size either. 

 

The hook world seem endless. I'm into sharp hooks and keeping them sharp. 

 

If you ever decide to lose the 'offset shank', you might want to look at a Mustad grip-pin rebarb hook.

On a Mustad 3/0 Flippin hook, the front-end of your fluke or senko will never slide backward,

but will stay put indefinitely!

 

Roger

[fissure_man]

11 hours ago, RoLo said:

The idea of an Extra-Wide Gap hook (EWG hook) is to accommodate the bait

and have enough leftover throat to hook the fish.
 

 

I think by “throat” you mean “gap,” which is the distance between the hook point and shank.  The “throat” of a hook is the distance between the point and bend.  Just to add more options to the pile, “deep throat” hooks are available in regular and EWG styles as well. 

I’ve always called the separation between the point and “line of pull” the “bite” of the hook, but I’m not sure if that’s technically correct.  With a straight shank, the line of pull is through the shank (especially with a snell knot), so the “bite” is maximized for a given hook gap.  With some EWG hooks, the point and “line of pull” are aligned, so there’s no “bite.”  Other styles of EWG and regular offset fall somewhere in between.  Notably, a lot of the Owner EWG styles have significantly more “bite” than the standard Gamakatsu EWGs.

As for difference in hookups depending on "bite," the concept makes sense to me.  Then again, I don’t remember actually having problems with EWG hookups until the internet told me I did   lol.  With thick baits, insufficient hook gap is going to cause more hookset issues than "line of pull" IMO, so I'd say use EWG as needed.  In heavy cover, I like the weedless-ness of the buried point on a straight shank or non-EWG offset hook, rather than a tex-posed/skin-hooked EWG.