2/0 wide gap

[OkobojiEagle]

I spent some time in my garage last night looking through my tackle bag... taking stock of my stock, so to speak.  I found I didn't use 2/0 (or smaller) wide gap hooks or jig heads with 2/0 wide gap hooks at all.  3/0, 4/0 & 5/0 had a purpose, but not 2/0 or smaller.  What have you found 2/0 or smaller wide gap hooks needed for that 3/0 or larger won't cover?

 

oe

[Tennessee Boy]

I don't use 2/0 hooks very much but I keep them in the boat and on rare occasions I will use them to fish a weightless finesse worm like a Slider.  I think the action with the 2/0 a little better than a 3/0.  

[Fishes in trees]

I believe the original Eakins jigs had a 2/0 hook.  That's all I got.   Question, - "Do you remember what you bought them for?"    I asked myself that question, because I got some 2/0 regular & wide gap hooks, in the boat, in the back up bin and right now I can't remember what possessed me to buy them.   I think it maybe was that I just had to have some of every size.   I used to use 3/0, 4/0 and 5/0 Gammy wicked wacky weedless hooks on my bubba drop shot rig, but currently I use 1/0 because I like the lower profile I get with the soft plastics that I nose hook.  I suppose if I went to some slightly thicker plastics I might go to the 2/0.  I got more bites when I dropped down to the 1/0 hook size, but mostly I think that is because I got smarter when & where I deployed that particular rig, and not necessarily the smaller hook size.

 

Maybe tx rigging small worms, like Brewer Slider worms in a creek or something, 2/0 hooks might be more appropriate, just because more often than not you're fishing for smaller fish.

 

I wouldn't throw them away though, because sooner or later some outdoor writer with a deadline will write a story about how 1/0 & 2/0 hooks "fit in the fishes mouth better" and then there will be a trend toward using smaller hooks, but you've already got yours.  Same for me, I think that a half dozen packs of the 1/0 & 2/0 worm hooks are a lifetime supply.

 

. . . ..Just remembered what I bought the 2/0 wide gap hooks for.   Back when I was into pitching tubes ( which I don't do that much of anymore) sometimes a 3/0 hook was too big, IMO and the 2/0 wide gap hook with the 3/16 internal weight gave me the drop that I wanted plus there was a little more plastic to skin hook the point.

[HKBasser]

I've used hooks down to size 4 for bass, weedless dropshots need lightwire widegaps.  2/0 widegaps I use on smaller baits that are around 4 inches.  I use it for 3 inch craws too.  For 3 inch senkos I use size 1.

[jbsoonerfan]

Zoom tiny brush hogs, 3" senkos, Chigger craws

[Deleted account]

45 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Zoom tiny brush hogs, 3" senkos, Chigger craws

UV speed craws.... Lots of other smaller baits. 

[Mobasser]

I have pretty good luck with curly tail grubs. A 2/ 0 hook works well for some of these

[scaleface]

I use 2/0 hooks a lot with a six inch Jelly Worm  out on the points .  They just  work for me and I land a high percentage of fish even if I dont get a good hook set .

[waymont]

French Fry worms - 4", T-Rigging Yum Warning Shot or Kill Shot with a light bullet weight, 3" twister Tail grub......What ever else will fit well.

If you fish for SMB or LMB for that matter, these are all great baits that will work great with 2/0 EWG hook.

I catch lots of fish using 2/0 hooks and small baits.

You can also drop shot any bait that will fit on a 2/0 weedless style with great success.

[Darren.]

I've used 1-2/0 on mojo rigging with tiny flukes, etc.

[Bankbeater]

4 and 6 inch finesse worms, small craws, and 3 inch stik-o baits. 

[DSTN]

I use them fairly often for UV Speed Craws and 4" Dingers.  Sometimes 3/0 is just a little too much.

[Bluebasser86]

T-rigging finesse worms, trick worms, smaller creature baits (smallie beavers and the like), small craw baits. I use a 2/0 fairly often.

[WRB]

Not sure but I recall Glenn referencing 2/0 wide gap worm hook in his latest Fall Worm video. With a brand name or hook style wide gap isn't definitive enough to know what hook is being discussed. Off set? 

Tom

[smalljaw67]

Super Fluke Jr. is the main thing I use with a 2/0 hook. I also use that size for T-rigging thin finesse style worms, most anglers will drop shot a 4.5" straight tail finesse worm and it does work well. However I will sometimes T-rig one with a 1/16oz worm weight when it gets tough, it really works great in clear water. 

[JustJames]

This ^^^ Super Fluke Jr and swimming Fluke. 

[roadwarrior]

Baby Rage Tail Craw

 

[Mobasser]

14 hours ago, scaleface said:

I use 2/0 hooks a lot with a six inch Jelly Worm  out on the points .  They just  work for me and I land a high percentage of fish even if I dont get a good hook set .

I've used them for 4" and 6" worms as well as grubs also.I sometimes have thought that some guys use too big of a hook for the bait size? Smaller hooks like 2/0 match up better, and I think they're easier to set the hook with too.

[OkobojiEagle]

Not that a 2/0 wide gap hook doesn't work in the examples given above, but I use a regular gap hook that is slightly longer on thin "finesse" baits.  I think what I bought that size for was an attempt to find a hook to work with 4" grubs and 3" & 4" tubes.  The shorter length of the 2/0 fits the length of those baits better than the 3/0 I use, but the thickness of those baits pretty much fills the 2/0 gap.  I appreciate the responses and think they'll be of interest to many anglers.

 

oe

[jbsoonerfan]

9 hours ago, WRB said:

Not sure but I recall Glenn referencing 2/0 wide gap worm hook in his latest Fall Worm video. With a brand name or hook style wide gap isn't definitive enough to know what hook is being discussed. Off set? 

Tom

It was a simple enough question. No need to try to get all technical on this one.

[OkobojiEagle]

2 hours ago, Mobasser said:

I've used them for 4" and 6" worms as well as grubs also.I sometimes have thought that some guys use too big of a hook for the bait size? Smaller hooks like 2/0 match up better, and I think they're easier to set the hook with too.

I find myself on the other side of this argument.  Having a greater distance between the hook offset bend and the point gives more distance for plastic compression exposing the point.  I think using light gauge hooks makes it easier to set the hook but obviously needs to be retrieved more "delicately".

 

oe

[smalljaw67]

2 hours ago, OkobojiEagle said:

Not that a 2/0 wide gap hook doesn't work in the examples given above, but I use a regular gap hook that is slightly longer on thin "finesse" baits.  I think what I bought that size for was an attempt to find a hook to work with 4" grubs and 3" & 4" tubes.  The shorter length of the 2/0 fits the length of those baits better than the 3/0 I use, but the thickness of those baits pretty much fills the 2/0 gap.  I appreciate the responses and think they'll be of interest to many anglers.

 

oe

I think there is a terminology issue here. When you say wide gap do you mean EWG? I ask because most, if not all of my round bend hooks are wide gap. For me I use the bend to identify the hook, it is either round bend, sproat, or EWG, because wide gap could be either an EWG or a round bend hook. I use a 2/0 EWG for the super fluke Jr. and a 2/0 round bend for the finesse worm.

[OkobojiEagle]

4 minutes ago, smalljaw67 said:

I think there is a terminology issue here. When you say wide gap do you mean EWG? I ask because most, if not all of my round bend hooks are wide gap. For me I use the bend to identify the hook, it is either round bend, sproat, or EWG, because wide gap could be either an EWG or a round bend hook. I use a 2/0 EWG for the super fluke Jr. and a 2/0 round bend for the finesse worm.

my original question's reference was Owner's All Purpose Soft Bait 2/0 EWG hook... your point is taken.

 

oe

[Catt]

I don't use 2/0 EWG hooks because I prefer straight shank hooks!

[WRB]

Details matter; Owner #5108 All purpose soft bait hook. This short shank wide gap 2/0 size hook is popular for weedless rigged drop shot rigged smaller size creatures and worms.

I prefer Owner's #5133 Down shot hook sizes 1/0 & 2/0 for this presentation because of the light line used.

Tom