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Choosing
a hook :
The average mouth size of the species you are targeting gives
you the upper hook size
limit. Then balance that with the size of your bait. The hook type depends on the bait you are using as does the hook gap and the hook point
and hook barb relate
to the setting of the hook on capture. There are then other
properties available to consider which provide increased
hook performance:
| HOOK
TYPES
can be divided into three main categories : fresh
bait hooks, artificial bait hooks and
manufacturers hooks The
first two are fairly straight forward so it
depends on what bait you are using as to which
one of these you would select. The last category
are those which are used by manufacturers when
assembling artificial flies, lures and rigs
before they are then sold to the public ready
for use. It is possible to buy these hooks if
you wish to make your own artificial lures.
The
fresh bait hook category can be broken down
further into three main styles :
- O'Shaughnessy and Straight shank hooks
for cut bait (o'shaughnessy also tend to be
seen as stronger hooks for stronger species)
- Aberdeen style hooks for worms
- Circle and wide gape hooks for bulky baits
such as crab
Fresh
bait hooks sometimes have barbs on the shank
(called baitholder hooks) so as to help keep
the bait from falling off especially whilst
casting.
The
artificial bait category of hooks are used for
plastic worms and other soft plastic baits.
Some of these hooks also have shank barbs for
keeping the plastic bait from slipping off. |
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| HOOK
POINT
The next thing to consider when selecting a hook
is the point. The sharper the better not only
for ensuring good penetration to catch the fish
securely but also in minimising the damage caused
to the fish as it is hooked. Chemically
sharpened points are the sharpest hooks on the
market. However, this means that they are usually
the most expensive and once blunted it is very
difficult to sharpen them again to the same
standard. To achieve the same performance once
this has happened often requires discarding
them and buying new hooks. The alternative is
mechanically sharpened hooks with either spear
points or tapered points. They are usually cheaper
than the chemically sharpened hooks but have
a longer life as they can normally be re-sharpened
back to their original state using a fisherman's
sharpening stone. Your choice of hook therefore
depends on the money you are prepared to spend
in achieving your perfect point. |
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HOOK GAP Then
there is the hook gap which is the distance between
the point of the hook and the shank.
Wide
gape hooks have been designed for rigging bulky
baits such as crab baits. |
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HOOK
BARB Your
choice of barbed or barbless hooks depends on
your fishing policy. If you are operating a catch
and release system then barbless would be best
as it inflicts the least damage on removal.
Using
a barbless hook does not necessarily mean that
the fish will keep throwing the hook as they
still set well in the mouth and whilst the fish
is constantly opposing the capture (as they
tend to do!) they are keeping it in place rather
than shaking it free. |
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| HOOK
SIZE
Selecting the correct hook size is vital to you
catching your intended target. If the hook is
too big for their mouths they won't and can't
take it and if it is too small the fish may either
miss it and therefore get away with your bait
or actually swallow the hook whole thus causing
a lot of damage internally, important when you
are operating a catch and release system.
Hooks are numbered from 32 up to 1. I say up
to 1 as 32 is the smallest size and 1 is the
largest. Should you then wish to use a hook
which is bigger than size 1 (usually the case
for sea fishing), you need to look for hooks
numbered from 1/O, 2/O, 3/O and so on upwards
where 1/O is the smallest of this range. The
O stands for Ocean. |
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| HOOK
PROPERTIES
Finally, as hooks are constantly being developed
and improved by the manufacturers there are now
quite a few additional hook properties available
for your consideration for either increased performance
and strength or just for personal preference.
For strength - choose the bronzed and
forged varieties or those manufactured from
high carbon steel which are all designed for
greater strength when hunting really big fish.
For corrosion & saltwater resistance
- choose nickel plated, duratin coated or good
quality stainless steel hooks
For better penetration - teflon coating
gives a very smooth, fine surface so as to reduce
resistance for excellent penetration when setting
the hook
For reduced light reflection - a black
finish stops light reflecting off the surface
of the hook and therefore aids in hiding the
hook from wary fish |
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Boat
