As anglers, we spend an exceptional amount of time discussing gear but rarely take a deep dive into fishing hooks. These are the basis for every bait and lure we fish, and also for every fish hooked and landed. Choose the wrong hook and it can break or fail to set and land your target species.
While the fishing hook is a simple concept, the styles and designs are a nuisance, with models made to fish everything from tiny flies to offshore bait rigs. Regulations also dictate hook styles, as many fisheries require barbless fishing hooks or specific hook designs to increase survival rates in released fish.
As these are such a key component of your angling journey, we’ll break down everything you need to know. From the different types to the different parts and all the other ins and outs, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in!
The Importance of Fishing Hooks
The primary functions of a fishing hook are simple. The hook should penetrate the fish’s mouth and hold the fish tight without bending or flexing. Although simple on the surface, things become more complex as you narrow down the species and styles of fishing. It’s not just a case of “any old hook will do,” as you’ll always have specific needs.
Think about a Crappie with a small mouth versus a Pike with a large, toothy mouth. Both call for different hook sizes, gauges, and styles. Crappies need a small, very sharp hook that can penetrate with very little pressure. Pike require a stiffer, heavy gauge hook that penetrates with more force and holds tight against heavy fighting and thrashing.
Types of Fishing Hooks
There are many types of fishing hooks available for anglers. Take one look at the hook aisle in a major tackle store and it quickly becomes overwhelming! The range of types and sizes is immense but you can quickly narrow it down to a handful of primary categories. The following hook types constitute a large majority of the common styles available…
Bait Hooks
The standard bait hook has a straight shank that offers barbs on the shank and within the hook bend. Additional barbs offer more tack points to hold bait firmly on the hook. Bait hooks come in wide-gap, narrow-gap, and other different sizes. Barbed shanks are great but smooth shank options are also available.
Worm Hooks
Technically, worms are bait, but the hooks used for them are very unique. They tend to have a wide gap with a double 90-degree bend before the eye. This hook style is excellent for live worms but it also shines with soft plastic baits. The wider gap leaves plenty of room to thread the bait and the bend near the eye helps to hold everything in place.
Circle Hooks
Made with a near circle for the bend and an exceptionally sharp point, this is a unique hook style. Anglers love circle hooks when strikes are subtle and fish are difficult to hook. The hook penetrates easily and tends to hold really well. They’re especially great for using live or dead bait against Crappie and Perch.
Jig Hooks
You’ll find many styles of jig hooks but the general concept offers a molded weight above the hook eye. The weight shape and eye position vary but the hook itself is weighted. This creates an integrated design that doesn’t require special rigging or additional weight to fish. It’s also extremely versatile and anglers can use fur, feathers, bait, or soft plastics on the hook.
Octopus Hooks
These are very common and effective hooks for a large swath of species in freshwater and saltwater. Octopus hooks have a curved shank with a hook eye that bends slightly upward. The upward eye design is excellent for snell knots as they sit snugly against the curve. I also tie directly to the hook eye without a snell and have excellent hookup rates on this hook style. When not using octopus hooks for baits, I actually tie a few fly patterns on them and they work great.
Siwash Style
Made to work with the rings on lures, Siwash hooks have an open eye. Rather than forming a secure circle, the hook has a gap where you can insert a ring. After rigging the hook on your lure, use pliers to pinch the ring and secure the hook in place. I like using the Siwash hooks on lures when I want a single hook rather than a treble.
Double and Treble Hooks
While a single hook works well, double and treble-style hooks have more staying power. When you want a hook that holds bait and offers little chance of losing a fish, a multi-pronged approach is highly effective. Barbs are common and the hooks are used with lures as well as baited rigs. These styles do more damage, making it difficult to release fish so only go down this route when you’re catching and keeping fish.
Fly Fishing Hooks
This seemingly endless category of hooks could fill an entire catalog with ease. Fly hooks come in jig styles, long shanks, short shanks, heavy wire, thin wire, scud hooks, down eye, straight eye, and more. There are specific categories for dry flies, nymphs, and streamers, too. Meanwhile, Steelhead and Salmon hooks have their own class of designs. Saltwater fly fishing hooks do as well, and they’re made with anti-corrosive properties for a longer life.
Barbed vs Barbless Fishing Hooks
Barbs offer an advantage for holding bait and keeping fish hooked. The barb prevents the hook from backing out when pressure is lost on a fish, making it very useful. That said, barbs also cause more damage while removing the hook. This becomes important when catch and release is common.
Preventing damage in catch-and-release zones is accomplished by using barbless hooks. In many areas, it’s a requirement by law to protect the fishery. Even when you plan on keeping the fish, consider using a barbless hook.
Some barbless fishing hooks are sold with a completely smooth shank and bend. You can also use pliers or forceps to pinch the barb, creating a barbless hook. The test for pinched barbs is the ability to pierce a piece of fabric followed by hook removal without snagging on fabric. Game Wardens will use this test method in places where barbless rules are strictly enforced.
Fishing Hook Sizes Explained
Hook sizes are notated using two different styles of measurement. For most hooks, size is a simple number ranging from 1–30, with the lower numbers indicating larger sizes. The hooks are progressively smaller with each higher number. For example, a size 4 hook is fairly large while a size 24 hook is very small using this method of measurement.
The second method of notating hook sizes uses the Aught system. This applies to larger hook sizes with measurements ranging from 1/0 to 27/0. The size is progressively larger as you climb this scale. A 1/0 hook is larger than a size 1 on the previous scale. A 24/0 hook is larger than a 1/0 hook on this scale.
It’s very common to see hooks in the 1/0–6/0 range for stout purposes. Pike and many saltwater fish are caught on these hooks. As you begin chasing Marlin, Tuna, and other very large species, it’s time to increase your hook size on this scale.
While these are the primary methods of determining hook sizes, the hook gap (or “gape”) also factors into the equation. Some hooks have a standard gap but special designs will indicate a narrow or wide gap. If you require a specialized gap, pay attention to the labels. Otherwise, aim for a standard gap option.
Fishing Hook Parts
The elements of a fishing hook fall into a few different parts. It’s important to understand these so you can determine the correct form and function for your specific fishing needs. Some baits call for longer shanks, while others are best on a shorter shank or octopus-style hook. It’s all about knowing which hooks are best for your intended use and the fishing hook parts factor into that equation.
- Eye. The round eye is used as a place to tie your line. A variety of different eye styles exist but they ultimately serve as the butt of the hook where you create a firm connection to the line with a knot or clip.
- Shank. The section between the eye and the bend is known as the shank.
- Bend. The shank ends where the bend begins. The bend continues to the hook point.
- Point. Hook points come in different styles with the most important consideration being sharpness. Every hook point should be razor-sharp.
- Barb. Located on the hook bend, a barb is a sharp prong facing the opposite direction of your hook point. It helps hold the hook after setting on a fish. It also helps to hold bait, while some hooks use barbs on the shank for extra traction.
- Gap. Also called a “gape,” this refers to the width between the shank and bend.
Fishing Hooks FAQs
Choose Your Fishing Hooks Wisely and Get Out There!
While the fishing hook options seem overwhelming at first, it won’t take long to find your favorites for specific species and baits. It never hurts to carry a few different hook types so you can experiment and have different options at hand. A few bait hooks, circle hooks for finesse fishing, and octopus hooks in small, medium, and large will cover you for a swath of available species in any region. Get out there and experiment!
How do you choose a fishing hook? We’d love to hear about your favorite brands, styles, and sizes for different techniques and species. Reach out in the comments below!
