CHOOSING the most appropriate fishing hook for any given fishing scenario might seem relatively straight forward however hook selection is often taken for granted. There are many features that anglers often take for granted in fishing hooks with variations in hook points, eyes, shapes and finishes catering for different fishing baits, lures and species. Understanding these variations allows you to tailor a specific hook for a specific fishing scenario which can dramatically improve hook-up and hook retention rates
ANATOMY OF A HOOK
There are many unique sections and features of a hook starting with the pointy end! The point is created by mechanically grinding then chemically or mechanically sharpening to achieve a fine and relatively sharp tip to penetrate the fish’s mouth. Just behind the tip is a small protrusion called the barb which allows the hook point to move in one direction but makes it difficult for the hook to come back out. The wire body of the hook then does a U-turn around the section called the bend of the hook. From the bend, the remaining straight section of the hook is called the shank. The end of the shank will usually be turned over on itself to create a loop in the hook wire called the eye with the eye being used to connect the hook to the fishing line.
The most common types are suicide (or octopus) and baitholder hooks which are used by the masses fishing for bread and butter species like bream, flathead and whiting.
POINT VARIATIONS
On the face of it, a sharp hook point looks pretty basic and standard however there are many different ways to grind and refine the pointy end of a hook. A needle point hook is evenly tapered with rounded sides like a needle making it useful for piercing penetration in soft mouthed fish. A rolled in or beak hook has the point of the hook curving back towards the shank slightly and in line with the eye resulting a more effective transfer of pressure and easier hook set. A knife edge is designed to cut into harder mouthed, larger fish and features two flat sides that are relatively easy to sharpen. Kirbed and reversed points feature a twist in the bend resulting in the hook point curving away from the shank. This misalignment of the point provides less obstruction by the shank and can improve hook-up rates. Barbless hooks are points that feature no barb so can easily slide in to fish and also slide out. Barbless hooks are ideally suited for catch and release fishing and also maximise angler safety as they’re easily removed if they get caught in your skin!
STYLE VARIATIONS
There many different style and types of hooks available making the processing of selecting the most appropriate hooks quite confusing at times.
The most common types are suicide (or octopus) and baitholder hooks which are used by the masses fishing for bread and butter species like bream, flathead and whiting. Suicide hooks generally feature a beak point and have a moderate gape with a short shank making them a great all-rounder. Baitholder hooks feature barbs on the shank of the hook with slightly longer shanks to better grip and retain slippery baits like worms. Circle hooks and wide gape shiner hooks are uniquely designed so that the hook point doesn’t easily catch onto the internals of a fish but slides back up when swallowed and locates in the mouth making them great hooks for anglers practicing catch and release. Worm hooks are primarily designed for fishing with soft plastic lures and are kinked directly below the eye of the hook to make them weedless. Treble hooks feature three hook points; they’re most commonly found on lures and give great hook coverage allowing for a greater hook-up on a fish attacking from any angle.
FINISH VARIATIONS
Hooks are generally made of carbon steel which is strong, thin and cost effective material but can be brittle and prone to corrosion. Carbon steel hooks are heat treated to improve their strength and make them less brittle whilst a protective coating is applied after the hook is formed to prevent corrosion. Bronze finish carbon steel hooks are the most basic cost effective finish whilst tin and nickel plating offer greater corrosion resistance and aesthetic appeal with black and red nickel the most common coating. Stainless steel is also used as a hook material and offers far superior corrosion resistance so can last a very long time and be repeatedly used and sharpened by salt water anglers. The main downside to salt water hooks is that they’re usually more expensive and if a fish breaks you off they won’t easily corrode and fall out so are not as fish friendly.
HOOK SIZING
Hook sizes can be someone confusing for the uninitiated but the sizing convention is actually quite simple. Hooks sizes followed by a zero increase in size as the number gets larger so a 4/0, pronounced “four oh” is bigger than a 2/0 hook. Hook sizes that don’t have a zero after them decrease in size as the number gets larger so a size 16 hook is smaller than a size 10 hook and so on. Whilst the naming convention is universal, hook sizing isn’t standardised so a 2/0 hook from one manufacturer may not be the same size as a 2/0 hook from a different manufacturer!
