Hook size selection

[davehazell]

This may sound obvious to the experts here however, the one thing I find confusing is deciding on hook size per made up rig. Clearly, fish type, size of mouth, feeding methods, specimen size etc have a big impact however, lets say I head for a couple of days in search of that elusive big carp. Do I go for a size 4 hook on 20lb line or would it be equally OK to use a smaller size 10. Clearly I don't want to miss the 10 pounders and dearly want to hook the 25 pounder but does the hook size make a difference here or at the end of the day, is it more about presentation of the hook than size? Generally and by rule of thumb, I increase hook size with the breaking strain of the tippet which hasn't really let me down however, I am curious as to how others make the choice as there doesn't seem to be a logical science other than fish size to hook size. I.E. The bigger the target fish, the bigger the bigger the hook, the bigger the breaking strain. I am catching the carp so probably have it close to being correct but what is the rule of thumb for the experts here?

[hnv]

I use hooks ranging from size 10 to size 2.

 

It all depends on the situation that you are facing in terms of snags or weed present, whether you are fishing on the top or on the bottom, the size of your quarry and your bait size.

 

Generally speaking I find it best to match your hook size to the size of bait that you are using rather than the size of the fish.

 

For example a size 10 for small baits like single maize or a small tiger nut, size 8 for larger baits such as 14mm boilies and perhaps a size 6 or 4 for larger still baits such as 20mm boilies or a brazil nut.

 

When floater fishing you may require a lighter hook in a smaller size such as size 10.

 

I hope this helps a little...

[marty_h]

I tend to hover around a size 8 or 6. Thing is you can tie all your rigs at home and you get to lake and presented with a scenario where you need something different depending on what swim you get and what you fishing over and where the fish are. I have had carp into late 20's on a size 10 so big hook big fish is not correct in my opinion.

 

I tend to have a small selection of rigs im confident with tied up. I use shrink tube on my hook to hold hair up shank this helps with the blow back effect of self hooking and is also a good indication if you have been done or not. If for any reason the rigs I have are not doing the job ill simply tie some rigs on the bank

 

With rigs keep it simple dont complicate it for yourself. You can have the so called best rig and bait in the world but if you not on fish you wont catch them. I tend to spend a lot of time at my waters wondering around and watching the fish and try and learn some of there movement patterns. If you fish 3 rods try only fishing 2 that may sound stupid but better having 2 well presented rods on spots then 3 rods not in the right place.

[davehazell]

Thank for the responses......I understand the bait size argument which is a good one but maybe a big bait with a small hook is less obvious to the carp. So if you have a 20mm boillie with a size 10 hook it's more likely to go undetected. The question then is, if its a 20+ pounder, could you miss the catch because the hook is too small to make contact with the big mouth. certainly holds up the opinion that that large hook maybe doesn't equal large carp but equally the opposite too. The idea of tying the hooks on the bank is another answer if the one your using doesn't seem to be working. It almost leads me to the view that hook size is only 10% of the deal and its more about presentation. You could almost do everything and be quite successful if you only ever used a size 8 on a 20lb hook length and 30lb braid main line. I'm sure I am not the only one who has questioned what hook size to use and what match to the hook length breaking strain. I am guessing that a lot of people have boatloads of rigs and are not really sure which to use and in what situation. In fact, any or all them might be just fine.....it's definitely an interesting topic and I'm still not convinced which way I should go.

[marty_h]

I would not feel comfortable using a size 10 hook with a 20mm bait a 6 I would.

 

My setup is 20lb Xline mainline. Rig. combi rig 20lb stiff link 15lb braid on end. Or a basic rig that consists of 15lb braid.

 

Everyone does things differently I always do things my way that I have confidence in.

 

 

Typical example was a water I fished recently everyone else says only put out 3 or 4 freebies with a hook bait they pick the odd fish of I done it my way and had 6 out to 27lb im that session.

 

The best advice I can give you is dont be a sheep and follow everyone else it takes the fun out of angling then keep trying things till you find something YOU are happy with with

[Phil]

It doesn't help that hook sizes vary so much. I've tended to fish on the lighter side with smaller hooks quite often, but the whole setup needs to balance this.