Big hooks Vs small hooks

[pablo7uk]

Hello

Recently watched one of the lord's YouTube videos on the Ronnie rig and the guy was using a size 4 hook with this rig (granted he was chasing monsters) but I felt very convinced by using a larger hook than I do currently. At the moment I've never gone larger than a size 8 and tend to use 15mm boilies/popups or smallish chunk of pepperami. 

What's everyone's thoughts on this argument?

[salokcinnodrog]

Bigger hooks give better hookholds, but I would not be using massive hooks for fish to only just going double figures.

I tend to use size 4's myself, but, most of the fish I catch on my big fish waters are 20lb+.

For fish only just maybe making 15-20lb tops I would be happy to use 8's or even 10's.

 

My baits are also relevant:

Double 20mm boilie on a size 4, an 18mm pop-up or a snowman of the two.

 

The bigger hook also sits better on the Ronnie rig with a very buoyant pop-up.

[smufter]

I use 4's for the vast majority of my fishing, Only time I will go down to a 6 is if fishing pop ups. Biggest hook bait I'll use is 16mm but it's normally 14's.

But some size 4's are massive compared to others.

Bank Tackle size 4's are perfect (for me).

Edited September 6, 2019 by smufter

[pablo7uk]

Sorry it should of said Kordas youtube videos haha predictive text!!

Most waters I fish are doubles waters and not full of huge carp. He was using a Korda Krank hook with this rig. 

One of the main reasons I'd thought of going bigger is because I fish margins a lot and feel like I see lots of fish activity and fish bolting off but without a run so wondered if the small hook I was using just wasn't catching hold

[elmoputney]

5 hours ago, smufter said:

I use 4's for the vast majority of my fishing, Only time I will go down to a 6 is if fishing pop ups. Biggest hook bait I'll use is 16mm but it's normally 14's.

But some size 4's are massive compared to others.

Bank Tackle size 4's are perfect (for me).

Which bank tackle hooks are you using smufter ? 

I've recently grown quite fond of the long shanks, although I do like the continentals and wide gapes too 

I also mainly use a size 4 

Edited September 6, 2019 by elmoputney

[greekskii]

Big hooks all the way. I use a minimum size 6 with 4s being my fave. I drop to 8s in winter normally if I switch to a more commercial water. For me I would rather potentially hook less fish but know when I do hook a fish the hook can cope with whatever may happen during the figh (snags, weed, etc)

Reasons being:

1 - the larger gape between shank and point means more flesh is gripped so much less chance of losing fish

2 - easier to balance pop ups using less putty or shot so neater rigs

3 - stronger hooks as wire is always thicker than smaller sizes

I will also disagree with the whole small fish dont pick up big hooks. I have personally caught 2lb bream & tench on size 4s popped up 2 inches off the deck. 

 

[yonny]

Big for me. 2s and 4s. I use 6s for zigs.

[ouchthathurt]

I tend to stick to size fours all year round for my fishing, unless using maggots, then I use a magaligned 6 widegape. For ronnies, I use a size 4 curve, same hook for blowback rigs on braided or coated braided rigs with long hairs. Flurocarbon bottom bait rigs and hinged stiff rigs I use fox stiff rigger hooks also size 4. I get good firm hookholds with size 4s although with bottom baits, prefer a decent separation between hook and bait to allow the hook to drop/turn and do it's job. (I use soft braided hairs on bottom bait flurocarbon rigs for this reason.)

[elmoputney]

Having looked at your responses to this question the contrarian in me is thinking smaller hooks may be more effective because they are different 😁

[pablo7uk]

Sounds very much like larger hooks is the way to go, it's not really something I've ever had the confidence to try as I've come from a coarse fishing background and now wanting to target bigger carp. 

[crusian]

2 hours ago, elmoputney said:

Having looked at your responses to this question the contrarian in me is thinking smaller hooks may be more effective because they are different 😁

You Contrary Mary , Elmo ! .

😁

[ouchthathurt]

That's not to say small hooks won't work, I think any hook with enough separation between hook and bait will do the job, some anglers believe smaller hooks bury deeper. It's confidence in what you're doing with decent tackle and effective rigs that may be the key. I use what works for me. 

[crusian]

1 hour ago, pablo7uk said:

Sounds very much like larger hooks is the way to go, it's not really something I've ever had the confidence to try as I've come from a coarse fishing background and now wanting to target bigger carp. 

Hello Pablo , I started out float fishing lunchonmeat  with a sz. 10 and 8lb line , but slowly I have graduated to a sz. 6 and 15lb line .

Like Nick mentioned , the Carp I am likely to come into contact with aren't huge , therefore I'm not ready to go up to  18lb and a sz. 4 .

I think you'll get used to scaling up if you do it in stages .

😃

 

[dayvid]

4s for me maybe 6s on occasion. 

[elmoputney]

30 minutes ago, crusian said:

You Contrary Mary , Elmo ! .

😁

I just think Its important to be different

size 4 has cropped up an awful lot though 

 

[muftyboy]

7 hours ago, yonny said:

Big for me. 2s and 4s. I use 6s for zigs.

I agree about the 1st bit but doesn't a zig on a 6 stand out like a sore thumb?

[finchey]

I use size 6 for most of my fishing going up to a 4 if using a snowman rig.👍

[ouchthathurt]

Is it just me? Or does anyone else feel that these things like hook sizes is driven by an element of fashion? It seems that 10-12yrs ago, size six was a big hook and a size four was for the continent! Or is it just me? 

I use 4s now for 90%+ of my fishing and have done for several seasons, yet I forget why I changed... 

[muftyboy]

4 minutes ago, ouchthathurt said:

Is it just me? Or does anyone else feel that these things like hook sizes is driven by an element of fashion? It seems that 10-12yrs ago, size six was a big hook and a size four was for the continent! Or is it just me? 

I use 4s now for 90%+ of my fishing and have done for several seasons, yet I forget why I changed... 

I used to use smaller hooks and lose quite a few fish.

I was fishing with a mate and he just said to me that even a small carp has a big mouth and to up the size.

Started landing a lot more fish and never looked back.

[salokcinnodrog]

3 hours ago, muftyboy said:

I used to use smaller hooks and lose quite a few fish.

I was fishing with a mate and he just said to me that even a small carp has a big mouth and to up the size.

Started landing a lot more fish and never looked back.

I used to lose a number of fish on size 8's with hookpulls being a fairly common occurence at any point during the fight. At Ardleigh when you lost a fish it was not amusing, especially when you had had it on for a while and never saw it, after landing a 24 the same night that did not fight nearly as hard or as deep as whatever I lost.

Quite literally from that point on I went up in hook size to a size 6 minimum.

13 hours ago, greekskii said:

hooks. I have personally caught 2lb bream & tench on size 4s popped up 2 inches off the deck. 

 

I regularly use size 4 and 2's for chub fishing. A large slug or half a slice of bread easily fits on that big a hook, and even that size hook gets lost in a chubs mouth.

 

The Rod Hutchinson joke about tying the tin of luncheon meat to the hook through the key is about right. I have used a quarter of a tin piece of meat on a size 2, and couldn't get through past 3lb chub, even though I could see bigger in the swim.

•  

[smufter]

19 hours ago, elmoputney said:

Which bank tackle hooks are you using smufter ? 

I've recently grown quite fond of the long shanks, although I do like the continentals and wide gapes too 

I also mainly use a size 4 

I used their Continentals mate. Nice hooks.

👍

[pablo7uk]

Well I think this thread alone has given me some confidence to try a 6 or 4 hook. So many people regularly using those sizes. Plus I agree it's true that even small single figure carp certainly have a mouth plenty big enough for those hook sizes

[yonny]

15 hours ago, muftyboy said:

doesn't a zig on a 6 stand out like a sore thumb?

Not according to the fish I've caught on it buddy.

Carp dont know what a hook is imo.

[dayvid]

22 hours ago, Dannygooner said:

Do hook sizes even mean anything anymore. In that each companies sizes are completely different. The rule book ( and measuring tools) have been thrown out the window it seems

Tend to agree with that, I use size 16 and 18 Guru hooks whilst match fishing and the are the equivalent to a 14 and 16 original hook sizes

[snowmanstevo]

When I first stepped up from pleasure angling to carp angling I thought a 10 was massive and an 8 just plain stupid 🙄

normally 6 sometimes 4 for me nowadays. I do go for 10,s on my zigs but in saying that I don’t catch big kippers like Yonny does so 10,s suit me fine. 😬