Introduction
At the end of each season, I put my gear away for the long winter, only to go back one sleepy 'pre-spring' morning and start poking around to get familiar again with where everything is located. It's still too early to seemingly do anything now. 'There's time,' I tell myself. I also tell myself, there may only be four or five weeks till 'Tog season.
This is the dilemma anglers in New England find themselves.
At the close of each season, I try to take old split rings and hooks off of plugs and jigs. If they are worn from battles with toothy fish, I'll discard knowing that I'll spend a few hours putting new hardware on. At this point, it's tradition. I'll have my coffee, my tackle tray of hooks and split rings and I'll go through the process of getting each plug ready for another season.
Having just attended the RISAA show this past weekend, I spent quite a bit of time reviewing hooks and presentations. Clearly, anglers are paying attention to hooks and hardware. A segment of that group is also paying attention to the types of hooks being used. I was particularly happy to see quite a few anglers younger than me asking about Inline hooks.
Below is a summary of the hooks I use and some of the hook rigging methods I use on some popular plugs. Hopefully you'll find it informative.
HOOK BRANDS
I don't play a lot of golf, but there was a time where I played a bit and I always found it interesting to see the different manufacturers people favored in their bag. The clubs, woods, and metals all looked similar but everyone had their preference. I find it similar with hooks. You could search online forums and take a poll amongst anglers at your local shop and get a lot of answers. Along with the various brands is also a huge range in cost.
Depending on the application, I have my own hook preferences too. Over the years, I have gravitated towards Mustad and VMC for the majority of my applications. Before getting into this, I want to note, I'm not sponsored by any brand. These folks don't even know I exist in the grand scheme of their business.
Over the last three years, it's difficult not to notice the work that is being done by BKK in the world of hooks. The workmanship of what they are doing is really pushing the envelope. I am slowly using BKK hooks for certain specific applications, but the bulk of my hooks are either Mustad or VMC. They are fairly readily available and usually at a price point that isn't breaking my budget.
HOOK TERMINOLOGY
All hooks are not created equal. In fact, there is a science and system of measurements down to the microns. Most major manufacturers provide hook dimensions for most of their hooks and the charts and tables contain a multitude of measurements shown in the diagram above in red.
When selecting hooks and sizes, it's important to consider the terms shown above in blue. The Shank and the bend in a hook go a long way in determining the final dimension of the GAP 'A'. When looking at hooks, specifically inline hooks, I am very interested in that GAP created by the bend that is the dimension between the point of the hook and the shank.
When looking at all this, what goes into selecting a hook? The right hook for the right application is critical. If your hook is too big, the hook itself can interfered with the action of your bait or lure. If the hook is too small, it can be engulfed deep in the fish and be difficult to dislodge and damage any fish intended to be released.
Hook sizing has a numbering system that uses a system of single digits descending where hooks sizes get smaller as the numbers get bigger. The same system of numbering then uses numbers with a /0 (ought) behind it in an ascending fashion for larger hooks.
Very critical to remember that a Size 6 hook is MUCH SMALLER than a size 6/0 hook of the same kind.
To further some of the possible confusion, hook manufacturers don't all follow the exact same sizing. For example a 3/0 Mustad Kaiju Inline is not the same size as a VMC 7266 in Size 3/0. One would be surprised to see the difference between the two hooks. The Mustad Kaiju is approximately one full hook size larger than the VMC. Like some shirts at the store, 'they run big.' It's best to do your research and to even bring your plug or lure with you to the store and ask the staff to help you mock up what you are doing.
HOOK TYPES
INLINE HOOKS
Inline Hooks have gained popularity over the years and the name 'Inline' is derived from the detail that the hook eye is 'In Line' with the hook shank and hook point. When connecting to your plug or jig, a single split ring will set the hook shank and point in the same axis as your plug or jig. This helps your plug or jig run 'true'.
Inline Hooks have been popular replacements for treble hooks on casting jigs and the tail hooks of many plugs.
For casting jigs, the inline hooks are great for all shallow water presentations and situations where the jig is being kept in the upper third of the water column.
CIRCLE HOOKS
Used in our waters for fishing live and cut bait and other bottom fishing applications. In the Northeast, the use of Circle Hooks have become mandatory when targeting Striped Bass with Live Bait.
The primary identifying characteristic of a circle hook is that the hook point is pointed directly towards the shank.
As it pertains to the regulations, it is important that anglers use 'non-offset' circle hooks. Offset Circle Hooks exist and are available in stores, but in order to comply with the regulations, they need to be avoided.
J-HOOK
J-Hooks are named and defined by the hook bend in the shape of a 'J'. These types of hooks are a traditional hook used in many fishing applications.
The 'eyes' on J-Hooks can be straight and in line with the shank or they can be turned down to facilitate certain snelled or rigging applications.
The hook point on J-Hooks can also be varied. Most J-Hooks are 'off-set' meaning that the hook point is not in line with the shank. It is tilted out from the axis of the shank.
One of the common uses of J-Hooks is for bottom fishing with cut bait or artificial scented baits. These J-Hooks have barbs or 'slices' on the shank to help hold the bait in place.
TREBLE HOOKS
Treble Hooks are popular for casting lure applications. Trebles are also popular on Jigs and as trailers on dead baits. Treble hooks are named for the number of hook points and barbs. People may slowly be converting to single in line hooks, but treble hooks are still very popular. Some of the world's most popular lures still come pre-rigged with two treble hooks. We can discuss the pros and cons of this as it relates to the fishery, but right now, it's still probably the most common rigging of a swimming plug.
Treble hooks have their place. It's difficult to argue with the math that three hook points are better than one. Further down in the blog, I'll discuss that I actually prefer my topwater plugs to include a treble hook.
KAHLE HOOK
A Kahle Hook has a unique style and shape. It seems to be a cross between a J-Hook and a Circle Hook. The hook point is turned back towards the hook shank. This style of hook is popular with bait fishing. In Saltwater fishing, I use these hooks for fluke fishing.
OCTOPUS HOOK
Octopus Hooks are noted to have shorter shanks than traditional J-Hooks. The Bend on the hook is also rounder than a traditional J-Hook, but the Bend is not quite as pronounced as that of a full Circle Hook.
I prefer Octopus Hooks with down turned eyes in order to be able to rig them on dropper loops for bottom rigs to fish dead bait.
The hook point on an Octopus Hook is turned back towards the hook shank giving a bit more staying power
BUCKTAILS AND FLAGS
Dressed Hooks offer an added dimension to your jig or plug. You can lengthen a plug with a dressed hook. You can add flash. In some cases the extra material and drag through the water can also impact the action of the lure.
ASSIST HOOKS
An underutilized and under appreciated style of hook in my opinion, Assist Hooks are used primarily for deep water jigging, particularly when targeting larger gamefish. I personally think that Assist Hooks give an angler the best feel for the 'fight' with any fish of any size. Try catching a scup on a small jig with an Assist hook.
HOOK SIZING
When sizing a hook there are two basic considerations:
What is the fishing application?
What is the size of the fish being targeted.
Seems overly simple. The hook and size one might use for winter flounder as a bottom fishing application is going to be different from a hook on a 6" Striper lure for trolling.
The relationship of a hook 'GAP' is important as it relates to the plug or jig that you are planning to pair it with and below you'll see examples.
For treble hooks, the overall width of the treble hook should be the width of the side of the lure at approximately the middle of the lure.
An Inline hook should be able to span the lure between the two hook carriers as illustrated below.
When sizing hooks to a jig, similar principles apply. With slender metals or resin coated jigs, the challenge is to make sure that your hook doesn't or can't flip along the body of the lure and hook itself. I'm showing the images in reverse order to the plug, because more often than not, I am rigging my casting jigs with an inline. I rarely use a treble, but illustrating it here.
For an Inline hook, the hook 'gap' should be able to span the side of the lure when positioning the 'eye' of the hook at the approximate midpoint of the jig.
A treble hook should be the width of the jig positioned at the rear of the jig from the shank out to the hook points.
For an Assist Hook, the position of an Assist Hook relative to the jig it is paired with is also important. In the examples below, you can see how the 'bend' of the hook is approximately 1/3 to 1/2 down the body of the jig.
Remember that the 'gap' of your hook should be approximately
HOOK SIZES
Borrowing back to the golf analogy for a moment, pulling two drivers out of two different bags would reveal two 'similar' clubs, but the small details are different, whether it's shaft length, club face angle, grip, etc. The same is true for hooks. If you decide that you are going to replace your stock treble hooks with single Inlines and you go to your local store to find a suitable Inline hook, what you will find is that the 3/0 from VMC and the 3/0 from Mustad may not be identical in size. There are small differences in the dimensions. Sometimes the differences in size can result in having to go up or down an entire hook size to get a match.
A couple of points on this for consideration:
My personal preference if having to choose between a slightly smaller or larger hook is often to go larger. For instance, if I am looking at a 'Doc' style lure and going to replace the stock treble hooks. Any inline I consider for the replacement has to be close to the overall hook 'gap' of the treble. If I have to choose between going slightly smaller or bigger than the stock treble, I will mostly likely choose larger. The consideration is making sure that you have a wide enough hook gap to capture the jaw of the fish.
Many lures, particularly swimming plugs, are 'tuned' in their actions to the size and weight of the hooks. In the testing phase, lure manufacturers can spend dozens of trials casting and retrieving with the different rings and hooks getting the lure to have the action they envision. When doing hook replacements, you may want to actually weigh your plug before, during, and after the hook replacement. You want to be close to the original weight. If you find yourself adding significant weight due to swapping out hooks, you may change the action on the lure.
RIGGED PRESENTATIONS FOR TOPWATER
I mentioned earlier that I had been moving away from treble hooks, but that there were specific applications where I 'preferred' them. Below are diagrams of different ways to rig topwater plugs along with a brief summary illustrating how or when to use each.
RIGGED PRESENTATIONS FOR SUBSURFACE AND TROLLING
When it comes to subsurface and trolling applications, I find that the there is a bit more experimentation is needed, because much of the feedback you will get is through the rod itself feeling how the lure is behaving or from the fish. It's a bit harder to 'see' the action on a lure that is below the surface.
With Subsurface and trolling lures, I think it is very important to pay attention to the weights of rings and hooks if you are replacing the stock hooks and make sure you are matching it closely. Going significantly over or under the original weight can result in the lure being ineffective.
SUMMARY
Hooks are perhaps the most important aspect of 'tackle'. It can be highly technical and confusing to have all this data surrounding something that is in the end very simple looking. Remember that the specific application and target species should be the primary guides in your research on hooks. Enjoy the rest of the off season and get all your re-rigging done before the fish arrive!! Tight Lines
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