Fishing Hooks by Type

Hooks by Fishing Type

Which hook you reach for comes down to the species you're after, how you're fishing and whatever conservation rules apply on the water. A handy rough guide is spares = hours × 5 to 8. Over a full day that works out to roughly 30–50 spare hooks per angler, which covers what you'll lose to snags, points that fold over and break-offs on rocks or branches.

You'll run into four shapes more than any other. The J-hook is the classic that handles most situations. The circle hook sets itself and works well for catch & release, since it tends to lodge in the corner of the mouth rather than down in the gut. The treble hook carries three points and shows up on plugs, spoons and jigs, while the siwash is a heavy single hook for salmon and a common swap on saltwater lures. Premium brands include Owner, Mustad, Gamakatsu, VMC and Eagle Claw.

Applications

Bait fishing for freshwater species — J-hooks #6 to #2. Surfcasting and live-bait for snook, snapper — circle hooks 4/0 to 8/0. Bass and pike on hard baits — trebles #4 to #2/0. Trolling salmon and large saltwater predators — siwash 4/0 to 6/0. A number of places require circle hooks by law for shark, billfish and reef species (the USA Gulf Coast, Australia and parts of the EU among them) to cut down on deaths after release.

FAQ

Why bring 30–50 spare hooks? Hooks get used up quickly once you factor in snags on structure, corrosion in saltwater and points that bend after a hard fight. A tough day along rocky shores can easily eat through 20 or more.

Are circle hooks really better for release? They are. Work by NOAA and IGFA found that non-offset circle hooks cut gut-hooking rates by 70–90%, which makes a big difference to whether a released fish survives.

Can I swap trebles for singles on lures? You can, and for catch & release it's worth doing. Go up one or two sizes from the original treble so the lure stays balanced.