An Ultimate Guide to choose the Best Fishing Hooks

Guide to choose the best fishing hooks.

We talk about which are the most important aspects when choosing our fishing hooks , we will focus on reeling off all the uses and types that we can get from this fundamental fishing gear.

As we will always start at the beginning, and it is that the hooks that we know today were not always like this, a few thousand years ago the first hooks were built with bones and sea shells, later when the metals were discovered the hooks began to evolve in such a way that today there are hundreds of models available, sometimes too many.

Have you ever entered a fishing store or website and the number of hook models to choose from has overwhelmed you? Different types of different tips, various sizes, short leg or long leg, with or without death, their curvature, models … among so many variables it is difficult to choose the hook that best suits the interests we are looking for, even the most advanced fishermen tend to be confused at the time of their choice, either because of the great variety of species and their specific hook, because of the great variety in the models of hooks or because of the little time that sometimes is available to be able to choose with peace of mind.

It is therefore We have designed this guide so that it can help you when choosing the correct fishing hook according to your technique and species of fish that we are going to catch.

Main parts of our fishing equipment, although sometimes undervalued, fishing hooks are the key element that allows us to maintain direct contact with the fish . From this premise, and since the integration of the fishing hook has a very remarkable role in the behavior of deception, it is logical that many anglers fishing.

Fishing Hooks

Devote special attention to this chapter, though this is yet I despised times by sport fishing specialized. In fact, the custom of stocking artificial lures with fishing hooks made of flimsy and / or threaded irons is an endemic evil that the fisherman should be aware of and solvent for the account that he brings, even when it increases the bill of that precious acquisition that could well have squared the circle of perfection if instead it had attached some appropriate treble hooks in terms of size and quality. In any case, it is possible to catch the fish with what comes from the factory, but we well know that the patio is not there to go happily wasting the opportunities that arise throughout the day.

What are the parts of a fishing hook?

Basically all the hooks at their ends are very similar, in the upper or upper part we find that we can have hooks with a ring or eye, if we refer to a ring hook or if it is a paddle hook, with a flattened metal area, both parts are used to tie or tie our hook to the thread.

At the bottom of the hook we find the tip, a sharp area where the fish normally hooks and is caught. Regarding the tip it is true that it has been worked and improved with new changes and innovations for greater effectiveness in fishing, but where there have been a greater number of changes and differences is in the body or rod of the hook and its curvature, let’s move on to see all the aspects that we can find when choosing the perfect hook !.

Know what types of hooks exist and what are their main parts that forms it. An important aspect is to use the right hook for each type of species that you want to catch. The type of hook used can condition our day.

The main parts of a hook are:

• Head
• Cane or seatpost
• Curve
• Death
• Tip

The head: it can be flattened (paddle) or have a hole (eyelet or ring), depending on how the head of the hook is, the banding of the hook is different.

The rod or stem: it is the longest part of the hook and depending on its length they are short or long leg.

Death: it is the part of nailing by recoil, that is to say the one that when you try to remove the hook it gets more nailed, there are hooks without this part that are more recommended for practicing catch and release or fishing without death.

The tip: main part of the hook since it is the one that will be nailed in the fish, it must be very well sharpened for correct use.

Types of heads on hooks

Paddle hooks

This type of hooks come with a flattened head, in the shape of a paddle, they are usually used by more experienced fishermen since the difficulty in tying the knots to the hook requires a little more skill and they are somewhat more complicated to perform, however, When you get used to using paddle hooks, it will not be difficult for you to rig.

There are many brands of hooks that in their extensive catalogs offer us hooks with shovel-shaped heads, so it is not surprising that they are one of the favorites among thousands of fishermen, it is worth highlighting brands of hooks such as Mustad, Hayabusa, Asari, Gamakatsu among other.

Hooks with ring or eye

Fishing Hooks

The heads of this type of hook, as its name indicates, form a ring through which the thread is inserted and that is where we will make the fishing knot, this eyelet that the ring hooks present us makes it easier for us to tie, but as we have said before, this is given by the expertise of the fisherman and his tastes in making knots. The hooks with rings are totally reliable and very effective , like those with a paddle, the only difference we find is the different knots that we can make.

The shank of the hook

The rod, leg or seatpost is the part of the hook between the head and the first bend , the seatpost can basically be of three sizes: Short, regular and long.

• Fly fishermen prefer short rods to make flies with small bodies although short leg hooks are also commonly used for fishing for skittish or very fast biting fish.
• Hooks with regular-size shafts fall into the category of multifunction hooks and make up most of the hooks available, these hooks are used for almost all species of fish and with a great variety of presentations and varieties.
• Long-leg hooks are very useful for predatory fish , especially for fish with jaws and large teeth, but they are also preferred if we want to fish for very aggressive predators that look for live baits and ingest their food quickly and deeply.

One of the characteristics of long-shank hooks is that they are much easier to remove, especially if a novice fisherman is concerned.

Types of hooks according to their shape

Original straight hook

This type of hook returns to its basic and simple shape, the advantage is that it is very strong , with a very sharp point to penetrate the hard jaws of large fish, it is slightly shorter with the eye very straight and aligned, a point Very long, this hook was designed for bait fishing in salt water and for use in commercial fishing, it does an extraordinary job nailing and holding jumping species such as trout, salmon, croaker etc.

Circle hooks

For fishing with live or dead bait where we want to catch fish with large mouths, this circular hook is an excellent choice , its operation is due to the fact that these fish with large mouth cavities completely swallow the hook and its bait, especially if it is allowed to swallow the hook.

Bait without offering resistance for a few seconds, this technique requires a certain mastery so as not to rush and pull our rod ahead of time, pulling the bait and the bait out of the fish’s mouth. The proper movement when using the circle hook is slow and leisurely, when you get a bite with circle hooks You should slowly lift the fishing rod and start to retrieve the fishing line, this causes the circle hook to slide backwards as it penetrates just where the jaws meet to form the lip.

They are used in deep-sea sport fishing. They do not cause significant damage to the caught fish, so they can be returned with complete peace of mind.

Types of tips on fishing hooks

Fishing Hooks

The triple or jig hooks that we associate with artificial lures must respond to a series of considerations, first of all, these fishing hooks must possess a penetrating power without a doubt.

This capacity must be reflected in the measure that the tips are capable of catching anything that comes within their reach at the slightest friction., for which using certain references, which however do not always have a crazy price, is a good starting point.

However, only the models of fishing hooks that have chemical sharpening allow to extend the integrity of the deaths in the complicated marine environment, in which the blows, the scratches and the harmful action of the salt are actors that quickly pay tribute and severely reduce the performance of the steel of our fishing hook, in addition to improving the luster of the equipment.

Now, let us assimilate that not always all that glitters in the displays is gold, so when we opt for brands of fishing hooks of recognized prestige, let us remember that these, just as they produce first-class ammunition, also sell low-grade materials.

stew, and they can sell them to us without the slightest blush like the last cry of fishing. For its part, the edge of mechanically sharpened treble hooks has a tendency to be broken quickly as the lure evolves through areas with some orographic complication, such as when we bring it bouncing between the stones, as well as thanks to the slow but relentless and corrosive action of the saltpeter that is dissolved in the great blue.

For sharpening, polishing and shaping steel hooks, manufacturers have used the latest technology to achieve multiple designs and shapes and thus reach the immense range of hooks that we know today.

Hooks with needle nose

This type of point is reminiscent of a sewing needle since the point of these hooks are round and with tapered edges.

Inward curved hooks

It is a matter of physics, with this curvature the pressure necessary for the hook to penetrate the fish is reduced , therefore, it enters more easily since the tip of the hook turned inwards is to align it with the ring or shovel of the hook and as a consequence the fishing line is the one that produces the pressure.

A very effective hook for “jumping” fish those that when they are caught do not stop moving, twisting and turning on themselves to try to free themselves as they penetrate deep inside the fish.

Concave hooks

Hook with a round tip forming a curve from the tip to the base of the barb. These hooks are good for soft-mouthed fish or fish that need to be worked gently that with other hooks would tend to tear the fish’s mouth.

Spearhead hooks

These hooks have a spearhead very similar in shape to a spear , where their angles are very sharp, another characteristic of these hooks is that the tip is perfectly aligned in a straight line with the barb, so that there is a correct penetration of these hooks.

Hooks require more pressure when nailing them or else there is a risk of not passing the base of the barb and our fish escaping.

Knife Edge Hooks

A very effective hook since with its two sides or flat edges, sharp as knives, they penetrate perfectly into the fish, and they are also very easy to sharpen if we notice that they have lost effectiveness due to use.

Types of fishing hooks

Currently there are a large number of different models of fishing hooks, either according to their shape, sizes, species of fish to be caught, for sea, river, manufacturing material, with or without death … etc.

• Straight
• With eyelet or ring
• Curved
• Fine
• Thick
• Long leg
• Short leg
• With trowel
• Carbon
• With or without death
• Of iron
• Stainless steel
• With round curve
• With mixed curve
• Different colors and finishes

If we could collect the great variety of types of hooks, it would take us months to find each and every one of them, we do not want to bore you, so we have made a selection of the most common and that may be useful when choosing your perfect hook , basically there are two factors to choose the type of hook, depending on the bait to use and the species of fish to catch, and that is that even for experienced fishermen this aspect usually takes hours of study and even then we would not find the right one … or if ! 😉

Bait hooks

This hook is ideal for working with live or dead baits , due to its design with a long leg and one or two burrs so that the bait can be held more easily, since keeping a slippery or live bait on the hook is a challenge .

Hooks for worms

This special hook is designed to be used with plastic lures of the worm or earthworm type (vinyls) , its target fish such as black bass, tend to be catches with a great and hard fight so they are normally manufactured with a solid structure and deep penetration for durability.

The tip of this hook is inserted into the body of the worm so that there are no barriers or obstacles, with Texas-type mounting, with the hook inside the lure you can search for the fish among the dense vegetation that is where it usually hides, the hooks for worms They usually have a much larger opening than a traditional one, which gives the advantage is that they can be used with different sizes of worms, presenting them in a more natural way.

Treble hooks

Why use a single tip when we can use three? the triple hook allows us to work with triple effectiveness since they do the same effect as a simple hook multiplied by three.

The three legs of the triple hooks are forged and manufactured together with a single ring or eye, with its triple point we have a greater nailing surface and therefore greater efficiency to retain our catch.

The triple hook or jig is used with artificial lures, whether hard or soft, in addition to jigs, squid jigs, etc., the size of the hooks can vary from lure to lure but normally we can find it between the numbers 2 to 2/0.

Double hooks

Hook very similar to the triple hook with the only difference that it has two tips instead of three, the double hook is very effective when mounted with soft vinyl such as small frogs or squid. They are usually of considerable hardness and very effective if we know how to use them.

Sea fishing hooks

The hook for fishing in salt water must be a hook with long and very sharp tips with an acceptable thickness and with good resistance to corrosion due to the effect of saltpeter from the sea.

Remember that saltwater fish as a general rule are more voracious and aggressive than freshwater fish, therefore hooks must be consistent with this type of catch.

Long leg hooks

This type of hook is recommended to embody worms or worms, thanks to its great length we can stretch this type of bait with ease, long-leg hooks are used for fishing flat fish, mabras, spiders, sea bream, etc.

Short leg hooks

Hooks with short legs are used for meatier baits, such as razor clams or sardines. They are especially recommended for fishing larger fish, such as sea bream, sea bass or bream. They are strong and resistant.

Pulpers

This type of tackle is not a hook in itself, although we can include it in this list since its function is practically the same, that of hooking a fish, the pulper consists of a plastic or metal surface where at its end, several hooks are incorporated.

They are ideal for fishing for cephalopods, if you want to be successful in fishing for squid, without a doubt pulperas are a very good choice. These can carry weight in the form of lead so that they can be used in deep-sea fishing from a boat.

Leaded hooks

Hooks with jig heads are being the great sensation in rockfishing or light spinning fishing, these hooks are attached to the vinyls offering these weights, in addition many of these vinyls require mounting hooks type Drop Shop Texas Carolina.

The leaded hooks are very effective in fishing for small snappers, pargeles, samas etc. Depending on the amount of weight these hooks carry, they will be used on the surface or at medium or high depth.

Mounted jigs hooks

The ideal hooks for jigging and anchored fishing, also called assist hook jigs, come pre-tied and tied, many of them with high quality Kevlar wire, the top-of-the-range mounted jigs have laser or chemically affiliated tip.

If you want to buy jig hooks already mounted, this is an excellent option, very effective for vertical fishing.

What characteristics must be taken into account to buy a hook for fishing?

There are many different types of hooks more, although these that we have listed are the most common. We must not forget the importance of using a quality hook and some stainless material to make it much more durable.

In addition, rigidity is a fundamental characteristic when choosing the right hook.

Therefore, we are going to review the main characteristics and qualities that a hook must have to be considered of high quality.

Numbering and sizes of fishing hooks

Fishing Hooks

If you are a beginner, this question will be somewhat confusing, since to make the fisherman more involved, the size of the hooks is counted backwards, that is, the smallest hook has the largest number 30, 25, 20 … etc. it gets bigger as you get closer to 0.

There are hooks for fishing large fish, these hooks start from number 0 (the smallest) and progress as they increase in size with numbering “size number” / 0, for example 5/0, 8/0, 15/0 etc, currently the hooks for sport fishing go from the largest 20/0 to the smallest, which is usually the number 32.

We can also find in the market the designation Japanese sizes No. 1 being the largest and decreasing in whole numbers as the hook reduces in size, as a reference for sole fishing No. 6 is used, for varied fishing No. 8, breakwater usually No. 10 to No. 18 for the sea ​​silverside.

Hook size and numbering table according to fish

Fishing Hooks

Japanese hook measurements and numbering

Fishing Hooks

American measurements and sizes of hooks

Fishing Hooks

The size and numbering of fishing hooks can have a disastrous influence on the action of the fishing lure, for example, a hook to fish that is too small in a medium-sized lure will make us miss attacks to the extent that deaths to Often they will not find substance to grasp, while an excess at this point will lead to swimming even disappearing based on the resistance that the fishing hook will generate as it is dragged through the water, in addition to the weight that we will add unnecessarily.

It seems incredible that the shaking can be so affected by the fishing hooks when at the bottom they are almost glued to the body as the lure sails, but the fact is that each hook acts as an anchor that clings to the liquid element as if there were no one morning, therefore, a pair of jiggers with a large number or size can perfectly unbalance the lures for fishing, hence it is convenient to pay attention to the movement that our artificials display while they move and, where appropriate, correct until we find the right suitable combination, something that is almost always achieved by lowering the size of our fishing hooks.

That said, we must take precautions when it comes to empathizing a hook , removing it from our capture or putting the bait on it, since we may have some mishap such as nailing it, a quite common situation and … painful, and believe me, you would not like it that happened to you, but if it happens we give you some tips on how to remove the hook without suffering too much pain.

Hook colors and finishes

Fishing Hooks

A last but not least important factor when choosing our best hook is the termination or finish , since nowadays the hooks are covered with many varieties of metals and the terminations painted in different colors such as silver, black, red, yellow. , etc. that can serve as a visual attractant or, in the case of hooks finished in red, simulate the blood of a wounded fish.

What is the best finish? There is no definitive answer on the effectiveness of hooks painted or finished in steel, that is, it does not affect negatively and these small details can give you on a bad day of fishing that necessary push to turn it into a day with a good catch, everything is to prove .

And if experienced fishermen are clear about one thing, it is that fishing is a continuous learning, relentlessness and error, trying and verifying the effectiveness of one or another aspect that best suits our characteristics as a fisherman.

For what one fisherman is not valid for another, it can be the Holy Grail and vice versa, so experiment and do not stay without trying various types of hooks and see for yourself which is your perfect hook!

Different weights on hooks

The weight of the jars plays a more relevant role than is believed a priori. In this sense, it is convenient to take into consideration the type of lure that we use and sometimes also the brand, the ballast load that we attach to it is perfectly capable of affecting its behavior, greatly reducing it in some cases and enhancing it in others.

However, this important data is usually ignored by a good part of the houses, which more times than desirable include inappropriate steels in the fishing hooks. And it is that the treble hooks restrict the naturalness of the deception when they are too heavy, which acquires a critical importance at the moment in which we use surface samples.

On the other hand, said overweight can also cause a reduction in animations such as jerking or twitchingin artificial ones with a bib. So, first of all, it is convenient to study the material that comes from the factory with a magnifying glass, and we do not hesitate to replace the fishing lures no matter how much we weigh, even to vary them in size and weight.

In this regard, let’s take each sea or river fishing lure and carry out the relevant tests, which on more than one occasion will surely be a big surprise.

The price on fishing hooks

Unfortunately, among many colleagues the bad belief persists of wanting to save a ridiculous handful of pennies on something as essential as fishing hooks.

Obviously, such a procedure would have some justification in the assumption of financial constraints, but on the average that we are referring to a supplement with a negligible cost if we compare it with the rest of the equipment typical of fishing, it is clear that we are all perfectly capable to access the best fishing hooks and multiply the lethality of our fishing equipment and the rest are childish excuses.

Moreover, sometimes a mere replacement of jigging, apart from providing us with greater strength in this section with respect to what we initially had, is likely to cause a radical improvement in the action of deception, and what has been said, all in exchange for a miniscule economic effort that will not disrupt the domestic economy at all.

How to fish with hooks?

Fishing Hooks

The conception of triple hooks is a somewhat delicate matter, because for now it is not the same that this is intended to hang from a lure, than to carry a natural bait.

In this order of things, the fishing hooks that we are really interested in must be provided with a short stem, because when it is very long the work area is far from the center of gravity of the artificial, a frequent point of attack when the attacks come from the hemisphere. rear.

Likewise, the separation of the tips with respect to the central axis is another factor that acquires relevance, since the wider this is, the greater the chances that they will stick into the jaws of the fish.

However, the angles with which treble hooks are constructed are not always correct, hence we can seldom find references in which these factors are followed to the letter.

Improvements in new designs

Fishing Hooks

Fortunately, there is always a solution to all problems when there is a will to solve them. We have an example of this with only mentioning the ventral jigs, which could already offer the performance we would like in relation to the design of the lure, since most of them, having an equidistant separation between temples, restrict movement .

An advance to correct such a deficiency is found in some models of fishing hooks that have been designed to move the two upper tips away, thus reducing the discomfort they exerted on the belly of the lure, in this way, the “T” -shaped profile provides increased lure mobility, while limiting unsightly scratches on specimen flanks and enabling a good dive.

Classic hooks never die

Fishing Hooks

The fisherman of today is extremely inclined to try any of the novelties that are launched on the market, an issue that for its part goes far beyond the trio composed of rod, reel and lure.

In fact, he is also interested in treble hooks in the strict sense, something that on the other hand is not surprising if we take into account that most of the fishing hooks that come from the factory are infinitely improvable.

However, peering into such an endless spectrum of options can make you overlook a series of references that have not lost an iota of value no matter how time has passed, as with the veteran **triple hook VMC 9626 Permasteel ** or tinted in red.

In fact, very few treble hooks pack together around capacity, pocket-size affordability, and sobriety like today’s fishing hook.

However, for some strange reason, many manufacturers avoid using their services when including them in the package that contains the lure, and yet they choose to attach other models of that famous French house that we would not even recommend.

It is true that the weight of the VMC 9626 hook in certain sizes can disrupt certain artificial ones, but it is enough to carry out the pertinent tests on the ground to verify that in most cases there are hardly any variations, especially if we refer to the chapter of the minnows.

At this point, knowing what a hundred of these magnificent hooks cost to fish affordable for any angler on foot, it is surprising that the course did not change in this order of things.

How to take care of our fishing hooks?

As much as it is intended to sell an eternal inexorableness for certain treble hooks, the truth is that most of them are susceptible to the effects of corrosion in different degrees , which is why getting rid of the deadly embrace that the salt provides a tremendous relevance.

For this reason, although it is advisable to give all the fishing equipment a hand of fresh water so that it is in full capacity, it is no less important that the fishing hooks also pass through the car wash, for which it is enough to immerse them for a few moments in a warm bath of sharp sweet together with the same lure.

Then we will proceed to dry them as much as possible with a cloth, since if we only leave them like that, on the suede as God brought them into the world, no matter how much we have taken the steps in the right direction, the humidity will find gaps in the protective layer where penetrate the steel of our fishing hooks and undermine their integrity from the inside, damage that to our misfortune can manifest itself just at the most compromising moment.

How to tie a hook?

Do not miss this video where they teach us to tie the hook correctly, highly recommended!

Best brands of fishing hooks

The acquisition of some lures for fishing does not necessarily imply that we instantly come to possess a weapon devoid of deficiencies, since the production of hooks and jigs normally give us a guarantee of quality being recognized brands such as the aforementioned VMC or such as the prestigious Mustad brands , Asari, Hayabusa, Owner.

Any time in the past was better for certain things, no doubt, but fortunately we have seen a series of possible alternatives that will perfectly cover the record. So let’s not scrimp the least in buying fishing hooks, and never be lazy when it comes to replacing jars with renowned references that respect the factors that we have analyzed, since otherwise the fish will prove us the wrong thing with facts. that we are to trust the successes to the fickle whim of luck.

The most famous fishing hook brands are:

• Mustad hooks
• Gamakatsu Hooks
• Hayabusa Hooks
• Hooks VMC
• Asari Hooks
• Hooks Owner

.......