A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HOOK CHOICE AND WHY

I thought that has there is a thread on hooks i would put one on about why such hooks should be used and how they should,this is aimed at the beginners in to our sport and as such it is kept simple and easy to follow.......



A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO HOOK CHOICE AND WHY
Many times i get asked why you use this or that hook,is it really needed? well i often say yes and go through a whole host of reasons but then i think wait a minute most of the people asking these questions are new to our sport and maybe what i have told them is not the best thing in there point of view after all what is the point in going into detail when you might have lost them way back...no it is far better to keep to the basics and this is what i have tried to do in this thread to keep it simple to understand.

As with all methods there are variations that are used,those personal preferences that suit you but are they going to suit everyone else,the answer is no so i have put a little table on hooks to line strength together and baits to hooks choice and this is aimed at being the common use and not personal preferences.

This is what i posted on another site a wile ago when i answered this sort of question and thought i should put it on here as a beginners guide,hope it helps.....










firstly you have to think about the venue you are fishing because that determines your bait and hook size,simply think this way the smaller the bait the smaller the hook also think of what the bait is your using again if it is worms then a small 18/20 hook is of no real use because it will come off the hook far to easy so you need to use a bigger hook and for whole worm then a number 12/10 might be better to use....here is a little pointer in hooks to bait to try...
caster....16/20
pinkie...20/24
maggot...18/24
hemp...18/20
tares...18/14
punched bread.....20/14
small red worm...18/12
bread flake....18/6
lobworm...10/4
cheese...12/8
luncheon meat...12/6
Now there are slight variations to this but over all it is not far off the mark,now lets take another factor into account when choosing hooks and that is line strength,pointless using a number 10 hook on a low 1.5lb break line so here is a little table to follow....
hooks........line strength..
24/14......12oz/1.5lb
20/18......1lb/2.5lb
16......1lb/ 4.5lb
14....6lb
12/10....1.75/7lb
6........2.5/ 10lb plus
4......4.5/10lb plus
The bigger the hook the stronger the line,if you balance your hook and line correctly you should have no real problems so if you just think of the bait first then hook and line next that is the way forward and it make little difference if it is Rivers or pools/lakes but one word of advice if try the rivers use strong hooks,light wire type hooks are no good on rivers because they bend out of shape because it is not just the weight of the fish on the rivers but the tow that can be very strong,always think of the water if it is running fast then use stronger hooks but in steady water you can get away with lighter hooks....hope this helps you a little


P.S....this is aimed at coarse fishing and should not be used as a guide to game fishing and remember to follow the venue rules regarding barbed or barbless hooks at all times....tight lines,good luck!