Does anybody know a site that explains what all the different hooks are used for, and how they're sized. I've used a wide-gap for years and never really thought about using anything else. Carl

Carl I did several seaches for hooks and didn't find very much stuff. I have read alot of articals and books on bass fishing and alot of the Pro's have their own way of looking at it.

Me personally I have come up with my own system for hooks that has worked very good some of it has been from the books others is just my feelings on why I do it.

When I am just Texas Rigging a worm around docks and brush I use just a plain straight shanked hook (the one with the two little barbs at the top of it). The reason why is a feel I get a much better hook set with this type of hook. If you look at the hook you can see that the hook eye and the point of the hook are NOT in line with each other. This gives you a much better hook-up when the bass bites. Plus Larry Nixon said it was the best for Texas Rig. So that right there told me alot about why to use it. Another little seacret that I learned about the straight shank hook. If you tie it on with a snell knot your hook ups go up even more. If you look at the way a snell knot is tied it actually kicks the point of the hook out more when you set the hook.
Problems with this hook is the plastic baits want to slid down the hook more often. Little super glue fixes that problem.

Next hook I use is the standard off set round bend hook. I use this hook when Carolina Rigging thiner worms or centipeeds. The reason for this is because you are dragging the worm through rocks, weeds, brush, and so on. The off set hook keeps the bait up on the hook better when dragging it around objects. Also when I am TX rigging around really heavy cover.

To me I dont really like this hook because if you look at the line tie and the point of the hook they are in line with each other. When you set the hook on a fish I feel that the bend in the hook were the line tie is actually hits the fishs mouth before the point of the hook does. To demonstrate this tie on the hook and rig it with a plastic worm and then run the line between your fingers and slowly (please do this slowly so you dont hurt yourself "dont ask me how I know") pull the worm up to your fingers and see how hard it is to get the line tie and bend through your fingers! Then try it with the straigh shank hook. BIG DIFFERENCE. Think of your fingers as the bass mouth and he is clamped down on your worm. I would much rather get the straight shank hook through his mouth than the bend in the hook. Now do that with the straight shank hook tied on with a snell knot and see how it kicks the point of the hook out even more. Better hooks-ups are just going to be easier with this type of rigging.
You can bend the hook point out just a bit to help this but I hate to bend my hooks any because I dont want to make them weaker by bending them.

Extra wide gap hooks are used for really thick Plastic worms or tubes were you want a bigger bite hook to get through all that plastic. 10" power worm, big craw worms, soft jerkbaits and tubes are some of the plastics that I use the EWG hooks for. Again the line tie and bend in the hook get in the way of a good hookset. Try the finger method and see for yourself.

As far as sizes of hooks? I let the size of the worm tell me which size hook to use. If I am fishing a 4" skiny worm I dont want a 3/0 heavy wire hook because the hook is just way to big for that. A 1/0 thin wire hook would be better. 6" to 8" worms would be more the size for the the 3/0 hook, and so on.

Now saying that if you are fishing a weightless worm or senko type bait you want a bigger hook size to help sink the worm. Same with a soft jerkbait.

Size of the bass in the lake would be another consideration to make. I'm talking about heavy wire hook as opposed to thin wire hooks here. Thin wire will penitrate a bass mouth easier that a heavy wire hook. Will it be strong enough to land a trophy?

Sharpness of hooks. Always keep a diamond sharpner in the boat with you. You can find these at just about any retail store that carries fishing equipment. I always spend some time sharpening my hooks. After a couple of fish hit a time or two with the sharpener; it will make a differnce. Drag it across the back of your thumbnail. If it does not dig in soon as you start to drag, it sharpen it some more. This is the type sharpener I have fits right in my shirt pocket so its always there. http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores...010000_100-10-2

I hope that helps you some like I said these are just my thoughts on the subject and it works for me. Everyone does things a little different you just have to see what works for you.

Thanks for the question I think this should get some really good thoughts from the others.

Thanks MoFish. I thought other folks would talk about what they use. Thank you for the thoughtful response. Carl

Carl, nice post and great info from Conley as usual. I basically use an XGap 3/0 hook most of the time followed by a Tru-Turn Copperhead-(red). I like the screw spring that connects the bait to the hook, it holds the bait well. As for the XGap, it has four cutting edges-thus the X. The wide gap seems to handle larger fish well and I don't get very many fish hooked through the fishes eye which can happen by accident-the hook penetrates the fishs mouth and the point comes out through the fishs eye. I hate that. Again, good job. Johnnie

Great info guys...

Here is a general rule of thumb for choosing the right size hook for soft plastics (worm, fluke, etc.)

2" Lure = #2 Size Hook
3" Lure = #1 Size Hook
4" Lure = 1/0 Size Hook
5" Lure = 2/0 Size Hook
6"-7" Lure = 3/0 Size Hook
8"-9" Lure = 4/0 Size Hook
10"-12" = 5/0 Size Hook
etc.

You may want to choose a larger size hook for baits that have a fatter body (like a soft plastic frog).

I personally like a Gamakatsu® EWG Worm Hook or other wide gap hook for anything 5" and above:



Gamakatsu® O'Shaughnessy, Offset Worm Hooks or Standard offset for 4" and below:



I believe Conley was speaking of a Straight Shank Worm similar to this:


Here's a nice example of how to texas rig:



Again, great info from everyone...

Thanks for the pictures Brandon. That is the hook I was talking about. Only the one I use has an even bigger bend in the hook. I think they call it a wide gap hook. If you look at the other hooks the point and the Line tie are pretty much in-line with each other. I just feel that I get better hook ups with the straight shank hook. I also did a little research in some of my books that I have and Kevin Vandam, and Mark Tucker also use the straight shank hook. Mark also talks about using the snell knot when he ties the hook on.

60% to 70% of my fishing is done with some type of soft plastics. Either Texas Rigs, Carolina Rigs, or weightless worms. I can only remember loosing one fish due to poor hook-up in the last 5 years of using the straight shank hook. The rest of the fish I lost was because I did not re-tie, and they broke the line right at the hook.

So re-tie often!!!! Just wish I could make myself remember that one!?

I am a fanatic when it comes to retying. If I feel anything on my line, I retie. I also always retie after a big fish (just in case).

Here is Owner's straight shank wide gap hook:



Is that it?

Yep that what it looks like! Different Brand but same type of hook. Don't know if yawl have Academy stores up that way but I use their Tournament Choice hooks. They are really sharp and strong wire. $5.00 for 25 of them is pretty good price too!