Hooks are often the most overlooked, yet one of the most important, pieces of fishing tackle. Without a hook, there is no catching fish. The huge selection of hook types, weights and sizes can often be a bit overwhelming. Knowing something about basic hook design, the varieties available and their purposes will help you to make a selection that best suits your fishing needs.
Design
Hooks are usually made of a piece of wire with an eye formed in one end, to which the fishing lines attaches. The shank is the portion of the wire that extends away from the eye before the hook begins to bend back 180 degrees. At the other end of the wire is a sharp point, often accompanied by a backward facing barb. The distance between the point and the shank of the hook is referred to as the gap.
Variations
Hooks vary a great deal in their design. Eyes may be flat or turned up toward the point or down away from the point. Points may be straight and spearlike, curved or even rolled inward. Hooks may also be barbed or barbless. The shank of a hook may be long with a narrow bend or shorter with a broader, more circular bend, or it may be bent sideways to offset the point from the eye.
Types and Names
While it may seem that there is a never-ending array of fishing hook types available, most can be broken down into three categories: bait hooks, fly-fishing hooks and lure hooks. Bait hooks are intended to hold live bait and often have barbs along the shank to keep bait on the hook. Fly-fishing hooks are generally lighter and are used when tying flies. Lure hooks are attached to artificial baits and frequently come in both double- and treble-hook forms. Within each of these major categories is a variety of different hook styles.
Sizes
Fishing hooks come in a wide range of sizes from the smallest, which measure less than a quarter of an inch long, to the largest, which can exceed a foot in length. Hooks are generally sized by a number. The smallest sized hook is size 32 and the largest is size 19/0. For sizes 32 to 1, the hooks get larger as the numbers get smaller. The opposite is true for hooks from 1/0 to 19/0.
Specialty Hooks
Some hooks are specially designed for a specific purpose. Circle hooks are more circular than other bait hooks and are intended to hook a fish in the corner of the mouth or the lip rather than down in the throat. This makes releasing a fish undamaged much easier. Jig hooks have a lead weight mold just below their eye. This acts as a built-in sinker for the hook. Other hooks have guards attached to them to make them less likely to get hung up in weeds and structures or have specialized bends in the shank to allow plastic baits to be secured more effectively.
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