Actors in movies or on TV stranded on an island or adrift in a lifeboat often rig up fishing lines using objects for hooks like diamond bracelets, bent hairpins or parts of a wristwatch. Desperate times may call for make-shift hooks, but a savvy fish probably isn't going to take the bait of a diamond bracelet or a watch part. Like lures and other fishing tackle, today's fish hooks are specialized for the serious or amateur angler and often designed to snag specific kinds of fish.
J-Shaped Hooks
J-hooks, which resemble the capital letter J, have shanks--the long vertical portion of the hook--that are straight, slightly bent, kinked, short or long. The eye at the top of the hook may face forward or sideways, or be slightly bent or tapered. Small, long-shanked hooks are perfect for panfish; shorter shanked hooks are geared toward catching more furtive fish. J-hooks come in an assortment of sizes, depending on the type and size of the fish an angler is after.
Circle Hooks
Circle hooks look similar to J-hooks, except that the bend at the bottom of the hook is much more rounded, and the tip of the barbed hook circles in toward the hook's shank, as if attempting to form an "O" instead of a "J." Anglers use large circle hooks in saltwater when fishing for tuna or snapper, and minimal damage to the fish is important. Circle hooks hook fish in the mouth or jaw rather than their gut, but take finesse when setting the hook. The Utah Outdoors website states that these hooks have gained popularity in recent years for both saltwater and freshwater anglers.
Double and Treble Hooks
Anglers use treble or double hooks most often when the presentation of a lure in or on top of the water matters most. Treble hooks used in salmon tube flies allow the fly to move naturally though the water like the bug it is attempting to mimic. According to New Zealand's Bish & Fish website, use of multiple hooks should be banned, as they tend to cause unnecessary damage to a fish and make it hard to catch and release a fish.
Barbless Fishing Hooks
Barbless fish hooks are available for purchase in any sporting goods store or department, or they can be made by pinching the barb flat against the metal of the hook's tip using a pair of pliers. Many anglers find that using barbless hooks is a more humane way to catch and release fish without mangling the fish's mouth or risk having the fish swallow the bait, hook and all.
Colored Hooks
Most fish hooks are a silver or a bronze color. Black or brown fish hooks work best in darker waters when an angler wants the hook to be inconspicuous. Silver or chrome-plated fish hooks glint in the water as light hits them and generate the interest of panfish. Hooks also come in attention-grabbing colors--especially circle hooks for deep-sea fishing--such as blue, green, yellow and red, which theoretically triggers a response in fish that associate the color with blood.
Weedless Hooks
Weedless J-hooks or treble hooks have a piece of plastic, thin metal or monofilament line that stretches from the hook eye and loops around the barb just below the tip of the hook. Closing the gap between the tip and the eye with the filament prevents the hook from snagging on thick weeds, but stills allows for setting the hook in a fish's mouth.
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