Does hook size really matter ?

[skiptomylu]

I bought them from Barlow's less than a month ago and they are Matsui hooks not an off brand. If I fish Texoma today they will be rusty tomorrow. I did buy the gold colored hooks maybe that is the problem.

I would say try the Black Nickel ones and don't put any back in the box wet once used! If you put one wet one back in the box they all will rust even if no salt problems at all!

Skip

[TurboDan]

I sale a lot of jigs here in central Texas and i only use Matzuo #4 black chrome sickle hooks. No complaints from anyone and have only had one request for #2. Most fish here are less than 2 lb. Have had several guides send picks of #20+ lb catfish landed with them. I used a few bronze early on, but seemed to rust easier than black chrome.


Every time I come up with a great idea, I get into trouble.

[NIMROD]

I use nothing real small . In 1/8 oz jigs it is # 1 or 2 hook . If i use larger 1/4 oz with bigger jigs #1/0

[Yaker]

I go as small as reasonable,I fish ultralight and super utrilight rods,4 lb and smaller line,# 4-6 thin wire hooks for crappie,#8-10 thin wire,long shank for gills.I did have an 8lb channel literally straighten a #10 thin wire,when I landed him,the barb was the only part holding it.

[sparkie51]

I,match the hook size to the size of the bait. If you ask for crappie minnows around where I fish and the minnow is less than an inch long so larger hooks are out of the question. 8,6, or 4 is what I use.

[pstone]

#1 is as small as I go, but prefer 2/0 all year. I mostly spider rig in ms.

[Ketchn]

I,match the hook size to the size of the bait. If you ask for crappie minnows around where I fish and the minnow is less than an inch long so larger hooks are out of the question. 8,6, or 4 is what I use.

I knew someone would get my post ......LOL small bait small hook , medium bait medium hook ,large bait large hook ....pretty simple plan ....and YES it matters .....
although I don't really use minnows ,the plastics I use a lot of the time dictate the size I prefer on the hook to make the bait act like its the real deal and or get the fall at the right speed to entice a strike

[CrappiePappy]

I knew someone would get my post ......LOL small bait small hook , medium bait medium hook ,large bait large hook ....pretty simple plan ....and YES it matters .....
although I don't really use minnows ,the plastics I use a lot of the time dictate the size I prefer on the hook to make the bait act like its the real deal and or get the fall at the right speed to entice a strike

That's partly the reason I use #2 hooks on my jigs ... because I've gone to using 2" & 2.5" plastics. If I was still only using 1.5" plastics, a #4 hook would suffice.

But, around here, if you use a 1" live minnow ... it won't matter if you have it on a #12 hook or a #2 hook ... the Bluegill would never allow a Crappie to even get a whiff of it.

[Mike Andrews]

#4 sickle on 1/16 for dock shooting, #4 sickle on 1/8 hand ties, #2 sickle on 1/8 for plastics, and #1 on 1/4 for plastics. That pretty much covers my watefront.

[fiveeyes]

That's partly the reason I use #2 hooks on my jigs ... because I've gone to using 2" & 2.5" plastics. If I was still only using 1.5" plastics, a #4 hook would suffice.

But, around here, if you use a 1" live minnow ... it won't matter if you have it on a #12 hook or a #2 hook ... the Bluegill would never allow a Crappie to even get a whiff of it.

sure don't see anything bad about that!