Thread: What's the best hook to use for gills/redears?

I've been using a long shank no 8, but I'm wondering if it's not to narrow of a hook? I seem to miss alot of the big redear, I'll bet their mouths are to big for that size hook. I'm thinking of going to a no 6 hook, it's a little wider. What do you guys prefer for the big redear and big bluegill?

Gotta ask, how do you know the ones you're missing are the big ones? I always assume those are the small ones and I ain't missing much.

I usually use a 10 for most of my live-bait gill fishing, but sometimes 8's.

Thru the years of selling ... seems that generaly its #6 Aberdeen using worms and 8 or 10 for crickets and in some places they like a #7, which is hard to find these days, for both worms or crickets.

Some areas vary a little from this ..

JSC

i use hooks from #2 to #8,my wife uses a long shank #2 for gills and chinks with live bait .
i tie a few flies for gills and chinks in #2,but most of my larger flies are tied with #4s. i tie a lot of xxx#6 light wire for tresterials,ie caterpillars ,hoppers exc.
i use #8s for small nymphs,and a few drys,i find i get better hook'ups on #4s on big gills and chinks although you would be surprised how many little gully perch you can catch on a #4.



gators like chicken

I use #8 on bluegill and redear with crickets. I also use some#6 with nightcrawlers,wigglers and crickets if the bream are really big. I see nothing wrong with 6's.

Try Tru-Turn hooks in your preferred sizes for panfish. I find I get better hook-ups with them.

Originally Posted by mrdux

Try Tru-Turn hooks in your preferred sizes for panfish. I find I get better hook-ups with them.

i use true turn also they get them good.

I use #6 & #8's long shanks for all my gill & redear fishin.
Dont think theyre to little,as I do catch them nasty green carps when fishin wif nite crawlers for gills.
I also use these for trout fishin as well (with marshmeller & meal worm).

I tried the regular shank ones,but seems I gut hooked atleast 4 outta 10 if not more.With the long shanks I might gut hook 1 outta 10 now.

Saves the fish & saves me from havin to clean them also lol

Ive never seen a #7 where do u get them at?

"Ive never seen a #7 where do u get them at?"

The last time I had any to sell was on a special order we made with Eagle Claw ... At one time Mustad made them and they may still do ... Tru Trn had them as well ...All of this has been several years ago. (By to sell is when I was a wholesale salesman ... now I am a has been ) When I get a chance I will search it out and see if they are still made by any one .. got my curiosity up.

JSC

I use size 4 for shellcrackers, and a freind of mine who probably averages 150 per year over one pound, uses size 2. we use 2 or 3 redworms depending on size. In the beginning I was using size 8 long shank mustads and I too missed alot of shellcrackers, the worms filled up the gap completely.