Anatomy of fishing hooks and their types

What parts does a fishing hook consist of?

Despite their apparent simplicity, all elements of the hook have their own names and functions. Let's take a closer look at them.

What elements does a fishing hook consist of?

Head with eye

This part of the hook is designed for attaching fishing line. There are two types of heads based on the shape of the ear - with and without a ring.

Classic round eyelet

Conical eye

Loop eyelet

eye of a needle

Spatula-shaped ear

The ring-shaped eyelet (and its shapes) are suitable for attaching all types of fishing lines of medium and large diameters ( from 0.1 mm ). Any type of knot can be used, such as Clinch or Palomar for a quick and reliable connection to the line

A head in the form of a spatula or in the form of a needle eye is suitable for connecting to small diameter fishing lines ( less than 0.1 mm ) when catching small and cautious fish. Using the correct knot, you can achieve a uniform shape of the hook itself and its continuation with the main equipment.

Handguard

The shank of a fishing hook is usually its longest part . It is this detail that largely determines what fish and what bait the hook is intended for.

The long forend is made on hooks used for catching large and predatory fish . The elongated part allows you to partially protect the fishing line from being bitten by the sharp teeth of a predator. Also, when using large-sized baits, you should use hooks with a longer shank so that the bait holds well and does not slip off.

Hooks with a short shank are used when catching peaceful fish that do not have teeth, and using compact baits such as corn, cereal grains, etc.

Hook with a spring for fixing plastic baits

Some hooks can be equipped with a spring that covers the base of the hook along the entire length of the fore-end. This is necessary when using plastic baits such as dough, etc. Using a spring allows you to better fix the fluid mass and keep it on the hook longer.

Sting with a beard

The sting of the hook is an important part of it , one might say “the tip of the attack.” The shape of the barb determines the behavior of the hook when hooking a fish. The main requirement for this part of the fishing hook is to be as sharp as possible . This characteristic is especially important when fishing for fish whose mouth contains many bone plates (pike perch, etc.). The hook must quickly and deeply penetrate the soft tissues of the prey and securely fix there.

Carp on a hook

The barb of the hook is intended for fixation in the body of the fish . The larger it is, the more securely the hook is fixed in soft tissues and the more difficult it is to remove it from there later.

Sting with a beard

In sport fishing, barbless hooks . This method of hooking is the least likely to injure the fish and is ideal for catch-and-release . You can get a barbless hook from the most ordinary one using pliers or a file - just file off or press the barb to the body of the hook.

When landing fish on a barbless hook, it is important to keep the line taut at all times so that the fish cannot free itself.
In case of free reverse motion, the hook can easily come out of the tissue and the prey will be freed.

Fishing hooks - classification, numbering, sizes - WORLD OF CATCH

Fishing hooks - classification, numbering, sizes

In this article, we will look at the classification of fishing hooks, as well as the numbering and types of fishing hooks. We will also consider some points of the question: how to choose a fishing hook? All success in catching fish while fishing depends on the correctly chosen fishing hook.

And this choice depends on the specific body of water where you will fish, on the fish you want to catch and on the bait you will put on the hook. Let's take a closer look at what types of fishing hooks there are, how they are classified, how to determine the size and how to make the right choice.

Fishing hooks come in different types:

- single fishing hooks (one blade and one eye); - double (two stings and one ear); — tees (three tips and one eye).

I think everything is clear here and without details.

Numbering and sizes of fishing hooks:

The sizes of domestically produced fishing hooks are classified according to the distance from the forearm to the tip of the sting. That is, the larger the fishing hook itself, the larger its number.

But, in addition to domestic production, there are many foreign-made fishing hooks on our market.

According to the international classification, the opposite is true: the larger the number of a fishing hook, the smaller the hook.

Below is a table that will help you understand this simple issue.

How to choose a fishing hook:

When choosing, you need to be guided by the following parameters: - What kind of fish you will catch. The larger the fish, the larger the fishing hook;

— What bait will you use when fishing? For example, if you are fishing for carp using corn, you can choose a golden color, but when fishing for bloodworms, it is better to use a metallic color

Read Do-it-yourself snowmobile made from a chainsaw

Here you should also pay attention to the length of the shank: you should tie a hook with a longer shank to the worm, and a shorter shank to the bread;

- Shyness of fish. This point is directly related to the previous one. It’s only worth adding here that you need to try to choose the minimum size of a fishing hook for fishing, but it should be sufficient to avoid the fishing hook from unbending or the fish falling off.

When choosing fishing hooks, you should not be guided by their thickness and size. They may not always match their durability in appearance.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the alloy used in fishing hooks. Therefore, buy fishing hooks made of high quality alloys

When purchasing, press on the fishing hook: the bad one will bend, but the good one should spring back.

You can find out the sharpness of fishing hooks in a way that our fathers used: you need to run the tip of the sting along the nail, if a groove remains, then the fishing hook is sharp. Well, we’ve sorted out the most important questions.

What are fish hooks made from?

Most hooks are made from wire using various types of steel, ranging from pure iron to stainless steel. Saltwater hooks are usually made of a rust-resistant material, while freshwater hooks do not have this requirement because freshwater oxidizes the metal much more slowly than saltwater. There are special alloys that keep the hook sharp, and others that give it increased strength, preventing it from bending when fighting large fish.

It's important to know that stainless steel hooks are more durable and won't rust in the tackle box, but that also means they won't rust in the fish either. If a fish gets caught deep in the throat and breaks the line, then it will remain with it in its body for the rest of its life.

The most common material for making fish hooks is high carbon steel . It is easy to process and can withstand high loads. However, it is very susceptible to corrosion. To ensure that a hook made of this material does not rust, it is coated with special protective compounds: special varnishes, paints and metal coating.

Hook cover

In addition to the protective function , the coating also performs the function of camouflage or, conversely, attracting the attention of fish. You may have noticed that the colors of hooks in stores can vary greatly - from black and silver to yellow and bright red.

Colored fishing hooks

The use of color allows anglers to designate an attack point for predatory fish, or, conversely, to hide foreign parts of the bait in muddy and dark waters. The color must be selected individually for specific fishing conditions.

Hook shapes

Modern fishing is very rich in various types of bait and methods of delivering it right under the nose of the prey. But you don’t need to have absolutely every option for making hooks in your arsenal. It is enough to take a few of the most universal ones to be ready to catch both predators and peaceful fish. This is largely determined by the shape of the hook.

Single hooks

A single hook will be the only and correct choice for fishing for peaceful fish. Its modification with an extended fore-end is already well used in spinning fishing for predators.

Single straight hooks

Offset hooks

A single offset hook is used to catch predators using spinning tackle. This shape of the hook assumes that the sting is in line with the base of the hook in the body of the bait.

Offset hook

This makes it possible to mount the bait in such a way that it does not get caught on the algae when retrieving. The sting should be slightly recessed into the body of the bait so that it is easily released when bitten when the fish grabs the bait with its mouth.

Lure on an offset hook

Double hooks

Such hooks, as a rule, have an elongated shank and are designed for catching predators. This shape allows you to increase the likelihood and strength of the hook. This can be very important when catching such strong fish as catfish and pike or pike perch, which have many bony plates in their mouths that cannot be penetrated with one sting.

Double hook

Finnish hook for live bait

One of the varieties of double hooks is the so-called “Finnish hook”. This type of hook is used exclusively when catching large predators with live bait. The shape of the hook is very unusual and unlike other types. The Finnish hook is freely swallowed by the victim, after which it is very securely and deeply fixed in the throat or stomach. It can be extremely difficult to get it. Being caught on such a hook, the fish almost always dies from the wounds it receives while fishing. Because of this, this type of hook is considered extremely inhumane for sport fishing, although it provides maximum catchability.

Finnish hook with live bait

treble hooks

Hooks of this type are also used when catching predators, only with live bait or using wobblers and spinners. This is due to the fact that such baits can be attacked from any side: both from the tail and from the side, depending on the wiring and animation of the bait. It’s important to consider all the options here, and the treble hook does this perfectly.

Wobbler with treble hooks

Offset hooks

Application

The main element of the “non-hooking” tackle is the offset hook. It is easy to distinguish from a regular one due to the Z-shaped bend, designed to securely attach the silicone vibrating tail. After correct installation of the tackle, you can hide the sting in a special slot on the silicone bait (“rubber”) or the body of the vibrotail itself, which allows you to achieve the “non-snag” effect.

The manufactured tackle based on an offset hook and silicone bait is very similar to a real fish and perfectly conveys its movements in the water, which will attract the attention of predatory individuals in the reservoir. The birthplace of offset hook is the United States of America. Fishermen used it to catch largemouth bass

In our open spaces, with the help of such devices, equipment for jig fishing is mounted

Fishermen used it to catch largemouth bass. In our open spaces, with the help of such devices, equipment for jig fishing is mounted

The birthplace of offset hook is the United States of America. Fishermen used it to catch largemouth bass. In our open spaces, with the help of such devices, equipment for jig fishing is mounted.

When using a “non-hook”, the number of hooks is reduced to a minimum, which allows you to save the bait, and thereby the family budget. With the use of this type of hooks, the likelihood of catching more fish increases, due to the ability to carry the tackle without snagging in places with snags and large stones, which predatory fish love so much.

There is a huge selection of this type of hooks in shape and size, suitable for various types of gear. This allows you to master different methods of spinning fishing.

Read: Winter fishing for grayling: tackle and jigs

The most popular manufacturers of offset hooks for many fishermen are: Saikyo, Hitfish, Owner, Decoy, Gamakatsu, Volzhanka. Their sizes range from “6” to “6/0”, with “6” being the smallest hook and “6/0” being the largest. Full list of sizes: “6”, “5”, “4”, “3”, “2”, “1”, “1/0”, “2/0”, “3/0”, “4/0” ", "5/0", "6/0". Different manufacturers may have slight changes in the size markings of offset hooks.

The shape of hooks is varied and depends on the task, place and type of fishing, and type of “rubber”.

Offset hook shape

The material of the hooks for “non-snacking” is mainly stainless steel. Most of them are sprayed: bronze, nickel, aluminum. Hooks from branded companies are treated with titanium nitride.

Mounting the bait

How to put bait on a hook? The main rule for installing gear is to determine the required size of the offset hook in relation to the silicone bait. To do this, you need to attach the hook to the fish, and its bend should be located in the middle or slightly closer to the head of the vibrotail. The place where the vibrotail is pierced by the sting of the hook can be marked with a marker.

The bait is installed as follows:

1. The sting of the hook is inserted into the head of the vibrotail, and after passing a distance of 5-7 mm in the body of the rubber fish (the distance depends on the length of the Z-shaped bend), it is removed from the abdomen.
2. The vibrating tail rotates 180 degrees on the hook shank and stretches along the entire hook.
3. After the head rests against the eye of the hook, the bait is pierced in the abdomen and the sting of the hook is removed through the body of the vibrotail from the back.
4. After removing the hook from the back, the sting can be hooked onto the back, which will eliminate the possibility of getting caught on an underwater obstacle. The only drawback in this case is that the fish may escape if it does not have enough strength to bite through the silicone.

What hook size should I choose?

When you go fishing, you already have a rough idea of ​​where, what and what kind of fish you will catch. For specific conditions, the necessary hook is selected (complete with fishing line and rod). The most important rule is that the bait looks natural on the hook and does not scare away the fish. The size of the hook also depends on what kind of fish you want to catch.

Set of hooks of different diameters

• For catching small fish on a float rod with a worm or bread, small and medium hooks . They should be as invisible as possible in the upper layers of water.
• For bottom gear , where large fish can bite, you should select larger and thicker . Their visibility in the water is less important, and they must withstand the resistance of large fish.
• To catch a predator , medium and large hooks with an elongated shank are selected

Specific choice

To catch wary fish, you can try using hooks of different colors, but at the same time they are taken to match the color of the bait

Small fish do not bite too often, but in most cases the bites are quite sharp and short-lived, when they have time to not only swallow the bait very deeply, but also spit it out, as a result of which the float sharply goes under the water, and then returns to its original position again .

In this regard, for species such as rudd, roach, bleak, and sometimes white bream, it is best to use hooks with an extended shank and a side bend. The last element of the design is designed to prevent the fish from jumping off after a bite, and they are also quite easy to pull out of the fish’s mouth.

You need to catch small fish quickly, as the school moves from one place to another. Hooks numbered 14 and 18 are suitable here.

If the fish bite is not too active or is not observed at all, then it is best to put a smaller hook on the tackle so that it is not too noticeable

In addition, the fish are in most cases very cautious, so the hook should be camouflaged with bait. Select a hook whose shank will be minimal and light in weight.

In principle, to catch cautious fish, you can try using hooks of different colors, but at the same time they are taken to match the color of the bait. If the fish is large, then the bait on the hook should also be larger.

Read What does a spinning test mean and how to choose the right model

They also take a large hook, which has an increased bend of the tip and a rather short fore-end.

With the help of this tackle, the fish will sit tighter and stay on it well. In this regard, for fish such as ide, bream, chub or large carp, you should try to catch them on hooks with numbers from 10 to 16.

When going after a powerful fish, quite serious loads are created on both the hook and the fishing line along with the rod. Therefore, it is necessary to select large products made of thick wire. In principle, in this case there are no special requirements for the shape of the hook, the main thing is that the level of its strength is as high as possible.

How to properly store fishing hooks

Modern materials from which fishing hooks are made and coated protect them quite well from the effects of an aggressive environment, preventing the metal from rusting. But with all this, there are several rules that will keep your hooks as sharp as possible and without traces of corrosion.

Storing fishing hooks in a special box

Be sure to dry your hooks after fishing . A couple of minutes in the wind or sun will be enough to remove moisture from the surface of the hook.

Hooks in a flat plastic bag

Store your hooks so that they touch each other as little as possible to preserve their finish and sharpness. For this, use flat plastic bags , leashes for ready-made equipment, or magnets. In order for the hooks to oxidize and rust less, you can put a cloth lightly moistened with vegetable oil - this will create a protective film without damaging the coating.

Share a link to this article: