When I first moved to Southern California and planned a fishing trip, people would often ask, “What are you fishing for?” In my head, I’d be thinking to myself, “Anything that will bite my hook.” As I’ve become more knowledgeable about fishing here, not only do I know the target fish for a given trip, I know going into the trip the likely methods that will be employed in catching said fish, and what contingencies to be prepared for.
Better preparation usually leads to better results. Part of that preparation is knowing what kind of hook to use for a given situation. This article does a good job of introducing you to the various considerations involved in hook selection.
When you select the hook to tie on to the end of your fishing rig you are making a vital decision. The right hook can go a long way towards catching you a fish. The wrong hook may not lose you a fish but worse; it may prevent you from ever getting a bite in the first place.
Only you know what fish you intend to go out and catch: what species and what size you can reasonably expect for your venue and any other factors you think appropriate. That’s why there are a whole range of fishing hooks from which to choose. The problem is that there is so little guidance given, on the packet or elsewhere. The following should help you to think through the main issues and to select a fishing hook that, if not ideal, is certainly good enough for the job at hand.
Photos: SoCal Salty (top), Fordie Hub (above)
