Best hook for the job ?

What do you think is the best hook for the job ?

1) Ray - Kamasan B940 3/0 , Varival Bigmouth 2/0.
2) Codling - Kamasan B940 2/0, varivas Bigmouth 1/0
3) Whiting - Kamasan B940 sixe 2
4) Surf (lug / maddies) Flounder - Kamasan b940m size 4
5) Estuary (crab bait) Flounder - Kamasan b940m size 2
6) Bass - 1/0 - 2/0 kamasan b940
7) Coalies - size 2 b940m
8 Dogfish (lesser) - size 2 b940, Varivas saltwater champion size 2
9) Garfish - Any strong carp hook size 6 -8 , Varivas mini manta size 6-8.
10) Dab - b940 size 4

Just some of my opinions, what are your favourite hooks for the job?

well the above demonstrates that you are and out and out match angler...where are the tope & conger ....disappointed...

John,

Would go along with everything you said there mate.

6/0 Vikings are my fav for tope (strong but nice and fine in wire) with 6/0 to 8/0 C&R's for congers - much wider gape than O'Shaughnessy patterns.

I'm curious to see what you make of the Varivas Bigmouths. Bought some BMX's - nice hook but I found the point was waaaay too long, end result even over light mixed ground these hooks blunt too quickly, the point is so long I've even had the tip of it break off on these hooks. Lovely for veryclean ground but after that I left Varivas alone - should I have?

Liam

Personally I wouldnt go below a 3/0 when targeting Bass .
My preference for Bass is Mustad Power Worm.

John,

Would go along with everything you said there mate.

6/0 Vikings are my fav for tope (strong but nice and fine in wire) with 6/0 to 8/0 C&R's for congers - much wider gape than O'Shaughnessy patterns.

I'm curious to see what you make of the Varivas Bigmouths. Bought some BMX's - nice hook but I found the point was waaaay too long, end result even over light mixed ground these hooks blunt too quickly, the point is so long I've even had the tip of it break off on these hooks. Lovely for veryclean ground but after that I left Varivas alone - should I have?

Liam

John wouldn't know what mixed ground was :lol:

I use the Varivas big mouth all the time over some very snaggy ground and they retain sharpness. I always change hooks after each session. They don't bend out of snags like mustad vikings but vikings are a hook that loose sharpness or point very quickly. The big mouths are great for fish and squid baits. For most fishing from shore the extras would be over kill.

Donagh

Bait size matches hook size thats my general rule.

Must admit that I only really like the clean stuff, my 10lb mono seems to snap otherwise :cry: . Might get a spool of 15lb sometime soon.

Gearoid you are doing a disservice to match anglers by calling me a match angler. Would like to be one someday.

Liamo, I have not tried the BMX's yet as but have heard similar stories about the them. The ordinary BM's seem to do the job for me over clean ground alright.

What do people think of the Gamakatsu Hooks ? I like the aberdeen competition but they are expensive. Would like if they did a pattern in a finer wire.

Lads,

My bad it's the ordinary BM's I bought not the extra's - still find the point overly long on these hooks. I'm fishing rigs with Vikings (my usual) on one and varivas BM's on the other at the moment. Donagh, I am having trouble with points blunting/breaking on the BM's much more so than the Vikings - odd.

Was gonna scrap the BM's but after looking at this post they seem to be rated very highly so will keep using them for a while, maybe it's just a bad run of luck with these hooks for me as they are a very nice pattern otherwise - I like the shank length particularly.

Gamakatsu are too bluddy expensive for the amount of hooks I go through! You touched on a point there as well John, most of the patterns seem to be very heavy wire with Gamakatsu.

By the by, I much preferred the Vikings when they had the knife edged point rather than the chemically etched one they have now. The knife edge point probably wasn't as sharp out of the box but you could sharpen and resharpen it over and over v easily, I love sharpening hooks I do :-)

Liam

Hey, no mention of circle hooks for Bass then?

Never tried circular hooks. What type do you use for bass ?

anyone try the sakuma 565 stinger match, they look like a lovely hook.


Sakuma and varivas hooks made by the same company ????

been using the mustad match hooks lately
very good hook, working for me

mustad matches are my new favourite for dogs, thank to dennis,
sakuma manta 2/0 for animals(large gape)
kamasan b940m for scratching
kamasan b940s for wrasse
owner mini circles size 10 for mini species

Never tried circular hooks. What type do you use for bass ?

I'd have to go check, but off the top of my head they're Owner size 4/0.

Ideal for the slack inattentive angler like me who likes to wander off to chat with mates/leaves the rod unwatched/isn't tensed like a coiled spring to strike at every sign of a bite...... :roll:

b900c's are good for estuary flounder in 2's... bend out off snags too.

b700's are great for worm baits, handy also for baits when you run out of bait elastic :wink: