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A hook is a hook right? Wrong, there are many different types of hook to suit the many variations in bait and the differing sea conditions you will find yourself fishing in. The hook after all is the final part of the equipment chain between you the angler and the fish. Early hooks were made of wood or bone but technology has moved on and modern hooks are mostly made of tempered wire. It is essential that the type of hook used is suitable for each situation, the recognized hook sizes are based on the Redditch scale. The sizes range from size 22, these are very small and going up to size 16/0 a large enough hook to mount a whole fish on for shark fishing. The most important thing here is to match the hook size to the size of the bait being used. All too often I see anglers fishing with hooks that are far too big for either the bait being used to tempt the fish or indeed the size of fish present to be hooked on. In other words if the only fish around to be caught are 250 to 400 grams it is only sensible not to use a hook big enough to catch a Marlin because the fish present will not get the hook in its mouth it is as simple as that. A smaller hook will catch both large and small fish, also if the hook is too big or too small your bait may not be effective. For example fishing for Dorada (Gilt Head Sea Bream) with anything larger than a size 8 hook is not effective as the fish has a small mouth, worm bait threaded onto a hook and line is required to totally cover the hook to have any chance of hooking the fish. Personally I would use a size 12 hook with worm bait for this fish as I would stand a chance of catching both small and larger specimens, and after all that is why we are fishing in the first place, to catch fish.
Hooks are made up of several different features. The diagrams on the left below show these. The packet of hooks are ceramic treated spade end, this means there is no eye, 120 centimetres of line is already attached making them easier to use and load bait onto.
The design of hooks vary and to list all the different types would take pages, the most common single hooks to use for sea angling here in this part of the Mediterranean are shown below, sizes 8, 10 and 12 are the most popular ceramic treated hooks with a barb.
Double and treble hooks are used for different types of bait where the bait is maybe larger and therefore attracting larger predatory fish. Treble hooks are used on many lures used for spinning. Three hooks create a better hook up chance than one on lures as the fish will be basically attacking the lure. One important fact to remember is that snagging on rocks can bend or blunt hooks rendering them useless, check the hooks for wear at regular intervals. If the hooks on a lure become rusty or bent you can replace them easily as they are connected to the lure with a key ring type fastener. Watch your fingers when carrying out this practice though.
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