So this month and next I figured in the back to basics articles I would cover the topic of items that can turn around your fishing on trips and will be covering types of hooks line, beads, luminous/ glow in the dark beads and silicons.
This month I’m covering fishing hooks:
How can fishing hooks change your fishing? Well I cover it by this.
1. Target species
2. Bait
So let’s start with species:
Stripping things right back we need to match the hook to species they all have differing mouth sizes it’s no good using a big wide hook like a Sakuma Manta for small fish with narrow mouths when you can use an Aberdeen hook which is long and narrow compared look at your target species is it a soul where a size 6 – size 1 Aberdeen style for example with strip baits or worm baits would be appropriate depending on if you’re happy with a standard one or you want to go specimen size.
If a bass is wanted with a big mouth or cod for example you may want a bigger bait for more smell etc and so need that extra size to accommodate the larger bait as the fish can easily accommodate it even small codling and schoolie bass can get a large hook in so look at your Viking hooks or Manta hooks that are larger and wider for this job in mind.
Matching hook size is important on species rays have narrow mouths so take narrow baits which we don’t need a large wide hook for.
So with bait:
What bait are you using? Is it crab? Is it squid? Is it worms?
If you’re using single worm baits they sit very well on an Aberdeen hooks but if you’re using crab baits your better with a wider gape in your hook like a Mustad Viking uptide hook if a snaggy area so they bend out or a Sakuma Manta 545 if non snaggy as they leave you a nice clear hooking point which is essential with sea fishing unlike course angling where you sometimes hide your hooks.
Always match the size of your bait to your hooks as well as much as silly and simple as this sounds it will make a massive difference to your presentation and catch/hook up rates and ignored by so many and then they wonder why they miss bites due to concealed hook points, or they don’t hook up properly with the fish and lose a good fish in the surf line or on the way in.
Big hooks and big baits are not always needed you can go small and still pick up a big fish!
But go big and want a chance of catching small as well then nine times out of ten it will not happen for you.
So starting as the most basic next month we will take an in depth look at glow beads or lumo beads.
So until next time tight lines.