Hiya folks,

I want to talk today about hook shapes. When would you use a normal J-shape hook versus, say, an extra-wide gap?

A lot of folks think you choose your hooks based on the fish that you’re fishing for. That’s not the case at all. You actually base your hook on the soft plastic dressing. So if I’m fishing a narrow bait like a plastic worm or a Senko-style bait, I’d pick a normal shaped J-hook.

On the other hand, if I was fishing a soft plastic paddle-tail, that’s a lot of plastic for a fish to get in its mouth. In that case, I want the biggest gap (the area between the hook point and the shank), the biggest opening there possible. That’s when I would choose that extra-wide gap.

So remember: You pick your hook shapes not based on the fish that you’re fishing for, but the soft plastic dressing that you’re using.

Happy Fish’n,Gord “The Doc” Pyzer