NorCal Kayak Anglers
Kayak Fishing Zone => General Fishing Tips => Topic started by: clarrus on July 05, 2017, 12:07:11 PM
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Super rookie question, if anytime has the time to explain what hook sizes are best for what, I would greatly appreciate it. Feel free to scoff at my lack of knowledge as well. I've been using 1 and 2's for everything but I'm not sure if I'm missing an element.
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IMO, hook size should be tailored more to the size of your bait and your presentation. For example, one can catch a trout on a size 22 or on a 3/0, but you're not going to rig a plastic minnow bait on a size 22, nor would you tie a midge pattern onto a size 3/0.
Some species are finicky about presentation, which can add another wrinkle to hook selection. Others are not. What species are you targeting and what baits are you using?
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I'm all poke poling and shore fishing for now.
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What Clayman said is spot on.
When I poke pole I use the pre tied eagle claw snelled hooks in the largest size I can find to prevent hook swallowing. That usually means a 1/0 or 2/0. The pre tied snells are super convenient.
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I'm far from an expert poke-poler, but when I do it, I prefer the 1/0 to 2/0 hooks. Like 3$J said, anything smaller and there's a high risk of the fish swallowing the hook. You might miss out on some really little fish when using the bigger hooks, but that could be a good thing if you're looking for fillets.
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For poke poling, I like heavy line (40 lb mono works) and a 1/0-2/0 hook that'll bend instead of snapping (think Mustad stainless steel instead of gamagatsu or owner). That way if you snag you can give it a good tug and straighten your hook to pull free rather than leaving gear (trash) stuck in the rocks. Just fix the bend with some pliers and get back to it.
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