Fishing Tackle - Hooks

Actually Catching Something.
Advice for Parents of Young Anglers

Fish Suppers for Sailors
A guide to fishing for yachtsmen.

What size hook do I use?

In ordinary use you will pick a hook to suit the size of bait/fish you expect or hope for.

OK, I might decide that today I will use a #2/O hook and a large ragworm but really all I'm doing is revealing the result of the thought process which went:

The weather's a bit iffy offshore.

Better fish inshore.

Not too much inshore at the moment but there should be a few medium sized pollock over the reefs, say 2-4lb.

Pollock will take ragworm...
[ Visit tackleshop ]

Ah! these rag are a decent size, one whole one should be about right on a long trace - a hook about 'that big' will hold one neatly and be suitable for the size of fish I expect.

'that big' is about size #2/O

Buy a selection and apply the logic yourself, ignore the actual sizes for the moment.

You will eventually need to know the sizes - about the time you have very nearly run out of your preferred range - at which time you take the last one to the shop and match it.