Hooks – Matching Them To Baits & Fish Species

With so many different types of hooks available now, it’s a bewildering minefield for the new angler. Jansen Teakle breaks it down for us, species by species, bait by bait, and explains the patterns and sizes he uses for targeting popular fish.

Cod

Cod have huge mouths and will engulf even the largest of hooks, but as with all of the species listed here, it’s important to consider the baits you’re going to be using too. 

One of my favourite cod fishing hooks would be the Varivas Big Mouth in a 4/0 size. I would fish a Pennel rig (two hooks in tandem) and they would contain a modest size bait, typically black lug and squid or black lug and peeler crab. If I was using just lugworm, I would drop down to a 3/0 hook but still use the Pennel.

Bass

Another species with a large mouth. Varivas Circle hooks are my favourite pattern for bass fishing. If I’m using crab baits then a 4/0 is perfect. If I’m using bigger baits such as squid and mackerel I’ll up that size to 6/0. It’s important to fish the circle hook on a perfection loop knot so that it can rotate and catch in the mouth of the fish. All baits are fished on a dongle suspended from the hook. 

Rays

Rays can exert a fair amount of pressure on a hook so it’s important that it is of a gauge that won’t simply bend out under strain. I like to use the Varivas Big Mouth Xtra pattern in a 5/0 size for all Ray species. They have big mouths so don’t struggle taking a bait. I’ll bait this hook size with squid and oily fish such as bluey, anchovy and pilchards. 

Plaice/flounder/dab

For this group of flatfish I like to use a Varivas Aberdeen pattern of hook. For flounder and plaice I will generally fish a size #1, but if the fish are thin on the ground I’ll scale down to a size #2. On the rare occasions that I target dabs, I would scale down further to a size #4. I like the Kamasan B940 pattern for dabs.

Sole

I separated this species from the other flatfish as I target them in a different way. If I was specifically fishing for sole on the Bristol Channel, I know that the fish can go big. For this reason I would use a 2/0 Varivas Aberdeen Pennel loaded up with ragworm. If I was to target smaller sole elsewhere, I’d likely drop down to a size #4 Kamasan B940 pattern and bait would be smaller ragworm or black lug offerings.

Smoothhounds

After some experimentation with smoothhound hooks over the last few years I’m now firmly set on Varivas Circle hooks. Bait wise I’m using either peeler crabs or prawns, so a 4/0 hook and a dongle set up is perfect. Very few bites are missed with this approach. 

Whiting/dogfish

Admittedly these are not two species of fish that are highly sought after, but in a match fishing situation they become a valuable target. Both can be caught using either fish baits or a cocktail of worm and fish. Varivas Saltwater Champions would be my go-to here. I would opt for a size #1 and fish a single worm and a small tippet of fish bait. The fish bait sits perfectly on the bend and the hook which in this case has a slight kink, helps keep it in place. If there was the chance of a bigger fish I’d consider taking the hook up to a 1/0 just for the added security.