The Different Types of Fishing Hooks

A fishing hook is the device at the end of your line that catches fish either by impaling them in their mouth or, less commonly, snagging them on the body. It is important to take great care when handling fish hooks because they can easily injure someone who does not properly handle them. Most hook injuries are to the hand, but some may be to the head or eye. These injuries are usually not life threatening, but they still require medical attention, particularly in the case of an eye injury which may need a visit to a ophthalmologist.

The sharp curved metal hook is the most dangerous part of the fishing gear and can cause serious injury to people who do not handle it correctly. Among other things, the hook can pierce or snag the person’s hand, which is most often injured when trying to grasp or remove the hook from a fish. Other injuries include the fingers, feet and eyes, but these are more rare and require specialized treatment.

As anyone who has walked down the fishing hook aisle at any tackle store can tell you, there are many different types of hooks to choose from. Choosing the right hook for the job requires knowledge of how each type works and how to set it.

The most basic hook is a plain, straight shank with a ring or ball eye. The eye is the point through which a line passes and can be positioned one of three ways on the hook’s shank-up turned, down turned or straight. Some hooks are also forged, which is a process of hardening the metal to make it more durable and strong.

Another key element to hook design is the point, which is the sharpened end of the hook that penetrates and catches the fish. Almost all hooks are chemically sharpened, which is a process of dissolving the sharp edge of the point in acid to make it even more pointed and precise than mechanical sharpening. The point is usually angled slightly away from the hook shank, which makes it difficult to unhook a fish.

Lastly, the hook can be modified by changing the shape of its point and its barb, which is a small bump that is designed to snag a fish’s lip or jaw. Some anglers prefer a sharp, narrow point, while others like a broader, more rounded point that can be easier to penetrate and hold bait in place. The hook’s barb can also be molded into several other shapes, such as a wide, curved spade-like shape or a snagless circle.

Ultimately, the size of the hook is determined by its gauge and style. Crappies and other freshwater species need a small, light-gauge, very sharp hook that can penetrate quickly and easily, while Pike and other saltwater species call for a larger, stiffer, heavier gauge, more rugged hook that is stronger to resist heavy fighting and thrashing. Increasing the size of a hook is done using a system called the Aught scale, which uses numbers to represent the size of the hook and ranges from 1/0 to 27/0.