When it comes to catching bass, it's important to make sure that your hook size matches your bait size. This not only gives your bait a more natural appearance but also improves your chances of a getting a solid hookset.
In this article, we offer guidelines to help you choose the right hook size when setting up various weedless rigs, such as Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, weedless dropshots, and many others.
Hook dimensions
Hook sizes are not standardized. A size 3/0 hook from Gamakatsu may be slightly bigger or smaller than a 3/0 hook from VMC, for example.
Therefore, instead of worrying about the size written on the label, it's better to think in terms of hook dimensions.
The dimensions you should consider when rigging your soft plastics are:
- Hook length – the distance between the eye and the bend of the hook
- Hook gap – the distance between the point and the shank of the hook
- Hook wire gauge – the thickness of the wire that the hook is made of
Regardless of which type of hook you prefer—EWG, offset shank, or straight shank—these dimensions are what you should pay attention to for sizing.
To simplify things, we like to divide baits into two separate categories:
- Short/ bulky
- Long/ skinny baits
Below are our guidelines for each.
Hook sizing for short/ bulky baits
These baits include things like craws, grubs, flukes, swimbaits, and beaver-style creature baits.
When rigging these baits weedless, we recommend a hook with a gap that's at least 1.7 times the height of the bait.
You want there to be plenty of room for the bait to compress downward (thereby exposing the hook point) when a fish bites. Otherwise, you could end up losing the fish due to a poor hookup.
In terms of hook length, many baits have a slot on the back or belly. This little groove is a good indicator of what your maximum hook length should be.
The Yum Dinger has a slot on its back. This indicates the maximum hook length that the bait is designed to accept. Shorter hooks will also work as long as there's still sufficient gap
Hook sizing for long/ skinny baits
These baits include things like worms, lizards, stickbaits, and hog-style creature baits.
Because of their slender shape, it's much easier to find a hook with sufficient gap for these baits. When rigging them weedless, we recommend a hook gap that is 2 – 3 times the height of the bait. Staying within this range will also guarantee that your hook length is acceptable as well.
What about hook wire gauge?
Hooks are generally marketed as being "light wire" or "heavy duty," but if they're not labeled as one of these, you can assume they are of "standard" wire gauge.
The ideal wire gauge for your hook is determined not by the bait you're using, but rather by your rod and line. Light wire hooks have less surface area, allowing them to penetrate more easily. They are a good choice for flexible rods, such as medium-light spinning rods.
On the other hand, stiffer rods, such as heavy baitcasters, provide plenty of hook-setting power. These rods can handle heavy duty hooks, which are less likely to bend under the strain of setting the hook.
Line type plays a role here too. Stretchy lines like monofilament reduce hook-setting power, which may push you toward using a thinner hook. Non-stretch lines like braid transfer more force when setting the hook, so heavier hooks might be a better match.
So, here's our recommendation regarding wire diameter:
For lighter rods, use light wire hooks, especially if also using stretchy line. For heavier rods with low-stretch line, use heavy duty hooks. For anything in between, standard hooks will probably work fine.
Closing Thoughts
Keep in mind that these are just rough guidelines for hook sizing, not strict rules. Baits can often accept more than one hook size. With experience, you'll eventually be able to choose the right hook just by eyeballing it.
Lastly, because of the lack of standardization when it comes to hook sizes, it's usually difficult to figure out which size you should buy when shopping online. If you're a relatively new angler who's still building out their tackle box, we recommend ordering several different sizes. You'll likely end up using all of them as you expand your repertoire of baits and techniques.
Good luck!
