fake corn

[Phone]

RUDD,

 

Most will agree with you. It is more cultural than effective. Both work - it's the hair that makes the difference. Meet you half-way, we'll both use a #1 (ha ha)

 

Andy M.,

 

Surprisingly larger hook do LESS damage than smaller hooks. Smaller diameter wire tends to rip flesh in the direction of the pressure. We both know, a vast majority of mouth damage is angler carelessness and not mechanical damage from the hook anyway. Larger hooks are especially important in American style of angling. We use MUCH larger gear (rods and reels), heavier line, larger hooks and "horse" fish to the bank or boat.

 

Phone

[Andy Macfarlane]

It wasn't about damage that concerned me. I'm of the match the hook size to the bait being used school of thought. I don't use any baits that require a large hook.

[Phone]

Andy,

 

See - - - a "small" bait may be the size of a golf ball. Medium tennis ball - etc. I don't necessairly match the bait to the hook but rather the hook to the species. Bare in mind - there is no such thing as a "feeder".

 

Phone

[Andy Macfarlane]

See that's normally the idea over here too. Ask most anglers for a roah hook and they'll give you a 20 most likely, a 16 for trout and so on but I usually try to match the hook to the bait, thinking that there's little point in hiding a wee hook in a fat worm or dangling a maggot from a size 8 for instance.

 

If I was to use as you say, a golf ball-sized bait, I might go up to a 1/0 but it's pretty unlikely.