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Do I need a bigger hook?


Steve Chertsey

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I have been using size 16 on the Thames, and catch little fish.

 

But, I am starting to think maybe I am hooking bigger fish that then pull off the hook and get away.

I seem to "snag" when I pull my feeder in which I presumed to mean weeds, but the line came in pretty clean most of the time.

 

Could it be bigger fish?

I would have though the line would pull away from me if it was.

 

And is 16 small for Thames fishing?

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Steve,within reason the size of your hook should be determined by the size of your bait.Easy as that!

 

For general fishing at this time of year a size 18 with two maggots would be about right.A size 12 with a grain of sweet corn or a size 6 with a lobworm! See what I mean?

 

It follows that to try and target bigger fish that you will use a larger bait (to try and deter smaller fish) and therefore a bigger hook.

And thats my "non indicative opinion"!

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Steve,within reason the size of your hook should be determined by the size of your bait.Easy as that!

 

For general fishing at this time of year a size 18 with two maggots would be about right.A size 12 with a grain of sweet corn or a size 6 with a lobworm! See what I mean?

 

It follows that to try and target bigger fish that you will use a larger bait (to try and deter smaller fish) and therefore a bigger hook.

 

 

Thanks. So much of fishing is common sense "after" someone explains it to you :)

 

Cheers!

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LOL - Steve, don't feel bad. I have lure fished most of my life and came late to the bait fishing thing except for some live baiting on occasion.

 

I kept losing fish and having no clue why. One day I was fishing with a Brit ex-pat and after I finished saying some *##%@^^&& things he took a look and explained that I was using way too small a hook for the bait.

 

Yup. It made perfect sense AFTER it was explained.

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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