Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: bobby b on July 18, 2016, 10:07:16 AM
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So I lost another Spring on Sun ( Lost 2 so far this season ).
I have been using Size 1 hooks and was told by another fisher that I should be using size 2/0.
What are your thoughts on this? Am I using too small a hook? I did catch a few good sized fall hogs last year using size 1 hooks, but I did lose a few too ..
I realize you need to match hook size to species of fish being targeted
I hear different opinions on this ....some say smaller hook is the way to go and some say bigger.
I pulled out of the river some old gear that I snagged and lo and behold there was a (IMO) massive hook, prob size 4/0 or 5/0 on there...
That to me seemed waay too big..... wha.... I dunno ....what say yee
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Interested in hearing everyones opinions on this.
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2/0 (2 odd) seems a little big for me unless I was fishing in the salt.
Usually use 1 or 2, depending on how big my presentation is.
( You don't want to miss a fish because you used a 4 in a golf ball sized hunk of roe.
If there are other fish I'm hoping to intercept I'll go 4 but that's with a sharp hook and a smaller presentation.
My 2cents.
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Clear and low water = Size 1 (red Gammy is my to-go choice for summer reds)
Murky or cloudy water = Size 2.0
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2/0 (2 odd) seems a little big for me unless I was fishing in the salt.
Usually use 1 or 2, depending on how big my presentation is.
( You don't want to miss a fish because you used a 4 in a golf ball sized hunk of roe.
If there are other fish I'm hoping to intercept I'll go 4 but that's with a sharp hook and a smaller presentation.
My 2cents.
2/0 is to small for Chinook in the chuck. More like 4/0-5/0.
Chilliwack reds I use 1/0 or 2/0 even in clear water.
Summer reds in the Chilliwack hit with reckless abandon. Those times when your float goes doink then pops back up is not a Chinook, more likely a trout. When a Chinook hits there is no mistaking it (usually)
Chilliwack reds are extremely strong fish and 2/0 doesn't scare them off one bit.
Don't be a wuss, set the hook!
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My go to for this fishery is a quality 1/0. I like Owner cutting point but pick whatever works for you. If fishing roe I'll will on occasion bust out the 2/0.
Don't go light on your leader line! I typically use 15lb Maxima UG and 20lb Maxima or whatever quality mono mainline (Currently Berkley Prospec...got a sweet deal on a big spool).
Your rod and reel had better have some beef as well. I bring out my 11"6 Technium 12-25lb line rating and Calcutta 400 reel or another one of my beefier level winds.
I save my lighter gear for coho etc in the fall.
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i use 2's and sometimes 1's for every salmon or steelhead in our local rivers. loosing fish will always be apart of fishing. i was at the vedder on saturday and if your fishing with your float sideways and 5 ft leaders you are going to loose alot of fish because they are fouled hooked. keep your presentation 6" to a foot off the bottom. if you hook a fish the right way they are seldomly lost. not saying your doing that but lots of people are and it can get discouraging watching other people hook fish and your not especially for a beginner.
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Noah corrects me somewhat on hook size for chinook in the ocean.
(Checked my salt box and I have 4/0 and 5/0.
But I also have 20 and 25 leader
None the less, personally, 2/0 is a little big for the Veddar river IMHO.
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I think your Hook size should match whatever your presentation is. For example if I'm using a bead Ill match it with a #2 or #4 depending on bead size If I use Roe chunks I use a #2/0 to #1. I did notice this past season my landing ratio went way up using larger hooks than I previously used. I also think Hook size is dependant on the power/flex of your Rod. I noticed on my Lighter rated Sage rods I lost more fish using a larger hook size Unless I hero Hook set and try to rip his lips off. That gets tiresome on the shoulder joint after fishing for days on end. My heavier Sage 3113M gets a better hook set with larger hooks and I have more control with increased landing ratio. I think overall it just comes down to whatever you have the most confidence in. :)
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Match your hook size to the size of the presentation and water conditions.
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Noah corrects me somewhat on hook size for chinook in the ocean.
(Checked my salt box and I have 4/0 and 5/0.
But I also have 20 and 25 leader
None the less, personally, 2/0 is a little big for the Veddar river IMHO.
Normally I would agree. During coho season I never have anything on bigger then #2 or #4 unless targeting Chinook or chum. Steelhead season #1 hook usually.
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i use 2's and sometimes 1's for every salmon or steelhead in our local rivers. loosing fish will always be apart of fishing. i was at the vedder on saturday and if your fishing with your float sideways and 5 ft leaders you are going to loose alot of fish because they are fouled hooked. keep your presentation 6" to a foot off the bottom. if you hook a fish the right way they are seldomly lost. not saying your doing that but lots of people are and it can get discouraging watching other people hook fish and your not especially for a beginner.
Oh yes, I too see quite a bit of flossing on the Vedder. I usually short float with a 18-24" leader. I have seen people chucking 5-7ft leaders and yeah it's obvious what is going on there.
Ok, I am gonna tie up some leaders with 1/0 and maybe 2/0 gammy hooks
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I believe there was a thread about hooks that is most likely hanging off somewhere deep within the general forum. :o
For myself I've used some fairly small hooks like size 1-2 Gam's to pull in some large springs, but a couple years ago I went to the barbless hooks and literally had fish throwing hooks out less than a minute after hook-up. There is a noticeable difference in the quality of the regular shaped/ barbed Gam's in size 1-2 to the barbless ones, thinner wire, easier to flex apart, and the shape is more rounded which is making me suspect I've had more fish roll the hooks out of their mouths especially with the more flexable wire.
Last season I switched to Maruto sickle hooks cause they felt way stronger and the price is pretty much the same as Gam's. Hook size is similar to that of a size 2 Gam but Maruto calls it a size 8, after hooking into multiple springs I was actually impressed with the strength these hooks have for their size cause it looks more like something you could use for smaller fish like stocked rainbows.
I've personally liked to use smaller hooks when river fishing and hooks like 2/0-3/0 for ocean cause of the heavier line used when trolling.
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I normally use size 1 or 2 hooks when targeting springs. I seem to lose more fish with a size 2 hook, as this hook will bend a bit if I put lots of pressure on the fish. But I do go down to size 2 when the fish are heavily pressured. I have also caught springs with size 4 hooks.
As for coho, I only use size 4. But that's another topic.
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I use a size 2 hook all season and it catches and holds all species... :)
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Are you sure it's the hooks? Could be bad hook sets, you're fighting the fish wrong, dull hooks, etc... there are a million things that could lead to losing fish.
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Yes it could be any or all of those things ......
My question was a result of being told by another fisherman that I was using too small a hook ( size 1 ) for chinook.
I always use sharp barbless hooks. Hook set.....hmmm yes could be that too as my rod is fairly flexy ( 3113LB ), but have had no prob setting the hook with other species.
Talked to the guys at Pacific Angler and they too say that size 1 is too small for chinook, they recommended either 2 or 2/0.
I'll try 'em and report back when I land one this weekend 8)
Cheers and thnaks for all the feedback and suggestions.
Fish on!!!
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Talked to the guys at Pacific Angler and they too say that size 1 is too small for chinook, they recommended either 2 or 2/0.
??? A size 2 is smaller than a 1
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Losing two fish really isnt a large enough sample size to determine that you are losing fish due to hooks being too small. You were probably just unlucky.
You could definitely go up a size or two if it gives you confidence as springs aren’t known to be hook shy, but size 1 is probably the most common size hook on the C/V and account for many many salmon including huge white springs without problems. Check them regularly to ensure they are always sticky sharp (Gammies I find don’t hold their points particularly well), and set it hard when they hit.
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for some reason i lose 90% of fish i hook on size 1. I've switched to size 2 for low water and 1/0 for springs and have had a lot more success
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??? A size 2 is smaller than a 1
Yup my bad, guess either a 1/0 or size 2/0 .... 2/0 or one size smaller I think thats what they were getting at.
I assumed 2 was the next size bigger than a 1 but the next size smaller than 2/0 ....hook size #'s confuse me sometimes :P
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I bought 2/0