• Curved shank sets and holds in the mouth of a summer flounder
• Popular for fluke fishing
• Used to drift strip baits and live minnows

• Bent-back eye for snelling
• Popular for snelling onto natural-bait rigs
• Sizes 10 to 6 are effective with live minnows and salmon eggs for trout
• Sizes 5/0 to 8/0 are used with live eels, cut bait, and clams for striped bass

• Narrow gap is easily inhaled by small-mouthed fish
• Longtime favorite of winter flounder fishermen
• Long shank can be threaded with seaworm or mussel

• Wide gap, short shank designed to allow live baits to swim freely
• Used for large fish, such as tuna and striped bass
• Smaller sizes are also effective for blackfish
• Straight eye allows for crimping or tying

• Long shank, large eye works well on artificial lures
• Used as a single hook on plugs and jigs
• Available with open eye for easy attachment to artificial lures

• Inward-facing point designed to catch in the corner of the jaw
• Most often used for large fish such as striped bass, tuna and black drum
• Reduces risk of deep-hooking fish
• Used with cut bait, live bait, clams, or worms

• Short point, large barb easily hooks and holds crab baits
• Once the standard hook for blackfish
• Has lost popularity as fishermen switch to octopus-style or live-bait hooks

The numbers that define hook sizes can be confusing. They are based on a nominal hook size of zero. Hook sizes with a number followed by a zero increase in size as the number goes up.

For instance, a 4/0 hook is one size up from a 3/0.

Hook sizes not followed by a zero decrease in size as the number increases.

For example, a size 3 hook is smaller than a size 2 hook.

While most hook manufacturers follow this basic numbering system, there is unfortunately little standardization in sizes. For instance, what may be a size 4/0 in an Eagle Claw hook may not necessarily be the same as a 4/0 in a VMC hook.

Save those little packets of desiccant that often come with pills and other products. They help prevent
rust in hook containers and tackle boxes.