Bass Fishing Hooks: Breaking Down Different Styles To Help You Catch More Fish

There are a to of Bass fishing hooks on the market today. Have you ever dug into your tackle box and scratched your head as you wondered which hook was the right one to use? Don’t worry. You are not alone. Considering the large assortment of hooks on the market, picking the right one for the right situation may seem daunting. Next time you’re faced with this dilemma, use this as a guide as you sort through the piles of sharp objects in your tackle box.

Applications:

Narrowing down what type of bait you plan on using assists in the breakdown of what hook will be best suited for the situation. For simplicity, bass fishing baits can be broken down into three simple categories:

Soft Plastics
Hard Baits
Live-Baits

Once you have decided on what kind of bait you are going to use, you then can begin to shrink your selection.

Soft Plastic Hooks:

When talking about soft plastic artificial baits for bass fishing this can mean a variety of things. Again, for simplicity we are going to break down this category. There are a few main types of soft plastic baits that are most popular among bass fishing enthusiasts, and they include...

Craw/Creature Baits
Curly Tailed Worms
Finesse/Drop Shot Worms
Soft Stick Baits

Bass Fishing Hooks For Craw/Creature Baits:

When using a craw or creature style bait, most of the time anglers are fishing cover (tree limbs, weeds, boat docks, etc.) in which they require a strong hook that will haul fish out of the dens they’re hiding in. The following hooks will provide anglers with the strength and hook angle to deliver maximum results for dragging huge fish out of cover. The following hooks are your go-to when using a craw or creature bait:

Straight Shank Flippin Hook
Thick Wired Offset EWG Hook

Curly Tailed Worms Hooks:

Curly tailed worms have been bass fisherman’s best friend since their inception and are proven to catch massive fish. These baits are mostly fished by being casted out long distances and either hopped or dragged back in. Because of this, they’re in need of a hook that is strong enough to endure a hard-sweeping hookset and a hook angle that requires less effort to penetrate a fish’s mouth. To get the full benefits of this tried and true artificial plastic bait, make sure to use the following hooks next time you tie up a curly tailed worm:

Thick/Light Wire Offset EWG Hook
Thick/Light Wire Offset Hook

Bass Fishing Hooks For Finesse/Drop Shot Worms:

Finesse and drop shot style worms are usually small in stature due to the size of forage they’re imitating. There are two types of hooks that will assist in maximizing the life-like action of these baits while still providing great hook penetration upon the hookset:

Drop Shot Hook
Small Octopus Hook
Straight Shank Hook
Soft Stick Bait:

Whether you’re a beginner or a professional fisherman, you know the tantalizing action of a stick worm fluttering to the bottom of the lake will catch fish. When using soft stick baits, it is best to use a hook that will allow the bait to fall as naturally as possibly while also preventing it from getting hung up. To fish these baits effectively, give these hooks a try next time you’re out on the water as they’ll provide your stick bait with optimal action and strength:

Weedless Wacky Style Hook
EWG Thin-Wired Hook

Hard Baits Hooks:

When using hard baits there is only one hook to use due to the nature of how most of these lures come through the water column. Whether an angler is using a deep diving plug, topwater popper, or even a jerkbait the hook remains the same. The hook used in hard bait applications is the treble hook. While picking out the right treble hook for the hard bait you’re using make sure to keep these features in mind:

Size
Length
Feather (Topwater Applications)

Bass Fishing Hooks For Live Bait:

Just as with hard baits, there aren’t many options for hooks while using live baits such as minnows, night crawlers, or bluegill for bass fishing applications. When rigging your desired live bait, you want it to appear as realistic as possible. While keeping the integrity of the live bait in tact you also want a strong hook that will jam right through the fish’s mouth upon the hookset. In order to increase your hook ups, make sure to give these types of hooks a try with your preferred live bait:

Straight Shank J-Hook
Octopus Hook

Conclusion:

Next time you’re on the water pondering what hook to use, don’t fret. Follow the breakdown that we’ve provided, and you’ll easily arrive at the type of hook that will help you put more fish in the boat this season!