Types of Fishing Hooks: Uses, Size Chart and a Saltwater Hook Finder

There are many types of fishing hooks, and each shape does a job: holding live bait, rigging a soft plastic, sitting on a lure or turning into the corner of a fish's jaw. Pick the right one and you land more fish and release them in better shape.

Below: a saltwater hook finder for Florida and Caribbean fish, the parts of a hook, the 12 hook types and what each is for, how hook sizes work, a size chart by species and the circle hook rule for reef fish.

Saltwater hook finder: which hook for your fish?

Tap a fish to get the hook type, the size range and what to watch out for. The full chart, with sources, is further down.

Parts of a fishing hook

• Eye: where you tie the line. It can be straight, turned up or turned down.
• Shank: the straight part between the eye and the bend; long or short.
• Bend: the curve of the hook.
• Gap (gape): the space between the point and the shank; a wider gap fits bigger baits.
• Point: the sharp end that goes into the fish.
• Barb: the small backward spike that keeps the fish from slipping off.

Hook anatomy from the South Carolina DNR beginner's guide.

Types of fishing hooks and what they are for

1. J hook

• What it is: the classic hook, shaped like a J, with the point parallel to the shank. You set it with a firm pull when the fish bites.
• Best for: general bait fishing and many lures.

2. Circle hook

• What it is: a round hook whose point turns back toward the shank. When the fish swallows the bait and you reel tight, it slides out and turns into the corner of the mouth (Florida Sportsman).
• Best for: live and cut bait, catch and release, and reef fish where it is required.

3. Octopus hook

• What it is: a short, light hook with a wide gap and an up-turned eye made for snelling, so it does not get in the way of the bait (Florida Sportsman).
• Best for: live bait and drifted dead bait.

4. Aberdeen hook

• What it is: a thin-wire hook with a rounded bend and a wide gap. The light wire keeps live minnows alive longer and it bends before it breaks (Eagle Claw).
• Best for: panfish and crappie with minnows or worms.

5. Bait holder hook

• What it is: a J-style hook with small barbs on the shank that keep worms and soft baits in place.
• Best for: worms and other natural baits.

6. Kahle hook

• What it is: a wide-gap hook, also called a shiner hook, with the point facing the eye. It is usually made of thinner wire than a circle hook (Florida Sportsman).
• Best for: live bait, speckled trout and pompano with sand fleas.

7. O'Shaughnessy hook

• What it is: a strong, forged saltwater classic, also made with a long shank for slow trolling (Florida Sportsman).
• Best for: trolling baits and cut bait in salt water.

8. Treble hook

• What it is: three points on one shank. It hooks more fish but also does more damage, so catch-and-release anglers often swap it (Florida Sportsman).
• Best for: crankbaits, topwater plugs, spoons and stinger rigs.

9. Siwash hook

• What it is: a single hook with a long shank and often an open eye, used to replace trebles on lures (Florida Sportsman).
• Best for: spoons, spinners and plugs, with less harm to the fish.

10. Worm hook (wide gap)

• What it is: a hook with an extra-wide gap, often with an offset shank, for rigging soft plastics weedless.
• Best for: bass with soft plastic worms and creatures.

11. Jig hook

• What it is: a hook with a sharp bend near the eye, molded into a lead jig head (Florida Sportsman).
• Best for: jig heads with soft plastics or hair.

12. Weedless hook

• What it is: a hook with a wire or plastic guard over the point so it does not snag.
• Best for: fishing in grass, weeds and wood.

Fishing hook sizes explained

Hook sizes run in two directions. Small hooks use plain numbers: the bigger the number, the smaller the hook, from #32 up to #1. After #1 come the aught sizes, written 1/0 ("one aught"): there the bigger the number, the bigger the hook, up to 20/0 (Academy, wikiHow).

• Smallest to largest: #32 … #10, #8, #6, #4, #2, #1, then 1/0, 2/0, 3/0 … 20/0.
• Brands differ: there is no standard, so a 4/0 from one maker can be bigger or smaller than a 4/0 from another (Sport Fishing).
• Circle vs J: a circle hook has a smaller gap than a J hook of the same number, so anglers often go one or two sizes up when they switch (Tackle Room).
• Rule of thumb: match the hook to the bait, and use the smallest hook you can get away with (Sport Fishing).

Saltwater hook size chart: Florida and Caribbean fish

The same fish has different names around the Caribbean, so we added the Spanish name you will hear in the islands and on the coast. Sizes are a starting point: go up or down with the size of your bait and your fish.

Fish	Caribbean Spanish name	Hook type	Size
Snook	róbalo	Circle	1/0–3/0
Snapper	pargo	Circle	2/0–6/0
Spanish mackerel	carite	Light treble (lures), octopus (live bait)	2/0–4/0
Mahi-mahi	dorado	Circle (baits), treble (plugs)	4/0–6/0
Grouper	mero	Circle	5/0–8/0
King mackerel	sierra, carite lucio	Light-wire stinger	5/0–7/0
Cobia	cobia	Circle or octopus	6/0–8/0
Amberjack	coronado, medregal	Circle (live bait), assist (jigs)	6/0–9/0
Tarpon	sábalo	Inline circle, heavy wire	7/0–9/0
Wahoo	peto	Light-wire hook on lures	8/0–10/0
Yellowfin tuna	atún aleta amarilla	Inline circle	9/0–12/0

Circle hooks for reef fish: the Florida rule

In Florida, anyone fishing for reef fish (groupers, snappers, amberjacks, triggerfish, porgies, sea bass, hogfish and tilefish) from a boat must follow the FWC gear rules (FWC):

• Gulf: non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing with natural bait (non-offset in state waters).
• Atlantic: north of 28° N, non-stainless, non-offset circle hooks with natural bait; south of 28° N, non-stainless hooks.
• A dehooking device and a descending device or venting tool rigged and ready on board.

FWC explains why: circle hooks are 90% more likely to hook the fish in the mouth instead of the throat or stomach. Rules change, so check the FWC page before you go. Outside Florida, ask your local fisheries authority.

Once you have the hook, choose the line to go with it in our guide to the types of fishing line, and the reel in types of fishing reels.

Hooks we would start with

Chosen from the specifications, not from a lab test.

Types of fishing hooks: frequently asked questions

Sources

• Florida Sportsman: Top 9 types of fishing hooks and how to use them.
• Eagle Claw: What fish hook do you need? (manufacturer).
• South Carolina DNR: A beginner's guide to fishing (hook anatomy and sizes).
• Academy: Fishing hook size chart and wikiHow: Fishing hook size guide (sizes).
• Tackle Room: Saltwater fishing hook sizes explained and Norrik: hook size chart by species (sizes by species).
• Sport Fishing: How to pick saltwater circle hooks (no standard sizing).
• FWC: Reef fish gear rules (official).