Tackling an ages-old debate: What’s the best hook for ?

The basic shape of hooks hasn’t changed since prehis - tory. These bone fish hooks excavated in Fulton County are estimated to be 1,000 years old. ) . r e h p a r g o t o h P m u e s u M , r r a C g u o D — m u e s u M e t a t S s i o n i l l I e h t f o n o i t c e l The Right Hook l o C ( Story and Photos A bit of hook history is helpful. From new twists and barbs and fancy packag - its humble origins in prehistory, the fish ing can never change a fundamental By Joe McFarland hook as we know it today really isn’t all need of any hook: It must hook fish. that different than the device some Thousands of years ago, Native f the point of fishing is to actu - clever fish hunter invented years ago. Americans basically came to the same ally hook a fish, why do so Whether it was a carved piece of bone or conclusion. many fishermen know so little a sharpened bit of copper, early fish “The appearance of fish hooks in the about hooks? Anglers love to hooks archaeologists have recovered in archaeological record dates back to the micromanage every detail of the Midwest were all, well, hooks. Middle Archaic (approx. 8,200-4,400 tIheir tackle, yet so few anglers bother “There’s only so much you can do to years before present),” explained Hal to examine that one, specific piece of a fish hook before you render it use - Hassen, archaeologist for the Depart - hardware that really catches fish. less,” explained hook expert Matt Gray, ment of Natural Resources. “But a fish Could it be that all hooks are created product manager for the Colorado man - hook that’s thousands of years old still equal? Will any hook work under all cir - ufacturer of hook brands Eagle Claw looks like a fish hook today.” cumstances? Why so many varieties? and Lazer Sharp. Gray pointed out that, Just as new styles and twists appear while the much-improved fish hooks of on today’s market, early anglers proba - today are made from engineered metals bly experimented with other fish-grab - 14 / Outdoor Illinois January 2009 far superior to primitive hook materials, Want to catch more fish? Down- sizing hooks can prove that bigger isn’t always better-especially when fish are finicky. bing designs. But the surviving evi - dence indicates the original invention of the classic, curved fish hook is as timeless as the wheel. Back to our puzzle: How come there are so many hooks on the market today? Gray points out fishermen them - selves created the need for new hooks. Some anglers are specialists, employing a unique arsenal of tackle for their spe - No. 18 hook has a smaller opening Chain O’ Lakes angler Ron Scott insist - cific strategy: A monster-size blue cat - between the hook tip and hook shank ed. He also revealed a tried-and-true fish hunter requires hooks capable of than a No. 4 hook (see illustration). crappie hooking technique. “I hook pulling more than 100 pounds, while Yet don’t underestimate the hooking minnows differently than a lot of fisher - scrappy anglers opt for compar - power of a tiny hook. Wary fish some - men. Instead of hooking the minnow atively frail hooks. times nibble at baits, and a tiny hook through the jaw and up through the Still other anglers attempt to catch can fool the finicky ones. And tiny snout, I hook the minnow from the fish without hooking them for keeps. hooks with short shanks can lift a sur - snout down into the jaw. If you hook “Conservation fishermen who prac - prisingly heavy fish. the minnow that way, nine out of 10 tice want a hook that But sometimes the shank of the times you’ll hook the crappie in the tends to hook in the mouth,” Gray hook needs to be relatively long—and roof of the mouth.” explained, adding that barbless hooks bent—such as for “worm hooks,” Finally, sharpness is a vastly over - also can aid in easy releases. “One of which offer the advantage of securing looked detail. our most popular hooks today is the cir - plastic worms while maintaining a nat - “If there’s one thing I can recom - cle hook, which usually doesn’t hook ural bait appearance. Many anglers like mend to help you catch more fish it’s fish deep.” a colored hook, such as a gold hook, keeping your hook sharp,” advised Illi - An ironic twist: “The is which has been shown to attract crap - nois bass tournament angler Fred Wash - ancient,” Gray said. “It’s been around pie to its sparkle (on two different burn. “Some hooks are so dull—even for thousands of years.” occasions this writer has caught crap - brand-new hooks—they wouldn’t pene - What about all of those hook num - pie on a bare gold hook after momen - trate anything.” Washburn always bers? What’s the difference between a tarily setting down a to keeps handy a hook sharpener and uses No. 4 hook and a No. 18 hook? Hook reach for the minnow bucket). Also, it often, even when tying on a new lure numbers are like shotgun numbers— since crappie mouths are proportion - for the first time. As a test, dragging the the larger the number, the smaller the ately huge, hook size selection can point across a fingernail should not be diameter at the business end. Just as a favor a big hook. possible with a sharp hook; the point 20 gauge shotgun has a smaller diame - “A No. 4 gold hook is all I ever use should grab and dig in. ter barrel opening than a 10 gauge, a when crappie fishing with minnows,” Despite today’s endless hook vari - eties, a fundamental truth hasn’t changed. “It’s got to hook fish,” Gray conclud - ed. “That’s one requirement that never changes.”

Each hook style was created for specific tasks. Treble hooks are great for holding lumps of bait for catfish but are poor choices for use with minnows.

January 2009 Outdoor Illinois / 15