11-26-2003, 02:12 PM
It seems to me, if you're talking about using crankbaits or plugs, you'd be more interested in overall size of the lure compared to the size of the target fish rather than hook size. Hook size, to me, becomes the prime question when fishing bait -- or using a fly.
Although most of us have probably landed a fish and found the fish had swallowed another fish so big the tail was sticking out of its mouth, I try to choose a lure size I think the target fish would normally chase and eat. From the description you gave (and this is coming from a stream trout fishing guy, remember), I wouldn't go much bigger than a two or so inch long lure.
I'd use something like a #8 or #10 if bait fishing for those fish.
As for hook sizes varying among manufacturers, I agree they do, but for my sloppy type fishing, there's usually enough relative commonality (is that correct usage?) to not make much difference unless you run into an entirely different numbering system like JapanRon describes.
I ran into that type problem in Circle C's from Eagle Claw. I got some #4, 6, and 8 L787G's through mailorder and they were gigantic!! I eventually got down to a #10 and they were still bigger than the Eagle Claw #4 181 baitholder I was trying to replace. I finally ran down to the Eagle Claw factory store here in Denver and, though I can't remember the details, found out they have two different numbering systems with their Circle C's. The L787G's obviously used a system I wasn't familiar with. I ended up getting their NT2050FS Circle C's, which although not absolutely identically sized to the 181 baitholder, uses the numbering system most of us have been referring to in this posting.
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Although most of us have probably landed a fish and found the fish had swallowed another fish so big the tail was sticking out of its mouth, I try to choose a lure size I think the target fish would normally chase and eat. From the description you gave (and this is coming from a stream trout fishing guy, remember), I wouldn't go much bigger than a two or so inch long lure.
I'd use something like a #8 or #10 if bait fishing for those fish.
As for hook sizes varying among manufacturers, I agree they do, but for my sloppy type fishing, there's usually enough relative commonality (is that correct usage?) to not make much difference unless you run into an entirely different numbering system like JapanRon describes.
I ran into that type problem in Circle C's from Eagle Claw. I got some #4, 6, and 8 L787G's through mailorder and they were gigantic!! I eventually got down to a #10 and they were still bigger than the Eagle Claw #4 181 baitholder I was trying to replace. I finally ran down to the Eagle Claw factory store here in Denver and, though I can't remember the details, found out they have two different numbering systems with their Circle C's. The L787G's obviously used a system I wasn't familiar with. I ended up getting their NT2050FS Circle C's, which although not absolutely identically sized to the 181 baitholder, uses the numbering system most of us have been referring to in this posting.
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