Scott: Choosing the right tackle can get you hooked on fishing

At the end of last week’s column my typical new angler had acquired a rod and reel and had filled the spool of reel with line. He or she did not have anything to tie to the business (terminal) end of that line. I’m about to rectify that situation.

Since most new anglers will spend a significant percentage of their time using some type of natural bait, hooks are a logical place to start. New anglers are often totally bamboozled by the seemingly infinite number of sizes, styles and even colors of hooks that are displayed on the racks of all but the smallest or most specialized tackle shops.

I’ve yielded to temptation  often enough to to state with authority that some uniquely shaped hooks indeed do solve real problems, but many others are designed only to catch unwary fishermen.

Fortunately, novice anglers don’t need to be able to tell the difference because two hook styles will cover more than 90 percent of all bait-fishing situations.

The first of these is the Eagle Claw Model 84. This heavy-wire, J-shaped, medium-shank, usually dark-colored hook has been on the market for more than half a century for one simple reason: it works. Start with a supply of sizes 6 and 1 Model 84s, but you’ll soon want to add 1/0, 2/0 and 10.

The second, the Aberdeen, is a design, rather than a brand. Thin-wire, J-shaped, long-shank, usually gold-colored Aberdeen hooks have stood the test of time. Aberdeen hook sizes 1/0 and 2/0 work well on crappie, and 2/0 hooks can do double duty on bass or walleye. Bluegill fishermen will need Aberdeen hooks in 8 and 6.

That sounds simple enough, but hook sizes can be confusing. A hook’s relative size is designated by a number system under which hook size increases as the indicator number decreases, so a 1 hook is larger than a 2 hook.

Or at least that’s true for hooks size 1 or smaller.

Larger hooks have a number, followed by a slash, followed by a zero (pronounced “ought.”) Hook sizes ending in an ought increase as the initial number increases, so a 1/0 hook is smaller than a 2/0 hook.

The size, shape and consistency of the bait plays the dominant role in deciding which type and size hook the angler should choose.

For example, small baits almost always require small hooks, and large baits work best with correspondingly large hooks.

An Aberdeen hook is the best choice when using fragile live baits like crickets and most minnows.

The species and size of the fish being sought is a consideration. Although fragile baits like minnows require the use of Aberdeen hooks even when the fish species being sought is capable of putting up a serious battle to regain its freedom, this type of hook performs best when the targeted fish species is small (bluegills), tender-mouthed (crappie) or a relatively weak fighter (walleye.)

Choose a stouter hook when fishing for catfish, carp and, whenever possible, white bass or hybrids.

What about treble hooks? For all practical purposes, a treble hook is three Model 84 hooks welded together. Jigs and safety pin spinnerbaits aside, treble hooks are by far the most common and usually the best choice for use on artificial lures.

The soft dough baits and, perhaps, chicken livers used by catfish anglers are just about the only examples of when a bait fisherman would use a treble hook.

Many novice anglers use swivel snaps large enough for use on trotline stagings to join hook and line.

Don’t do it. In most cases, hooks should be attached directly to the line. Googling “fishing knots” will yield several good sources of illustrated knot-tying instructions.

Next week I’ll explore the fisherman-catching world of artificial lures, and I’ll give you my opinion on what you actually need to catch fish.