What Size Hooks For Pike Fishing? Choose Right Every Time

Pike fish are known for their ability to see well which allows them to easily distinguish shapes and sizes. Using the wrong hook size or type when fishing for pike can make them wary of your bait.

That’s why it’s important to have a large selection of different hook sizes in your tackle box to make it easier to tailor your size according to the conditions you’re fishing in and to maximize your chances of successfully catching more pike.

So, what size hooks for pike fishing? Hook sizes from 6 to 14 are generally ideal for pike fishing. Despite having big jaws, smaller hooks work better with pike. Your choice of hook size mostly depends on several factors including the size of the pike fish, the kind of bait you’re using, and how clear the water you’re fishing in is.

Keep reading to learn more about the main types of fishing hooks and how to choose the hook size that works best for pike fishing in different conditions.

What Are the Main Types of Fishing Hooks?

Fishing hooks are mainly classified into two types – single hooks and treble hooks. Let’s talk about each type in more detail.

Single Hooks

The single hook is the most popular hook type among anglers.

It’s the most basic kind of hook which makes it less noticeable to the keen eyes of fish than other kinds of fishing hooks.

There are three kinds of single hooks:

J Hooks	Circle Hooks	Kahle Hooks
They’re shaped like the letter J with straight shanks and a loop at the bottom. They’re the best for live bait. They could hook anywhere in the fish’s mouth without any need to set them.	They have a rounded design and it can be harder to keep the bait on them. They are meant to loop to the corner of the fish’s mouth and you don’t usually have to set them because the fish usually hook themselves.	They are basically a cross between J-hooks and circle hooks. They are not very popular with anglers as they are more prone to gut hooking.  They are considered to be the most damaging hook kind to most fish species.

Treble Hooks

A treble hook consists of three single hooks that are joined at the shaft.

They’re less commonly used than single hooks because they’re three times as visible.

It’s recommended to go for sizes 12, 14, or 16 when fishing with treble hooks. Smaller sizes are ideal if you’re fishing with power bait, while larger sizes are ideal if you’re fishing with spinners and trolling lures.

Now that you know the main types of fishing hooks, let’s take a look at the parts that a typical fishing hook consists of:

Eye	This is the part of the hook that you tie your fishing line to
Shank	This refers to the length of the distance between the eye of the hook and the start of the bend.
Bend	This is the curve that forces the point of the hook to face forward.
Point	This refers to the sharpened end of the hook which allows it to be set in the fish’s mouth.
Gape	This refers to the length of the distance between the shank and the point.
Throat/Bite	This refers to the length of the distance between the start of the bend and the point.
Barb	This is the sharp spike that’s usually bent from the back of the hook point. Its main purpose is to make sure that the hook does not fall out of the fish’s mouth.

Here is an image that illustrates these parts quite well:

How to Choose the Best Hook for Pike Fishing?

According to many professional anglers, hook sizes from 8 to 14 are the best for targeting pike. It’s recommended to go for sizes 10 to 14 if you’re using treble hooks and sizes 8 to 12 if you’re using single hooks.

However, pike have an excellent vision which gives them the ability to detect hooks easily, so there are still some factors you need to consider when choosing a hook for pike fishing such as the level of visibility in the water and the size of bait you’re using.

Top Picks

Here’s a list of some of the best fishing hooks for pike fishing on the market:

• Mustad Classic 4 Extra Strong Kingfish Treble Hook

• Mustad UltraPoint Demon Wide Gap Circle Hook

• Mustad Classic 2 Extra Strong Treble Hook

• Mustad Classic 34007 O’Shaughnessy Stainless Steel J Hook

How to Choose the Right Hook Size for Ice Fishing?

Your hook choice for hard water conditions would be a little different from normal conditions. When ice fishing, it’s often recommended to downsize your hooks

Hook sizes from 4 to 8 are ideal for ice fishing for pike.  It’s recommended to go for sizes 6 to 8 if you’re using small baits, and size 4 to 6 if you’re using larger baits.

How Does Hook Sizing Work?

There are two ways to size a hook – number sizing and aught sizing.

The number sizing method or the normal scale measures hooks using numbers starting at 1 and the hook size goes down as the number goes up. This means that a size 1 hook is the largest kind of hook available, while a size 2 would be smaller, and so on.

However, there is no universal sizing when it comes to this scale. This means that a size 4 hook from one brand wouldn’t necessarily be the same as a size 4 from another brand.

The aught sizing method works in the opposite direction of the number scale. As the number on the aught scale goes bigger, the size of the hook will also be bigger.

Related Questions

What Is the Gauge of a Hook?

The gauge of the hook refers to the thickness of the wire used to make a hook. Hooks are typically made from metal wires that are bent and sharpened on the ends to form the shape. They are measured with a number X scale (1X, 2X, 3X, and so on) and the higher the number on the scale, the thicker the wire will be.

How to Stay Safe When Ice Fishing?

In order to stay safe when ice fishing you need to measure the thickness of the ice before your trip. The ice should be at least 4 inches to walk on and 12 inches to drive on. It’s also advised to never go ice fishing alone, make sure to bring along a fishing buddy, and let a friend or family member know where you are going.

Helpful Resources 

Fishing Hook Sizes – How to Choose the Right Fishing Hook

Parts of a Typical Fishing Hook

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