Crucian carp is perhaps the most common fish in domestic reservoirs. They hunt it mainly with a fishing rod, which means using a hook. And although there are no special hooks for catching crucian carp, their choice should be taken very responsibly. Because the success of fishing depends on this in many respects.
What does a hook consist of?
In order to answer the question about which hook for catching crucian carp is best, you need to first figure out what it actually consists of.
So, any standard hook has the following main parts:
- The sting.
- Ring (it’s the same eye).
- Beard.
- Prying off.
- Forend.
Each of them can have its own functional features in different types of hooks. In addition, you must definitely pay attention to other characteristics that distinguish fishing tackle (in this case, hooks) from each other. This is size, thickness, shape and even color.
What size should hooks for crucian be?
The crucian has a disproportionately small mouth against the background of the head and body. Perhaps this explains the fact that this fish very rarely swallows a hook. As a rule, the tip simply clings to the edge of the lip.
Consequently, the size of the hook on a crucian cannot be large. You need to choose the smallest "models" that only exist on sale.
Of course, there is no single standard, because the size of carp in the reservoir where fishing is planned and the type of bait to be used play their role ... Experienced fishermen are able to choose their own size with all this in mind. Well, for beginners it is recommended to start with a stop at No. 5-7 (the maximum that you can afford in some cases is No. 16). Over time, by trial and error, you will definitely be able to determine your size.
Important hook numbering features
True, it should be noted that the hook numbers do not have a single system - and this must be remembered. It all depends on the manufacturer and the country. So, for example, domestic classifications assign the corresponding numbers to small hooks: 1 - minimum, 2 - a little more and further - in increasing order. But foreign manufacturers have a completely different classification. Here the size of the hook is inversely proportional to its number. That is, the smallest are 32, 31, 30, and the largest are 1.2.3. Thus, choosing the size of the hook for crucian carp for imported products, you need to stay on the product with numbers within the third ten. The rest will be too big.
Hook and stinger shape
As for the shape of the hook, classic roundness is ideal. But regarding the configuration of the tip (sting), there are different opinions.
Many with foam at the mouth prove that there is nothing better for crucian carp (that is, for a fisherman) than a sting bent inward. They motivate this by the fact that karasik is a capricious, cautious, frightened fish. And such a hook can deceive her vigilance - because the point is not felt immediately, but when it is too late to do something. In addition, it is almost impossible to jump off a bent point - here you are trembling, not trembling, but you will fall into your ear. Well, the last argument: experienced fishermen argue that the hooks for crucian carp with a sting of this configuration are much stronger than their direct "colleagues".
Specialists associate the shape of the sting with the features of fishing and bait. But more on that below.
Fat or thin?
Hooks are different not only in size and shape, but also in the thickness of the wire from which they are made. And this value in this case is, so to speak, a variable. Crucian hooks sometimes they can be thick, and sometimes very thin. It all depends on the type of bait used.
If you offer a fish a worm, maggot, or, even more so, bloodworms, then you should take a thin hook (with a wire diameter of less than 0.5 mm) as a "skewer" for "kebab". This will allow the bait to remain mobile, and therefore attractive in the eyes of a hungry crucian. Experts say that walking with a thin hook is also possible for large individuals - the only thing is that they need to be pulled out of the water gradually, as carefully as possible, avoiding sharp jerks.
Well, if, for lunch, crucian carp has cereal, crumb, grain or dough, then the wire should be thick (more than 0.5 millimeters). Such a bait on a “thin” hook simply will not last long.
Hook color
No matter how surprising this fact may seem to be inexperienced in fishing people, but when fishing for crucian carp, even the color of the hook matters! What can you do, fishing tackle is a delicate matter!
The experienced "lord of fishing rods" know that the golden rule says: "The color of the hook should not differ much from the bottom surface." This is logical, because otherwise the “instrument” will be striking and scare away the fish.
As for the crucian carp, it pecks at dark hooks best of all. Therefore, usually fishermen either buy ready-made blacks or repaint them on their own, which is not at all difficult.
Features of the hook depending on the fishing method and type of bait
Universal rules do not exist in any field of activity. So hooks for crucian carp cannot (and should not!) Always meet certain requirements. The latter vary depending on the specific situation.
As mentioned above, many anglers advise choosing hooks with a sting bent inward. But experts clarify: when it comes to bottom fishing, which involves a long distance fishing. In this case, the distance does not allow the fisherman to quickly respond to the bite, and the bent hook solves the problem. A crucian cannot quickly "jump off" such a sting, and the hunter manages to pull the prey out of the water.
But there is a nuance: in the case of using bloodworms as bait, even with long-distance fishing (at least bottom, at least float) exclusively hooks with a direct sting will do.
They, according to experts, are ideal for ordinary float fishing and do not scare away the fish at all, as is commonly believed. She will not notice an open sting, as she will be carried away by seductive bait.
By the way, if the bait is dough and similar “dishes”, then there is a great danger of losing the nozzle during casting it into the water. You can play it safe with a hook equipped with a small spring, which wraps the forearm.
Those who like to catch crucian carp on polystyrene foam should remember that the size of the hook should be slightly larger than when using bloodworms, maggots, worms, dough, barley and other types of bait.
The forearm of the hook is better to choose a long one, if caught on a worm. In all other cases - only a short option.
Tips of experienced anglers
Well and some more practical advice from experienced fishermen about hooks:
Hooks for crucian carp (like any other) should be primarily of high quality. Better save on bait than hook.
Carassius is caught using one-day (single) hooks. All the rest (two- and three-day) are for large predators.
- The ring eye should be straight.
- It is good when the forearm is twice as long as the width of the bend.
- The hook tip should be perfectly sharp, the beard should be tenacious, and the hardening should be sufficient.
- It is advisable to choose ring-shaped hooks.
- It is better to store the hooks next to the magnet. For some reason, a magnetized hook is more attracted to crucian carp.
Here, in fact, all the tricks that will help to circle around the finger of a dead carp. The main thing is to pay attention to the choice of gear - and fishing will be successful. May you be lucky!