Going to the pond, each fisherman seeks to choose the best gear. The success of the whole event depends on this. How to choose the best hooks for catfish will help to understand the recommendations of experienced fishermen.
Basic requirements for hooks
First of all, you need to opt for a specialized store where there is a large number of gear, and independently understand their technical characteristics.
You also need to remember that there are two criteria that every angler must know before acquiring a hook. These include:
- Strength. Since this mustachioed predator is a large fish, the tackle must have good strength. When using a low-quality hook, the fish may break or the hook itself will bend or break. Therefore, you need to check the tackle yourself by pushing harder on it. If the hook bends, then it does not fit.
- Sharpness. The hook should not be blunt, otherwise all efforts to catch fish will be in vain, as the catfish will easily jump off such gear. It’s best to try to pierce a cardboard or a thin board with a crochet hook in the store to be sure of its sharpness. In addition, the sharpness should remain the same as at the beginning of the purchase. If it is lost, then it is caused by low-quality metal or marriage.
Hooks on the catfish or other fish should not have deformation and kinks. They should be made from a single piece of metal.
Requirements for the selection of hooks
Considering which hooks on the catfish will be the best choice, it is necessary to pay attention to some parameters of these products. Standard gear should have a sting, a head, a forearm, a pry and a beard.
The sting can have a different shape. This is the wrong pyramid, the right cone, the tip. Each of these types is suitable for fishing. The fisherman himself chooses the correct shape of the hook. Do not forget to check the perfect sharpness of the sting.
The ability to properly hook fish is considered an important part of fishing. Fish often does not swallow the whole bait, but only touches it. Success will depend on hooking. Experienced fishermen do not recommend stopping their choice on hooks with a small internal space. Because of this, the catfish can easily get off the hook.
A beard is best chosen in medium sizes. The head is divided into three types. It can be straight, bent in or out. Specialists make their choice on the first and third option.
Hook selection
On sale is a huge selection of hooks for catching catfish. To choose the right one, it is necessary to focus on his company and size. Popular manufacturers are:
- Panacea. Use this tackle for fishing at great depths. Usually, hooks of this company are used for artificial lures. You can opt for single, double and triple varieties. According to experts, 10 mm hooks would be suitable. They are suitable for a big catch. The kit includes an artificial bait.
- Kamatsu. High quality hooks allows you to use them for bait on spinning gear. They have a rounded forearm rise, and the size ranges from 2 to 11 mm.
- Arari Soi. They are of high quality and suitable for catching large catfish. Sizes, according to experienced anglers, you need to choose from 9 to 11 mm.
If an inexperienced fisherman decided to choose the first hook, then during fishing the fish can simply jump off.
Material and size of hook
They make fishing hooks from high carbon and stainless steel. A special coating protects the gear from rust and provides strength. If the hook does not rust, it remains sharp. This is the main rule when choosing such gear.
The steel from which the hooks are made goes through a series of heat treatment stages. Therefore, it will not deteriorate even with the maximum weight of the fish. If the buyer decided to save on hooks and is trying to make them on his own, he must use wire calcined over a fire for these purposes.
It is also important to choose the size of the hooks on the catfish. And x is usually written in Roman numerals from I to IV. In world practice, you can find more categories of hooks. The width of such gear, as a rule, is from 0.1 to 11 millimeters. To catch the catfish, it is better to select a size of 9-11 mm with a width of 0.2-0.5 mm.
You can also fish with a single hook, which is suitable for a small catfish, as well as double and triple. In this case, artificial baits are used.
Making hooks at home
Many fishermen are interested in questions of how to make it yourself and how to knit hooks on a catfish. To do this, you need to get a thick wire. First, cut 5-6 centimeters from the skein and straighten it on a flat surface. Next, you need to take the nippers and make a loop for the fishing line. Then you need to bend the hook, giving it the necessary shape so that the tip is at the level of the fishing line loop. The sting can be left bent inward or outward (as you prefer).
After the first preparations, the sting must be sharpened. As a rule, this is done with a knife or grindstone. To give tackle strength, it should be heated on fire.
The advantage of such hooks is that they can be made from various improvised material. If you correctly approach the process of making hooks at home, they will practically not differ from purchased products.
Mount Selection
When learning how to tie a hook on a catfish, you need to consider several ways to attach them. The most popular methods are:
- Canadian Eight. Used to strengthen the spinner to the fishing line. First you need to pass the line through the ring, make a circle around it. Insert fishing line into the loop.
- Fishing Eight. As a rule, such a knot will not work right away without training. The advantage of this mount is that the hook does not untie from the fishing line. Through the ear of the hook you need to pass the fishing line and wrap it around. Then again pass the line through the ring and through the circle of the line itself.
- Gripping unit. More suitable for nylon fishing line. To begin with, you should pass the thread through the carabiner and wrap it three times to make loops. Then the end of the line is threaded through the first turn. The entire thread is pulled to fix the hook.
- Bayonet assembly. It is not suitable for synthetic fishing line, because when you catch a fish, it will definitely break. The method is simple: they put fishing line in the ear of the gear and make a couple of revolutions around. Then fix the node until ready.
- California knot. The fishing line should be folded into 2 equal parts and pass them into the eye. Then you need to make a circle between the fishing line and into the resulting loop to thread the end of the fishing line.
The choice depends on the preferences and skills of the fisherman, such as fishing line.
Catfish Bait
Fishermen prefer to ride in familiar waters. Here you can predict which underwater inhabitant will be fishing. If the reservoir is unfamiliar, you have to act on the situation. The most important thing is to pay attention to the bait that the fish will take. It is important to pay great attention to this issue when choosing hooks for catfish.
Large catfish will not bite small bait. To catch a large specimen weighing about 70 kilograms, you will need chicken meat. Therefore, any bait should be prepared in advance. A large frog, a dung worm, beetle larvae, locusts or a piece of small fish are also suitable.
Expert Advice
Without special preparation for catching catfish, you should not go. This activity is not for beginners. Each fisherman, going to a pond, must be fully prepared at any time of the year. You need to have all the necessary gear with you.
When buying hooks for catfish in the store, you need to pay attention to the composition of the material, the mass that the hook can withstand, shape and size. It is important to consider the time of day, choose the right type of bait.
Having considered the features of hooks for catching catfish, as well as the rules for their selection and manufacture, everyone will be able to prepare the right gear for various conditions of the pond.