What Size Hook for Salmon Fishing?
Salmon is one of the tastiest fish and it is one of the reasons for its huge demand among anglers. What size hook for salmon fishing becomes a very interesting question when you are in a store of fishing hooks but don’t know which one to go with. However, choosing the right tackle is key for good results. They are available to be caught in oceans, rivers, and even streams. Salmon fish are strong and difficult to catch. Therefore, grabbing salmon needs understanding, skill, and of course patience and most importantly right size of hook to catch one too many of your choice.
What Size Hook for Salmon Fishing Factors
So, what size hook for salmon fishing needs to consider many factors that are discussed below:
- Water Flow
- Size of fish[salmon]
- Size of bait
- Technique
- Durability
- Cost
What Size Hook for Salmon Fishing?
Whether it is fishing salmon or any kind of fish, the size of the hook is of great importance. The rule is that you must use a hook that is large enough to support both the bait as well as the fish being targeted.
On the other hand, it is also advised that such a hook needs to be used which cannot be spotted by the fish. And that hook is, of course, a smaller one. So, to balance the equation, what size hook for salmon fishing then?
Because the large hook will frighten the fish. Similarly, it might not fit into a fish’s mouth as well. On the contrary, a small hook might cause the bait to fall from it.
As we know, there are various types of salmon on the basis of size and baits they strike. The most productive sizes of hooks for salmon fishing, however, range from #4 to 4/0.
So, we will now discuss the types of salmon and hook sizes used to catch them. Here, is the detail below:
- Coho Salmon
Coho salmon require slightly larger hooks. For catching coho salmon, the size of the hook ranges from #2 to #4.
- Pink and Chum Salmon
Smaller-sized hooks ranging from #4 to #6 are ideal for grabbing pink and chum salmon.
- King Salmon
King salmon are the largest salmon species. Therefore, they require the largest hooks to catch them. The recommended hook sizes for catching king salmon range from #1/0 to #5/0. The gamakatsu hooks are productive for catching fish like king salmon. Moreover, gamakatsu is a strong durable hook. Even if you use one of size 1/0, gamakatsu is not going to bend.
- Sockeye Salmon
The hook sizes ranging from #1 to #3 are useful for taking hold of sockeye salmon.
- Steelhead Salmon
Hook sizes #1 and #2 are ideal for steelhead depending on the water conditions. However, #2 is the widely recommended one, especially for larger steelhead salmon.
- Chinook Salmon
The hook size ranging from 1/0 to 4/0 is ideal for chinook salmon because chinook is the largest and heaviest species of salmon found in the Pacific.
- Flossing Salmon
A hook-sized #6 is recommended for fishing flossing salmon. Additionally, the hook should contain a wide gap and be laser-sharpened so that there is no issue hooking it.
One Last Word
The selection of the right-sized hook is vital if you want to experience a memory-making salmon fishing experience. For this purpose, you should target the salmon species and should also be aware of the fishing technique. Likewise, the hooks should be heavy-wired. Those hooks are considered best which are bigger and 2/0. Moreover, you should also keep along the fishing tips and local rules for more successful results.
FAQs
- What size hook for coho salmon?
Ans. For catching coho salmon, the size of the hook ranges from #2 to #4.
- What hook size for salmon and steelhead?
Ans. Hook size #2 is preferred for catching larger steelhead salmon. As regards king salmon, hook size ranging from #1/0 to #5/0 is the recommended one.
- What size hook for chinook salmon?
Ans. Hook size 1/0 to 4/0 is useful for catching chinook salmon.
