At BPS right now and looking to purchase a pack of 8" and 12" Manns Jelly worms...what's a suitable hook size for each?

5/0 or 6/0 Offset Worm Hook

You should do fine with a 5/0 EWG or offset round bend depending on thickness for the 8". If it is more than a half inch thick I would go for the EWG. For the 12" I think you should use an owner 7/0 oversize worm hook.

The 8" you can use a 3/0 to 5/0 and a 12" worm you could probably go up to at least an 8/0 but for my own preference I use a 4/0 on any worm over 7" and a 5/0 on a 10" worm , I don't use over a 10" worm but if I did I would go with a 6/0 only because I know I could go with a larger hook on the 10" worms I use.

I am on the same page with smalljaw.

for 12 inch worms i use the owner 7/0 

For the 12" I went with a VMC 6/0 Heavy Duty Wide Gap...hope its large enough...I'm guessing it should be...its the size Paul Elias used when he caught the record weight on Falcon using the 12"Jelly Worm on a C-Rig...I think ill be alright.

I consider a 8" as a standard size worm, the Mannis 12" is the old String Ray worm. Both these worm have similar diameter heads, the 12" is slightly large. owner #5301 size 4/0 for the 8" and 5/0 for the 12" is what I use very effectively.

Tom

I consider a 8" as a standard size worm, the Mannis 12" is the old String Ray worm. Both these worm have similar diameter heads, the 12" is slightly large. owner #5301 size 4/0 for the 8" and 5/0 for the 12" is what I use very effectively.

Tom

 

Agreed.

 

Don't necessarily look at the length of the worm but the head diameter. As long as you have enough clearance for the plastic to collapse in the gap of the hook and expose it, it's big enough.

 

Now, if you want to use the hook to adjust rate of fall and bait behavior then we open up a WHOLE new chapter. 5/0 is typically big enough for most worms. They'll have no problem getting the worm all the way in their mouth.

I was fishing a YUM Mightee worm on a 5/0 EWG hook last week and having no problem hooking up. I used to use Owner's Oversize worm hook for some custom poured 17" worms with good success. They make them in a 7/0 or a monster 11/0 which is what I used for my monster worms.