I am new to fishing soft plastics and have a question about when to use what type of hook with them. I’ve been fishing t-rigged Senkos and some different Rage Tail plastics. When I first started this new adventure into soft plastics you guys suggested I go with some 4/0 EWG hooks and I chose these Gamakatsu 4/0 EWG.

 

I would like to start trying some Keitech swing impact fat swimbaits and it got me thinking about what kind of hook to use with them and my other plastics.

I saw these Gamakatsu Offset Shank Round Bend Worm Hooks and it made me wonder when and what situations or lures would I want to use one or the other.

 

Then I started thinking do I want offset at all? Would it matter if I am using tungsten bullet weights?

 

I guess what I am asking is for what soft plastics would I want to use which kinds of hooks?

Round bend are standard worm hooks or any plastic that isn't too thick that when the plastic slides down during a hook set there is still plenty of room for the hook to penetrate and hold the fish. Thicker plastics call for EWG

 

I myself prefer EWG for all but the smallest of worms like finesse worms, but I'm in the minority on this

 

 

Your swim baits belong on owner beast hooks.  The ewg is better for heavy cover and round bend for more open water as it gives easier hookups.  I just use ewg with no issues.

The plastic should be no thicker than half the depth of the hook.  IMHO, the straight hook hooks fish , and plants, the easiest, the round bend is second, and the EWG is easier to fish in cover without hanging up.  The EWG seems to keep them pinned better, but is hardest to hook them on.  I feel that the round bend is a good compromise and that is what I use for worms.  I use EWG for creatures.  I think they all work fine.  I agree about Owner Beast hooks for swimbaits.

I pretty much use Gamakatsu for everything else, but I haven't tried Trokar or Owner in worms.   I just got some Mustads on sale to try.  Be sure you use thick (heavy, superline) hooks with braid, and regular thickness with other lines.  Braid can open fine hooks, but setting the hook on a heavy hook is harder on mono in my experience.

I use the round bend hook you pictured for 90 percent of my plastics fishing.

I sometimes go old school and use tru-turn, but you have to make sure they are sharp.  

8 minutes ago, thinkingredneck said:

The plastic should be no thicker than half the depth of the hook.  IMHO, the straight hook hooks fish , and plants, the easiest, the round bend is second, and the EWG is easier to fish in cover without hanging up.  The EWG seems to keep them pinned better, but is hardest to hook them on.  I feel that the round bend is a good compromise and that is what I use for worms.  I use EWG for creatures.  I think they all work fine.

X 2. 

Not a fan of round bends. Never use them. Straight shank hooks for when I use braid and ewg when using fluoro, mono, or copoly.

Straight shank round bend 95% of the time! ?

9 hours ago, riverbasser said:

Round bend are standard worm hooks or any plastic that isn't too thick that when the plastic slides down during a hook set there is still plenty of room for the hook to penetrate and hold the fish. Thicker plastics call for EWG

 

I myself prefer EWG for all but the smallest of worms like finesse worms, but I'm in the minority on this

 

 

 

Ditto

 

But I tend to throw big and fat everything! ?

 

 

 

 

Mike

1 hour ago, thinkingredneck said:

The plastic should be no thicker than half the depth of the hook. (hook gap)

Good rule of thumb...

 

oe

26 minutes ago, Catt said:

Straight shank round bend 95% of the time! ?

This ^. I really only fish an EWG when fishing a crazy thick bait. I know the EWG has a lot of fanboys, but the hookup ratio is just not as good as a round bend or straight shank.

I only use EWG's when I have to , like with tubes .

I only use round bends when I have to - 

Which is pretty much never.

EWG's And Straight Shanks for me

A-Jay

Straight shank flippin hook. You just don't miss fish with em 

For thicker baits, I use Owner Riggin' Hooks.  Otherwise round bends work for me.

Well I am now getting more confused but I guess that is a good thing because I am learning something here. Before I worry more about when to use what I better make sure I understand the hardware and its differences. To review I understand what an EWG hook style is and I ASSUME the round style is the kind that goes down and then up and around to the barb like the letter "U", correct? Assuming that is correct the next part is offset versus I guess the other style is when you guys talk about a straight shank hook, correct? When would I want to use an offset versus straight shank hook style?

This is the Gamakatsu round bend worm hook I prefer for TX rigged worm fishing. 10" worm 5/0, 7" worm 3/0 and finesse 5" worm 2/0. Swim baits like the KVD caffeine shad, Keitech's swing impacts and such I use the EWG hooks. One thing to remember the fatter the hook the harder it is to penetrate. Fatter diameter shanked are stronger like the flipping hooks but you definitely have to swing harder. The lighter hooks you have to play the fish more. 

 

Hope that helps!

FM

Straight shank round bend ?

 

 

As you can tell it has a lot to do with preference. The only universal agreement is that offset round bend don't mix with thick plastics. Those require EWG or straight shanks

I thought one of the "important" features of an offset hook when t-rigging it was you could keep the body straight like this

16 hours ago, riverbasser said:

Round bend are standard worm hooks or any plastic that isn't too thick that when the plastic slides down during a hook set there is still plenty of room for the hook to penetrate and hold the fish. Thicker plastics call for EWG

 

I myself prefer EWG for all but the smallest of worms like finesse worms, but I'm in the minority on this

 

 

6 hours ago, Mike L said:

 

Ditto

 

But I tend to throw big and fat everything! ?

 

 

It is tripled or thirded?  

 

Drop shot for drop shot rigs and wacky rigs. EWG for T-Rigs, C-Rigs, and weedless drop shot rigs. Beast hooks for swimbaits. I have to carry my gear, so minimized for weight.