What Size Hook For Trout

What Size Hook For Trout
4 Min Read
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Ah, the humble trout.

It is probably one of the most popular types of fish to catch for anglers across the world, both for their tastiness for those who are interested in cooking them up, and their abundance in pretty much every fishing spot you can find. 

Virtually every spot where fishing is encouraged will have trout in their stocked ponds and other waters.

This makes them the perfect fish to learn about the sport of fishing and angling in general.

They don’t require a lot of equipment, they’re easy to catch, and they make ideal bait for larger fish when you’re ready to start going for the big ones out there!

However, before you start planning on grabbing a rod, stashing some bait, and running off to the nearest body of water, you’re going to also need the right equipment for the job.

And one of those key pieces of kit that you simply cannot be without is the right hook.

Many people, when they start fishing for the first time, assume that any old hook will do for catching their favorite fish.

And whilst you can certainly start practicing with any hook, if you want to catch anything in particular, such as a trout, you’re going to need to know exactly what you require for catching this slippery little fish for yourself.

The wrong hook size is going to hold you back when it comes to trout fishing.

With that in mind, we have created a quick guide that will help explain some things you should keep an eye out for when it comes to getting the right hook for catching a trout.


What Is The Best Size Hook For Catching A Trout?

As you might imagine, many fish of all different shapes and sizes are caught by anglers around the world. And there is no feat of engineering or craftsmanship that can catch all these different fish with just a single kind of hook.

Because of this, a huge range of different hooks have been designed and manufactured over the years, covering all sorts of shapes and fish sizes. To catch trout efficiently and consistently, you need the right size hook.

There is also a huge range of other factors you need to consider whilst looking for your hook.

For example, are you using pre-prepared fish bait for your hook, or will you be using live bait, such as a worm? But settling on a hook size comes first.

The Best Size Hook For Catching Trout

For starters, let’s look at what size hook you would ideally use when trying to catch a trout. This will help you get the best idea of what type of hook you should be looking at for your personal needs.

Luckily, because of the large number of different hooks out there, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding something that suits you perfectly.

Plus, if you’re buying online, you’re already ahead of the game, since you won’t have to waste time waiting for deliveries.

When looking for the right hook for a trout, you have to remember that trout are generally on the smaller side of fish, being around 20 to 24 inches long, although larger sizes of trout can be upwards of three feet, or 36 inches long.

So they can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, especially between different species, such as rainbow trout and river trout.

As such, getting the wrong hook size can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on the size of the fish you are catching.

Typically speaking, the right size for trout fishing will be somewhere between 10 and 14 inches.

12-inch hooks are usually the most popular, as they are largely the best hook for tackling most trout sizes, especially when it comes to using power bait. They are also relatively easy to find and cost very little.

A larger hook, such as a 14-inch hook, may be necessary if you are catching a larger species.


The Best Type Of Hooks For Catching Trout

However, size isn’t the only factor you need to consider when choosing the right hook for trout fishing.

There are also many types of hooks you can find out there too, from barbed hooks to treble hooks, to circle hooks, to barbless hooks, to even just a single hook.

Generally speaking, when looking for a trout hook, you should keep in mind what you’ll be doing to the fish after catching it.

If you want to use power bait whilst you are fishing, you’ll probably want to use treble hooks.

Plus, they don’t need to be watched constantly whilst they have been cast out to wait for a trout to come biting. If you’re looking to have a relaxing time whilst you are out fishing, treble hooks are the way to go.

Barbed hooks are also a good hook for trout fishing, as they will make it difficult for the fish to escape once they are on the line.

However, they can also cause some serious damage to the fish when they grab on, so they are not great if you plan on releasing the fish back into the water.

For this reason, these fish hook types are often used on trout that anglers plan on keeping after catching it.

Conclusion

So, there you have it! There’s plenty of information to absorb out there on this topic, so please do carry on your research, but we hope that this guide helped at least narrow some of your fishing equipment searching down!

The core reasoning behind fish hook selection is matching the size of the hook to the size of fish you’re trying to land, and, of course, with what you’re planning to do with the fish once you’ve caught it.

To catch a big trout, you’ll need a big hook, and to catch a smaller trout, you’ll need a smaller hook.

If you’re catching and releasing, choose something as noninvasive as possible, as you don’t want to cause irreparable damage to the trout, but if you cast out with the intention of eating whatever you reel in, a slightly more aggro hook design may help to keep the trout on the line.

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