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[Every Day]

Maruto sickle barbless hooks, best hooks I've used by far.

I use to love the matzou sickle hooks, but found I bent a lot of them out in anything less than a size 1/0.
Switched to the octopus style hooks they have and haven't looked back.
Incredibly sharp, awesome shape, and great holding power. I also like the large eye which makes it easy to put as a stinger hook on flies when in smaller sizes!

Only problem is the tips are fragile, so if you hit bottom the tip can bend in a little. I tend to bend it back without any problems though, and haven't lost a fish because of it.

[Ian Forbes]

Short shank hooks can be lighter wire than long shank hooks. I've hooked and landed 30 pound salmon on #6 trout hooks but that would not be my first choice. The #2 Gammies should land anything you might hook, but a lot depends on where you are fishing and how much pressure you have to put on a fish. Traditionally, salmon and steelhead are NOT hook shy, so choose the hook that suits the lure. Hook shape has a lot more to do with landing fish than most anglers know. I will not use a turned up eye hook unless I can tie the leader to the shank of the hook. For my steelhead or salmon flies I prefer #4 or#2 heavy wire hooks. I prefer hooks with long points. Short point barbless hooks tend to fall out during a fight. If you tie your leader to the eye of a turned up eye hook then you will lose 30% more fish. I've done thousands of tests to prove it.

Like others here have mentioned, I hone my hooks until they stick in my fingernail. I triangulate the bevels. I use a diamond grit hone sharpener.

[bigblue]

I would recommend use of brand name high quality hooks for all fishing as using the right type of hooks for a given condition would lead to better hook up and landing ratios IMO. For float fishing I use either Owner or Gammie octopus hooks. Coho mostly size 4 to 2, steelhead from size 2 to 1/0 depending on size of bait or artificial, spring size 1 to 2/0. For spoons and spinners, I use Gammie siwash in sizes 2 to 2/0 depending on lure size: 3/16 oz. #2, 1/4~3/8 oz. #1, 2/5~2/3 oz. #1/0, 3/4~1 oz. #2/0. Just need to remember to off set it a little to improve hook sets.

For fly fishing I try to fit my patterns onto short shank hooks like Daiichi 2450 if possible as I have found that long shank hooks, although they make beautiful flies, are often leveraged by salmon to escape.

[zap brannigan]

I use to love the matzou sickle hooks, but found I bent a lot of them out in anything less than a size 1/0.
Switched to the octopus style hooks they have and haven't looked back.
Incredibly sharp, awesome shape, and great holding power. I also like the large eye which makes it easy to put as a stinger hook on flies when in smaller sizes!

Only problem is the tips are fragile, so if you hit bottom the tip can bend in a little. I tend to bend it back without any problems though, and haven't lost a fish because of it.

no not the matzuo, MARUTO, their what they call semi barbless and and strong hooks not cheap garbage like the matzuo, only hook i'll use.

[hungry6]

Can you use a hook that originally has a barb on it and barb filed or removed. And would 6-0 Gamakatsu octopus work?

Thanks

[adriaticum]

I like Vision Canada, Gamakatsu and Mustad.

Only use octopus/salmon hooks and open eye siwash hooks.
I'm my opinion all other hook types are just a fad.

[Suther]

Can you use a hook that originally has a barb on it and barb filed or removed. And would 6-0 Gamakatsu octopus work?

Thanks

DFO says as long as you crimp it with pliers so the barb is flush with the shank, you're good to go.

[obie1fish]

I think 6/0 is a size better suited to bar fishing. I agree with the rest as far as size is concerned- sizes 2, 1, and 1/0 are my favourites. Octopus style in Owner and Gammies for me, although chums do not need finesse hooks or top-notch gear. Chum gear needs to be strong.

As for the bending out of hooks, here's some thoughts:
1) you could be horsing in the fish. Check your drag. This is common with those who are getting used to braided line.
2) check the wire strength of the hook. Some are fine wire, others 2x and 3x strong. It should be on the package label. I prefer 2x strong, as a hook that is too thick-wired creates more resistance when setting the hook. Think syringe needles; a fine- gauge needle goes in my arm (butt, etc.) easily, but bends once I start jumping around. A heavier-gauge needle is more difficult to penetrate the skin and takes one of those hefty nurses to use (Nurse Helga Bagahammers), but stays straight throughout the battle.

Yeah, it's just like that. Now I feel faint. I'm gonna lie down. I hate needles.

Hope this helps.

[hungry6]

I think 6/0 is a size better suited to bar fishing. I agree with the rest as far as size is concerned- sizes 2, 1, and 1/0 are my favourites. Octopus style in Owner and Gammies for me, although chums do not need finesse hooks or top-notch gear. Chum gear needs to be strong.

I new to this so my questions may seem silly or absurd.
Why so small with hook size, are you trying to hide the hook?
Considering they are a decent size fish with a huge mouth on them.

thanks

[adriaticum]

I new to this so my questions may seem silly or absurd.
Why so small with hook size, are you trying to hide the hook?
Considering they are a decent size fish with a huge mouth on them.

thanks

Because bigger hooks get more hookups. The bigger the better and just let 'er rrrrrip!

[Rodney]

Because bigger hooks get more hookups. The bigger the better and just let 'er rrrrrip!

hungry6 is from Australia, where larger hooks are almost always used for big pelagic species, so he is unfamiliar what are being used for salmon in the Pacific Northwest, where he plans to visit next year.

[hungry6]

Thank you Rodney.
Like I said, my question might seem silly. Anyhow, my tackle arrangement is fairly vast to say the least.
But I don't want to over pack and I'm just curious as to hook size. I can understand the sentiments of "snagging" when I mention larger hook size. For a travelling sport fisher "snagging" goes against the grain of our mentality.
As Rodney mentioned, here in the sub tropic and a few other places around the world, pelagic of around 10-15kgs have hardened gill rakes and boney jaw arrangement which requires good solid hooks to penetrate the jaw. An average 6.0 hook sometime, actually a lot of time will be straighten in no time.
Something like this

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/voaavi9n6a00j2s/77haurox3v

will straighten out a 6.0 no problem. We encounter these pretty much every trip and they travel with Yellow tail kings, the target species.

As for the visit, I'm doing as much background search as possible, hopefully meet a few local learn from them and try to make an annual thing out of it.

Anyway, I'm all packed and loaded for a couple of weeks of fishing on Fraser Is. tomorrow morning. Hopefully the teethy pelagics are out and I will get some photos of what we're talking about.

Thanks
Wayne

[Suther]

That's a big fish. What kind of fish is that?  I can see why a #2 isn't going to get you very far down under lol

Sadly the water is too damn cold to get very many fish that big up here. They exist but they are the rare fish not the daily catch.

[hungry6]

That's a big fish. What kind of fish is that?  I can see why a #2 isn't going to get you very far down under lol

Sadly the water is too damn cold to get very many fish that big up here. They exist but they are the rare fish not the daily catch.

That's a amberjack AKA submarine. usual fight time of 45-1hr on 30lb and 10kgs stand up gear.
They're not even the main culprit of busting gear. Its just happen they swim with Yellow tail king so they do come up, no one eat them.

I'm of to Fraser now, will try and put up some photo when I'm back. see you then boys.