Catfish Basics #176, A Few Facts About Hooks for Catfishing
Story and photo by Keith “Catfish” Sutton
There are two primary considerations when selecting a hook for catfishing—size and style.
Always use the smallest hook feasible. Small hooks penetrate quicker than big hooks. Smaller hooks also allow better bait presentations.
Small does not mean thin, however. The thin-wire hooks often used by panfishermen will straighten out when connected to even a modest-size catfish. Use heavy-gauge designs sturdy enough to hold the fish you’re targeting.
Match the size of the hook to the type and size of bait. Bear in mind that the hook point should remain well exposed after impaling the bait. A too-small hook may set back into the bait on the hookset, failing to make the desired connection.
When fishing small baits for small catfish, you may need nothing larger than a No. 2 to No. 1 hook. A 1/0 or 2/0 hook is good when presenting a small strip of thin cut-bait, but a 3/0 or 4/0 may be required when cut-bait is prepared in thick chunks. A 5/0 or 6/0 is necessary when using bluegills and other live baitfish up to six inches. Switch to even larger hooks when using baits in the 1-pound class to entice trophy-size cats.
Most catfishermen carry several different hook designs in their tacklebox. Styles often used for live-bait and cut-bait fishing include Sproat, O’Shaughnessy, Round Bend or Viking, Faultless, Kirby, Kahle and Octopus. The O’Shaughnessy, an old-time favorite of many catfish anglers, is an excellent, sturdy, multi-purpose hook available in sizes up to 10/0. The Kahle hook is another favorite. Its wide-gap design provides plenty of room for a large live or cut-bait.
Another style, the circle hook, has become extremely popular with catch-and-release catfish anglers in recent decades. Circle hooks are designed to quickly penetrate a cat’s mouth as it struggles against the tension of the line. Most cats get hooked in the corner of the mouth, not deep in the gullet where the hook may not penetrate properly in bony structures. For this reason, cats are more likely to stay hooked during the heat of battle, and they can be released with little or no harm.
