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Hook lengths

R

Richard Dawson

Senior Member
What's everyone using? Low clear and daylight i use 8 or 10lb drennan supplex fluoro but could do with something better, it's a bit stiff and wiry.

Coloured water or night fishing I'm using avid Carp captive coated braid in 15lb, its really nice and supple, best I've found so far 👍

For hooks I'm using ESP Cryogen curve shanks in size 10, fantastic hook holds and works from 12mm up to 18mm baits well.
 
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My go to hoolink is a combi link, tied with fluorocarbon and braid, joined with an alright knot, or micro swivel. Braid section is normally around 3 inches, total length of hoolink anything from 3 to 6 feet.
If fishing big meat baits in flood then straight braid, 3ft long.
 
Mike Thompson said:
I'm old school, my hook links are two to three feet long mono, 2lbs lighter bs than my main line. I use 8lb in clear conditions with no snags and 10lb in flood of near snags. Diawa Sensor is my mono of choice, strong and reliable.
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Same here, Mike. I use exactly the same approach as you, it’s worked out well for me. I try not to overcomplicate my rigs, but that’s not to say I shall never try new things. It’s always worth keeping an open mind.
 
There’s hundreds of threads on hook lengths on here loads of opinions and information on the subject and I think you’d have to really balls it up to get it wrong.
Your hook length needs just afew characteristics to work and work well.
It needs to be strong. We all know these fish don’t take prisoners especially when the water is clear, they get into double figures and there are snags around.
Personally 8lb and 10lb breaking strains do not play any part in my barbel fishing. Seen too many anglers and suffered the consequences my self from being done on the first snag she heads for.
Secondly again related to snags it needs to have a decent resistance to abrasion. There’s no point going for the thinnest shit you can get because the box says it’s 15lb so it’s ok. It might be 15lb in test conditions but it’s probably about 3lb after it’s been dragged through a load of roots and branches.
Finally it needs to be pinned down. Sinking and supple so that it stays on the river bed and takes the form of the river bed.
Note how I haven’t mentioned invisible or clear or low diameter etc. cos I firmly believe it doesn’t matter. I use thick coated dark green braid and it can be seen from a mile away. Maybe it imitates streamer weed I dunno but they have no issues feeding over it and they’ll be hard pushed to break it.
 
Korda supernatural in 18lbs, Drennan sinkbraid in 20lbs, or sometimes Drennan double strength in 15lbs.
 
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