BEGINNERS GUIDE TO CARP FISHING HOOK TYPES

Together, these four main hook types will cover every carp-angling situation you’re likely to encounter. Learn their strengths to ensure you pick the right one for the task in hand

CHOD HOOK

The major element of this hook is the pronounced out-turned eye, which makes this pattern perfect for use with stiff materials such as fluorocarbons.

Although such materials have improved in recent years, fluorocarbons and monfilaments were traditionally found to weaken considerably when tied to an in-turned eye with a knotless knot.

These days, chod rigs are all the rage and these hooks are the only sensible choice for such a presentation.

LONG SHANK

Long and thin, these hooks are perfectly suited for use with bottom baits.

If you are fishing with particle baits such as sweetcorn or tiger nuts, then these hooks are the perfect accompaniment, yet are rarely used by anglers these days.

The long shank can push your bait too far away from the point of the hook, but trapping the hair on the bend with a piece of tubing will eliminate this problem.

CURVED SHANK

Whereas the other hooks on this page have a straight backbone, these hooks are curved in the shank.

Popular in the fly-fishing world, carp anglers realised their potential many years ago and they are now a common sight at most carp waters. The curved shank is considered to make these hooks harder for the fish to eject.

Some more advanced set-ups, such as the KD rig, rely on the hooking mechanics of curved-shank hooks.

WIDE GAPE

Perhaps the most classic looking carp pattern, a wide-gape hook is a good

all-rounder. They are great for use with bottom baits but come into their own with buoyant baits, either in the form of pop-ups or on the surface. In the latter scenario, wide-gape hooks are chosen due to their high strength-to-size ratio.

The large gape (the distance between the point and the shank) improves the chances of the hook catching hold as the fish expels your hookbait.