hook size

[Skyline1506]

since the cold water season is rolling in and blues and channels will soon be all that are active, i was wondering what size hooks you guys typically use for channels.

[Seanstone]

We run 6\0 gamas, octopus or octopus circles. When blues aren't present we might go to a 4\0 for smaller baits, but that is only under rare circumstances. We feel that 6\0 are large enough for blues yet small enough for a 2 to 3 pound channel.

[captainbrad]

I use a 5/0 most of the time or an 8/0 when I need bigger bait or am fishing in faster current

[skinfish]

Cold water Channels I use 4/0 khale hooks.

[Catfishrollo]

When targeting river channel cats in the winter I downsize everything. I use 4/0 and 5/0 Gamu. J-style hooks mainly. Usually fish with a couple bass rods spooled with 50 pound power pro. braid for sensitivity, and use small pieces of cut shad chunks, or fillet other fish such as carp. Depending on the water temps. and how active they are, I sometimes get away with placing the rods in the rod holders on the boat, but prefer to just hold them. They can be really finicky, and often just pick the bait up and move off slowly with it. Thats why I prefer a lighter action pole, and the braid for feel, which also offers a quick hookset at no stretch when needed. Esp. fishing deeper depths. rollo

[rcbbracing]

That's some great info rollo...making me regret putting monofilament on my cold water setups lol

[bobbylee]

Thanks for the input Jason. I've been thinking about braid for awhile now and after hearing about your outing with kip. You pretty much made up my mind to switch to braid this season...

As far as hooks go. I like to use various small long shank hooks while bait fishing. Makes it easy for hook removal. Now for my Catfish hooks I use Mainly 8/0 circle hooks for Flatheads and Channels.

I also use 7/0 J style Mustad Hooks That I modified. They are what I consider a cross between a circle and a sickle hook. That have produced fish and hooks them right in the corner of the mouth. The channel cat below was caught on one of the modified hooks. Pictured below are a J style Then middle 2 modified hooks, then a circle hook for comparison.

[mmagis]

I've not seen an Ohio channel cat yet that couldn't easily be caught with a 2/0, so that's what I use.