I was just wondering what hook sizes you guys prefer and why? Do you use the double hook setup? I'm sort of old school on this subject and have tried about every thing out there but always seem to go back to my old ways. I probably use a much larger hook than most of you on steelhead (1/0). And go to 2/0 or 3/0 for kings. I do this because I seem to have better hook ups and with the power pro that I use I seem to bend the hook too easy. It used to be years ago that the 2/0 was pretty much the gold standard on whatever salmo species you were fishing other than the cutthroat but now days I see a lot of people using the size 4 double hook set up. I tried double hooks but seemed to get more snags so I went back to singles and it works for me. Just curious.

Depends on the terminal gear for me. I like 2/0 or 1/0 barbless Siwash on spoons and spinners. Unfortunately, my home state of Michigan recently set a hook gap max limit to curb rampant snagging, and size 1 is now the max in Siwash I can use.

I get slammed every time I say this, but I still don't know what the fascination with trout hooks are.

(all octopus hooks)

I use #1's for summer fish. That's the smallest I do in the dead of summer. If anything I'd downsize my leader strength, not the hook.

I never use multiple hooks (double rigs), as it's not needed.

I'll use 1/0's and 2/0's for winter fish. 3/0's if I'm on the Queets.

I generally use 2/0's for springers and 3/0's and 4/0's for our fall kings.

Fish are generally not hook shy. What they are shy of, is sloppy wading, noise, disturbances, bad presentations, etc.

well said parker!

I use #4's for summer steelhead and #2's for winter fish. If I'm fishing eggs I fish #2's or #1's. I use a #1 below a float. I was told once by someone who catches many more fish than me that the bait will have a more natural drift with the smaller hooks. I guess I believed him.

Parkers advice is sound. The only deviation might be when boondoggin straight eggs in the summer, I prefer #2 or #4 when using those little dime size clusters.

One mistake I do see people make is too large a corky for the size hook they are using. General rule of thumb is the corky should fit within the hook gap. Though my preference is it should have wiggle room within the gap.

I'd say...

3/0 bouncing or bait diving for kings
2/0 chums, chinook
1/0 chums, most winter steelhead and coho
1 coho, smaller river winter runs, larger river summer runs
2 most summer runs, some coho and winter runs in very small streams under low flows, since I'll be using very small baits
4 some summer runs, some coho

I don't match my hook to the fish as much as I match my hook to the size of bait I feel I need to use to hook a fish...with the exception of bait diving for fall kings, in which a big ol' hook is always good.

Fish on...

Todd.

Yummy! A #1 hook and some Ultimate Egg Cure eggs! No summer run (or winter run, for that matter) can resist this!

Hey.......somebody left their gaff hook in your bait, parker.

Size #6-1/0 when fly fishing.

When drifting I alwasy use either a size #2 or #1 red octapus hook.

When fish an area where foul hooking a fish is possible I will often use a size #4-2.

#1 in the summer, nothing smaller than 1/0 in the winter.

15/0 They never bend

I'm supposed to be usin' a HOOK?...Dang, I knew it wasn't just me bein' a lousy fishermen after all!!!!!

I would say Parker pretty much said it.
Buck

This post is a pleasant surprise to me....I was beginning to think that only I was a single hook, usually 1/0 or 2/0 kind of fella....
To me, small hooks=too many lost fish.

I use size 1 owners for summer and winter steelhead. I like to use 3/0's for salmon slivers/chinook

Seems like I go through more #1's than anything else. I try to match the hook to the bait and corky size when drifting.

SA

I like 1's for winter and 2's for summer. With really low and clear a 4 and high and dirty I'll use 1/0.

I use 1/0 for most winter fishing, but also #4. I don't match my hook size to my bait as much as I match it to the line and rod I am using. #4 - 1141, 1/0 - 1143,.

Later
Ryan