Fishing Hook Size Guide UK (Carp, Barbel, Tench & More)
For new anglers, the size of the hook may seem quite irrelevant in terms of actually catching fish and technically that would be correct, providing the hook can fit within the fish’s mouth, you should be able to catch it. However, that doesn’t mean that you should use any random hook when you go fishing, the size and type of hook are actually imperative for performance and for the fish’s safety.
Many fisheries have a limit on the maximum size of hook you can use and this is done to protect the fish. Over the years we’ve seen the result of match anglers using enormous hooks to drag small fish in quickly and the contusions can be terrible resulting in the deformation of the fish’s mouth which will hinder its ability to feed.
Here is an example of a small carp we caught a few years ago that has a severely damaged mouth from bad fishing practices:
The swelling, damaged purple tissue, mutilated barbs, and contorted mouth are prime examples of a fish that has suffered from hooks that were too large for its mouth.
The size of the hook should be proportionate to the weight of the fish, this means that hooks too large for a particular sized fish may cause damage and a hook that is too small may impair your ability to pull in or even hook the catch. So we’re organizing the hook sizes that should be used by weight for carp, tench, bream, pike, and trout as these are the most popular game fish in the United Kingdom.
In order to know what hook to use, its useful to research the body of water you’re fishing before heading out, that way you can prepare better by bringing the right tackle.
Fishing Hook Size Chart For Carp
Carp are strong, explosive bottom feeders which are incredibly fun to catch, hence why they are the most popular game fish in the United Kingdom. Carp have been recorded to grow upwards of 80 or even 90 pounds which is why the larger fish require bigger and stronger hooks. Anything around 20 pounds and over is generally considered to be a “specimen” fish but carp are also commonly found in commercial fisheries along with hybrid f1 carp for match fishing where most the fish sit at around 2-3 pounds, for these fish, smaller hooks like size 16s & 14s are much better suited.
Carp hooks essentially come in 3 different variants: Long shank, Curved Shank, and Wide Gape
| Weight | Hook-size | Optimal Baits |
|---|---|---|
| 0-2 pounds | Size 16 | Maggots, Wafters, Pellets |
| 2-5 pounds | Size 14 | Maggots, Wafters, Pellets |
| 5-10 pounds | Size 12 | Maggots, Fake sweetcorn, Wafters, Pellets |
| 10-15 pounds | Size 10 | 10mm Boilies/Pop-ups, Wafters, Tiger-nuts, Fake sweetcorn |
| 15-20 pounds | Size 8 | 15mm Boilies/Pop-ups, Wafters, Tiger-nuts, Fake sweetcorn |
| 20-30 pounds | Size 6 | 15mm Boilies/Pop-ups, Wafters, Tiger-nuts, Fake sweetcorn |
| 30-50 pounds | Size 4 | 18mm Boilies/Pop-ups, Wafters, Tiger-nuts, Fake sweetcorn |
| 50 pounds + | Size 2 | 18mm Boilies/Pop-ups, Wafters, Tiger-nuts, Fake sweetcorn |
Fishing Hook Size Chart For Bream and Tench
Bream and Tench are often put under the label of nuisance fish by carp anglers, while they are still targeted by many match anglers, they aren’t anywhere near as fun to catch as carp. Especially breams which put up weak fights but an unfathomable stench!
| Weight | Hook-Size | Optimal baits for Bream | Optimal baits for Tench |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-1 pounds | Size 18 | Maggots, Casters, Pellets, Sweetcorn | Maggots, Casters, Worms, Pellets |
| 1-2 pounds | Size 16 | Maggots, Casters, Pellets, Sweetcorn | Maggots, Casters, Worms, Pellets |
| 2-5 pounds | Size 14 | Maggots, Casters, Pellets, Sweetcorn | Maggots, Casters, Worms, Pellets |
| 5-10 pounds | Size 12 | Maggots, Casters, Pellets, Sweetcorn | Maggots, Casters, Worms, Pellets |
| 10 pounds + | Size 10 | Maggots, Casters, Pellets, Sweetcorn | Maggots, Casters, Worms, Pellets |
Fishing Hook Size Guide For Barbel
Despite being quite rare, barbel are actually targeted by many fishermen as they are hard fighting and grow quite large. Barbels are often found in fast-moving, shallow, well-oxygenated rivers which is why they are such powerful swimmers. There isn’t really much to say about hook selection though, barbel are very rare, so the chances of landing a barbel over 15 pounds are very slim so a size 12 hook will work very well all-around for the majority of barbel in the United Kingdom.
| Weight | Hook-size | Optimal Baits |
|---|---|---|
| 0-2 pounds | Size 14 | Worms, Casters, Maggots, Pellets |
| 2-10 pounds | Size 12 | Worms, Casters, Maggots, Pellets, Spam |
| 10-15 pounds | Size 12 | Worms, Casters, Maggots, Pellets, Spam |
| 15 pounds + | Size 10 | Worms, Casters, Maggots, Pellets, Spam |
Fishing Hook Size Guide For Wels Catfish
Wels Catfish are found throughout Europe and are the closest things you’ll find to the Loch-Ness Monster in England. These monsters can grow upwards of 200 pounds and the UK record still stands at a staggering 147 pounds! Many anglers think carp fight really hard until they get Wels on the end of their line, their explosiveness is just unparalleled, but despite this, catfish still aren’t that popular as game-fish in the UK.
For catfish, everything is pretty similar to carp, just bigger and stronger! Catfish don’t have conventional teeth but they do have rasping pads in their mouth which are like sand-paper or a metal-wire brush which is why bigger and stronger hooks are advisable for catfish when you can use them. Smaller hooks will be harder to detect for the fish and make setting the hook easier but using a small hook on a big catfish severely limits your chances of actually landing it.
| Weight | Hook-Size | Optimal Baits |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 pounds | Size 6 | Spam, Meat, Fish |
| 10-15 pounds | Size 5 | Spam, Meat, Fish, Live bait |
| 15-25 pounds | Size 4 | Spam, Meat, Fish, Live bait |
| 25-40 pounds | Size 3 | Spam, Meat, Fish, Live bait |
| 40 pounds + | Size 2 | Spam, Meat, Fish, Live bait |
Fishing Hook Size Guide For Pike
Desired for its stunning colouration and menacing looks, the pike is another popular game fish in the UK but the right hook is relatively un-important in relation to size. With astonishing dental hardware, even small pike can wrap their teeth around large lures and baits which is why such discretion in regards to hook sizes between different weight classes isn’t required.
Also, most pike fishermen will use something called a treble hook, which is essentially three hooks that have been welded at the shank at 120-degree intervals which significantly increases hooking potential. This is needed for a predatory fish like pike because of the way they inhale the bait and the structure of their mouths, which is hard and contains lots of teeth meaning they could easily spit out a single hook, hence why the extra security of treble hooks is needed.
| Weight | Hook-size | Optimal-baits |
|---|---|---|
| 0-15 pounds | Size 8 Treble Hook | Dead-bait/fish, Lures |
| 15 pounds + | Size 6 Treble Hook | Dead-bait/fish, Lures |
Chub
Chub are another small silverfish that are commonly found in the United Kingdom. For their size, they are relatively hard fighting, perhaps because they belong to the same family as carp. However, chub are found in moving waters like rivers and canals and a good-sized chub will be at around 4 or 5 pounds. This means that you want your tackle to be as light as possible so it is communicative and taut when playing such small fish which also means that you’ll probably only ever need a size 14 hook maximum.
| Weight | Hook-size | Optimal baits |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 pounds | Size 18 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
| 1-2 pounds | Size 16 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
| 2-5 pounds | Size 14 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
| 5 pounds + | Size 14 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
Roach
Roach are often considered nuisance fish by lots of anglers because of their small size and un-extraordinary looks. If you’re actually targeting them, you’ll find that most roach weigh under a pound and some of the largest roach caught sit at around 3 or 4 pounds which means you’ll only need small hooks for every roach you could possibly encounter. Just to be thorough we included a section in the table for roach around 5 pounds but catching one is incredibly unlikely and we are yet to see one even remotely that big!
| Weight | Hook-size | Optimal baits |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 pounds | Size 18 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
| 1-3 pounds | Size 16 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
| 3-5 pounds | Size 14 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
Rudd
Rudd are another small silverfish that are commonly found in UK freshwater. They are similarly sized to roach but easily recognizable because of their distinctive red tails and fins.
| Weight | Hook-size | Optimal baits |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 pounds | Size 18 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
| 1-3 pounds | Size 16 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
| 3-5 pounds | Size 14 | Maggots, Casters, Slugs, Worms |
Perch
Perch are a very popular game fish all around the world, however, unlike most the fish on this list and in UK freshwater, perch are predatory, which means they will take baits such as worms, but most anglers find using a lure to be most effective.
This means lots of the time you don’t even have to worry about hook-sizes if you buy a standard perch fishing lure as the hooks are often in-built into the lure. However, some anglers prefer to use live baits like worms which are also incredibly effective but you do need to use your own hooks then.
Since perch have large mouths which are quite tough, a lot of emphasis on the right size hook isn’t really required. On top of this, most of the are roughly the same size, with the biggest perch in the UK only weighing around 6lbs 2oz. However, most perch will fall between 8oz to 1lb.
| Weight | Hook-size | Optimal Baits |
|---|---|---|
| 0-8oz | Size 10 | Small worms, maggots |
| 8oz – 1 pound | Size 8 | Small worms, maggots |
| 1 – 2 pounds | Size 6 | Prawns, Lobworms |
| 2 pounds + | Size 4 | Prawns, Lobworms |
