How To Pick The Best Inshore Hook When Fishing Live Bait Or Cut Bait

What is the most important link between you and a fish?

The hook, of course!

Unless you are an expert at snaring fish using your fishing line (or you are a noodler), the hook is possibly one of the most important pieces of the fishing rod and reel setup.

It is the very last link connecting you to the fish.

With how important this piece of tackle is, you would be surprised by how overlooked hooks are by anglers – from beginners to the advanced.

When we walk into our local tackle shops or sporting goods stores, there is always one aisle (and sometimes more) that is lined from end to end with various shapes, sizes, brands, colors, and styles of hooks you can think of.

I really want to narrow down what types of hooks you should be using for inshore fishing with live or cut bait, and help you better understand why some hooks are made the way they are.

The 2 Best Hooks For Inshore Fishing:

The “J” Hook

The J-hook has been around for as long as fishing has existed, and when you think of a fishing hook, this is typically the style that comes to mind.

Let’s take a look at some Pros and Cons of the J-Hook:

Pros

• Longer shank J-Hooks help keep toothy fish from breaking you off
• Great around structure – as you set the hook, this pulls fish away from structure
• Typically cost less than circle hooks

Cons

• High risk of gut hooking or foul hooking a fish
• Missed strikes due to poor hook setting (more common with beginner anglers)
• Can be tough to remove if hooked deep into the mouth of a fish – best to cut the line

The Circle Hook

This style of hook is a bit different than that of the J-Hook.

Instead of the point of the hook facing straight up, it is actually facing 90 degrees to the shank of the hook, creating a circular gap in the hook.

Circle hooks are most popular with catch and release fishermen, but are also used by those harvesting fish that may live around other protected species that have to be released and are unintentionally caught.

Now let’s see the Pros and Cons of the Circle Hook:

Pros

• Very minimal risk of gut hooking or foul hooking a fish
• No hook set required – great advantage for beginner anglers – just let the fish run.
• With hook sets settling in the lip of the fish, much easier to remove than a J-Hook

Cons

• “Offset” Circle Hooks can still gut hook fish
• A little more expensive than standard J-Hooks
• Not the best around structure since the fish has to run for the hook to set

Let’s Get to the Point (pun intended)

Ready to over the two main types of points on a fishing hook?

It is very important to know the different types of hook points out there, as they will determine which species of fish they are best suited for.

First, is a Needle Point hook.

The tip of this hook is round and will easily penetrate the mouth of a fish that is relatively soft.

These fish include Speckled Seatrout, and Snook.

Second, Is The Cutting Point Hook

The tips of these hooks may be triangular in shape, or have a blade-like edge on them which is suited for digging into the mouth of a fish that is very tough.

These fish include Redfish, Tarpon, Drum, and Sheepshead.

You do not want to use these hooks when targeting fish with soft mouths because it will create a larger hole and really tear into the mouth, causing you to lose more fish from the hook falling out.

In the following video, I have put together some tips that will help you better understand J-Hooks and Circle Hooks for inshore fishing with live or cut bait.

By the end, you should have a better understanding of which hook will work best for you depending on what species you are targeting, and the type of structure you are targeting them in.

Enjoy!

Choosing The Right Hook for Live or Cut Bait [VIDEO]

Conclusion

As you can see, both circle hooks and j-hooks have their own advantages and disadvantages.

I would definitely keep both types in my tackle box at all times.

Any questions about choosing the right hook for live bait or cut bait when inshore fishing?

Let me know in the comments!

Fish on!

Related Posts:

• The 3 Best Live Bait Fish For Inshore Fishing In Florida [Gulf Coast] See It Here
• How To Hook A Shrimp Like A Pro – See It Here

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Fish On!