WHat Size HOok to use when Fishing for Trout?

[JustOsmo]

I am going to NH in like an hour, quick Q for anyone:

WHat size hooks should I use to catch Trout? I am gonan fish with SHiners I guess, are size 2's ok?

[pursuit]

I personally use the smallest hook I can get away with, the big hooks seem to kill my bait faster. I've been using Komakasu(sorry about spelling) octopus hooks in size 6 with real good success. I think they would work good for trout :ti pup: :ti pup:

[JustOsmo]

Hm, I may have to consider moving to smaller hooks.

[james]

Sz 8 snelled hook with a 6' fluorocarbon leader tied to your main line with med shiners.
good luck
james

[spinzer]

6 or 8's

[Scotty D]

if your going after bows then 6 is the biggest u should use but i gennearaly use and 8 with a pin head shiner or i use a 6 with crawlers and 10 for eggs

[dennisthemence]

size 12 trebble works good for me on the lakes. i've run with a single med. size shiner, i've used 2 perch minnows at one time with this rig and done well. i've even put a wiggler or 2 on each of the hooks on a trebble and gotten trout.

[james]

we cant use trebble hooks with bait here in NH.

[dabluz]

I also use the smallest hook I can get away with.  If you are allowed to use minnows and use more than 1 hook, you can also make a small 2-hook harness and lightly hook the minnow....one through the gill cover and the other through the skin behind the dorsal fin.

I have found that if the minnow is too active and lively, I give him a couple of snaps to the head to make it dizzy and give it erratic movements in the water.

I discovered this technique when fishing for brook trout and rainbow trout in the small lakes in Ontario when I was a kid.  I would tie on a high quality size 8 hook, slip it just through the minnow's skin near the tail, give it a snap on the head with my fingers and cast it out on 4 lb mono.  There was nothing else on my line.  The minnow fluttered near the surface and I could see the fish racing up from the deep water to seize the minnow.  The lakes were crystal clear and I was fishing from shore on the granite slopes adjacent to the deep water in mid summer.  For ice fishing, add a BB size split shot about 24 inches above the minnow if you have to.

The hooks I was using in those days were very high quality hooks from Sweden or Norway.  I now use Gamakatsu Octopus hooks (red).  VMC also makes very high quality hooks.  I get mine from Europe.  They are made for tournament anglers.  They are eyeless hooks so I have to tie a snell knot.  They are extremely light, fine yet hard, very stiff and extremely sharp.  Also quite expensive.  I mostly use size 8 and 10.  They are also a bit smaller than regular size 8 and 10.  If the minnow is more than 2 1\2 inches long, I make a small harness with 2 hooks.

[Wiener]

I use a quick strike rig (2 treble hooks) tied on a 8 lb flourocarbon leader.

I usually use a size 16 to size 20 treble hook.   This allows me to hook the minnow and not kill it.

The first hook goes in the corner of the minnows mouth, or between the nostrils. 
The second hook goes in the top of the back just through the skin.

This is my main setup for inland fish.

If I am fishing on the great lakes for trout / salmon then I will change to a number 10 treble hook.

Hope this helps,


Wiener

[Grumpyoldman]

size 12-14 treble hook.

[Soft_Spot_716]

i use usually 8s and some 6s usually have my buddy tie up yarn balls and egg loops and what not for trout in 8s

[Lobes]

Even though I have caught steelhead in the past with # 10's. I normally set up with anything from a # 8 to a # 4. Trout have a very large mouth so they don't seem to mind the larger hook. I lose a lot less fish with the larger hooks.

                                       
NBG

[onemanfdc]

run octopus hooks
#8 leeches
#6 crawlers
#4-1/0 minnows.

[missoulafish]

Is this a record for resurrecting the oldest post ever???

[walpy]

Oh man... I read through this when he posted and didn't even realize it's going on 8 years old haha

[Vex-Um]

hahaha I wonder how his trip went...

I also died laughing at the spelling of Gamakatsu.  Obviously a hard word, but to miss the first letter, C'MON MAN.