Best hooks for Barbel/chub?

[mark brailsford 2]

I have allways used the good old Drennan Specialist hooks for most of my river/tench fishing as I have allways found them to be inexpensive and reliable, but I am wondering if I would be better off trying a few different patterns such as wide gape carp hooks? Would a different style help me hook more fish? Which do you guys use and do you think I maybe loosing out by sticking to one type/brand? Are in-turned points better than straight? Who makes the best/strongest patterns?

Answers on a postcard please

Thanks.

 

[barbelboi]

I mainly use the Drennan SS and the Gamakatsu Specialist Wide Gape 2002.
Jerry

 

[sam vimes]

I am wondering if I would be better off trying a few different patterns such as wide gape carp hooks?

That would depend on the bait/bait size used. I'll happily use Super Specialists/Super Spades from sizes 12-18 for worm, maggot, caster and, occasionally, corn. However, with bigger baits, meat, halibut pellet and boilies, I'll use a "carp" type hook. My usual for barbel is the Nash Fang Gaper in size 6-10.

Would a different style help me hook more fish?

In certain circumstances, and depending on the rig, it might.

Which do you guys use and do you think I maybe loosing out by sticking to one type/brand?

Possibly, but possibly not. It'll depend on exactly what you are doing.

Are in-turned points better than straight?

Not necessarily. However, I'm not a fan of straight points when fishing over gravel/rocks (gravel pits, Trent, Swale). I find that they blunt much more quickly.

Who makes the best/strongest patterns?

The strongest I've ever used are the older Nash Fang range. Probably a bit stronger than is really necessary, and probably why the newer versions use a lighter guage wire.
Other ranges that I like are the Gardner hooks. They are a little cheaper than an awful lot of the branded carp hooks out there.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

Forgot to add that it is mainly hair rigs that I use for bigger fish so would a specialist carp hook be better than a standard pattern such as the SS? I keep looking at the new Drennan Barbel and specimen hooks, they look to be very strong.

Christian, what do you use for your Chub fishing?

 

[jimlad]

I've been using the very cheap korum x pert specimen hooks this year, very impressed. Strong, and sharp. To me they seem as good as hooks twice the price, labelled as carp hooks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tigger]

Nothing wrong with what your using mark. They're one of the cheapest and best ...jmo.

 

[The bad one]

Mark here's my hooks for the R.R. in species preference
And I'm with Sam on this one, much prefer a beaked hook to straight points

Barbel
1 .Mustad Eyed Barbed Specialist.
They only do them to 8s, but I've never need to use them above 10s. These are one of the strongest hooks I’ve ever used and at £1 49 for 10 cheap as chips. They a slightly wide gape.

2. Kamasan Animals Barbed Eyed. Again they only go to 8s and are wide gape.

3 Drennan Wide Gape Barbed Specialists
Not to sure about these for barbel as I’ve only started using them this season because the tackleshop didn’t have any Mustads. They are thinner in the wire than I’d prefer.

4. If it’s a straight pointed hook then it’s Drennan Super Specialist every time.

For the RR I won’t use the expensive carp hooks, because of the losses…..Much to tight to bolster the coffers of the carp tackle Cos.

Chub
I find with the straight points with chub because of the distance you are fishing at across the river you tend to get a lot of dropouts and lost fish.

1. Kamasan B983 Wide Gape Specialist
Great bread/crust hooks

2. Kamasan Animals Barbed Eyed

3. Drennan Wide Gape Barbed Specialists strong enough for Chubbing

4. If it’s a straight pointed hook then it’s Drennan Super Specialist every time.

 

[tiinker]

I have always used drennan boilie hooks and found them very reliable not the continental pattern .

 

[richiekelly]

Mark here's my hooks for the R.R. in species preference
And I'm with Sam on this one, much prefer a beaked hook to straight points

Barbel
1 .Mustad Eyed Barbed Specialist.
They only do them to 8s, but I've never need to use them above 10s. These are one of the strongest hooks I’ve ever used and at £1 49 for 10 cheap as chips. They a slightly wide gape.

2. Kamasan Animals Barbed Eyed. Again they only go to 8s and are wide gape.

3 Drennan Wide Gape Barbed Specialists
Not to sure about these for barbel as I’ve only started using them this season because the tackleshop didn’t have any Mustads. They are thinner in the wire than I’d prefer.

4. If it’s a straight pointed hook then it’s Drennan Super Specialist every time.

For the RR I won’t use the expensive carp hooks, because of the losses…..Much to tight to bolster the coffers of the carp tackle Cos.

Chub
I find with the straight points with chub because of the distance you are fishing at across the river you tend to get a lot of dropouts and lost fish.

1. Kamasan B983 Wide Gape Specialist
Great bread/crust hooks

2. Kamasan Animals Barbed Eyed

3. Drennan Wide Gape Barbed Specialists strong enough for Chubbing

4. If it’s a straight pointed hook then it’s Drennan Super Specialist every time.

got to agree, they are the best I have ever used for Barbel, pity they don't do them bigger than an 8.

 

[redfin123]

I have had no problems using ESP T6s and G4s good strong hooks and very sharp.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

I have had no problems using ESP T6s and G4s good strong hooks and very sharp.

I hear time and time again that the Raptor T-6 is one of the best Barbel hooks out there, also been told that the Fox Arma range is very good, if a little expensive

 

[barbelboi]

I hear time and time again that the Raptor T-6 is one of the best Barbel hooks out there, also been told that the Fox Arma range is very good, if a little expensive

I used to use the Raptor but have drifted over to the Gamakatsu Specialist Wide Gape - both good hooks IMO.
Jerry

 

[jimlad]

I hear time and time again that the Raptor T-6 is one of the best Barbel hooks out there, also been told that the Fox Arma range is very good, if a little expensive

The korum is comparable to the fox arma at half the price imo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[split shot]

I love the Drennan Super Specialist Barbel hooks, I use them for my tench fishing. I've had loads of tench on them to double figures and one or two nuisance carp to nearly 30, all on 14s.

 

[peterjg]

If you use a hair rigged bait then a hook with an inturned point is better because you definately loose less fish but if you are actually striking the hook home then hooks with straight points are better.

 

[mark brailsford 2]

I love the Drennan Super Specialist Barbel hooks, I use them for my tench fishing. I've had loads of tench on them to double figures and one or two nuisance carp to nearly 30, all on 14s.

Yeah, as I said, I love the Drennan SS range but I thought I would try something a little different for hair rigged bait.

 

[tigger]

Yeah, as I said, I love the Drennan SS range but I thought I would try something a little different for hair rigged bait.

All the hooks TBO mentioned are great but you could try drennan super specialist barbel, korum barbel. esp raptors or nash fang hooks. The problem is they're so expensive and they won't perform any better than the hooks your using already or kamasan animals etc etc costing less than half their price.

 

[garethdwatkins]

I'd go along with the Drennan Super Specialist if I need a sharp straight point hook in snag free water....my preference is for 10's & 8's.

If the bottom is gravel I prefer an in-turned point so go with the Drennan Continental boilie hook in a size 8...or size 6 with a big piece of meat... immensely strong hook, that's taken carp to upper 40's too. Pity they don't do smaller sizes than 8.

If I do need a strong small hook, 12 or 10's I turn to the Drennan Specimen Plus... again very strong hook with in-turned eye...

cheers
Gareth

 

[mark brailsford 2]

All the hooks TBO mentioned are great but you could try drennan super specialist barbel, korum barbel. esp raptors or nash fang hooks. The problem is they're so expensive and they won't perform any better than the hooks your using already or kamasan animals etc etc costing less than half their price.

Yeah mate I know, I think it would work out very expensive on the Ribble
I did read somewhere that the new Drennan Barbel hooks are just ESP Raptors in different packaging? might try a few out this season, especially the T-6s as I think, as Sam says, in-turned points might be better for rough river beds.
What opened my eyes when I started to look around at the different carp hooks out there was the marketing spiel that some of these companies spout! Our hooks are sharper than X brand and our new pattern hooks will catch you 99.9% more fish than our competitors hooks! I have to laugh at the Brands that come in ''special'' packs were the hooks are kept separate and each hook as a point protector, they also charge an arm and a leg for such packaging! One reason I like the Drennan brand is because you allways get good quality products from a good honest company.

---------- Post added at 08:43 ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 ----------

Drennan Specimen Plus... again very strong hook with in-turned eye...

I have looked at the specimen plus and they look to be made of very strong wire but not to thick.

 

[Phil Adams]

The super specialist wide gapes seem to be doing well. They at least seem to be as reliable as the originals.