Hook Size

I only use size 2 raptors, last year I used short shank and have been experimenting with long shank this year I have had cats up to 36-8 on a size 2 to date with no problems and all but one cat has been hooked in the scissors. I never tighten down my bait runners either I have them wound fully off no resistance at all even when live baiting. Obviously this doesn't help your arguement (sorry) lol

with u all the way mate bigger is better ask our lass

i was not having a go. i just wonderd how the heak you were getting drop backs with a running lead. i just don't get you. you're having a go at me because i use bolt rigs, then you complain when i mention that a tightened free-spool and tight line it not exactly resistance free. anyway, im so glad to meet you horsedentist, sas and i also had a (very) heated descussion about size of hooks. it's nice to meet someone who dosen't use a sark hook. ps, those esp raptors are the business.

i have had cats on the size 2 rators but i was missing a lot off runs on them when i switched to a 1/0 my hooking as improved a lot and again with a 3/0

Look nick you are getting everyones back up. You preach rather than discuss and i simply wont tolerate it on my forum! I have the power to remove you from here so you had better calm down or i will. In respect to tight baitrunners i and others have found that when fishing on the surface baitrunner tension is not an issue because the cat attacks the bait so viciously. It simply makes life easier on the angler because the livebait is not waking you all the time. I have seen cats take my surface bait so I know this is the case. But it is each to their own, its whatever you feel confident with. When fishing a bottom bait its common knowledge that you offer as little resistance as possible so dont treat us all, some of who have been fishing for cats since before you could walk, like idiots. All our fish are treated with the utmost respect and its irrisponsible anglers who fish the wrong tackle, leaving hooks and rigs in the fish that cause the problems, not the cat anglers who know what they are doing and respect how great a creature the wells is.

at the end of the day a size 4 hook does less damage then a size 4/0. and when the fish are responding better to smaller food items anyway, it's a win/win. as far as landing the fish goes, there is no need to use a shark hook, as long as it's big enough to match the bat size. now hopefully that's the end of the dabate.

I agree that if you are fishing small baits then a small hook is not a problem, but for those of us that fish half deadbaits or liver or full tins of meat then a hook like that is just not an option. Surely you must agree with that?

Agreed Karl little hooks for little baits, a full tin of meat fished with a little carp hook i dont think so.

fishing little baits with small hooks and you get a chance of either a carp or god forbid a catfish double your chances
But with this being a catfish forum and want to catch only catfish I would use a bait bigger than a carp would fit in its mouth hence a big piece or liver or luncheon meat livebait, with a hook to match
Surely this is not going to appeal to a carp as much as it does to a wels

just for a bit of trivia where did the original wels catfish that arrived in the UK all those years ago come from
answers please

I agree that if you are fishing small baits then a small hook is not a problem, but for those of us that fish half deadbaits or liver or full tins of meat then a hook like that is just not an option. Surely you must agree with that?

true, i just think that 2/0 and upward hooks are overkill. whev using big baits like that, i agree that a matching hook is nessisary, but i dont see as daits of that size are nessisary most of the time. if you needed a massive bait like that, then carp anglers would not catch as many catfish then us catfish guys do.

im sorry if my opinion comes across too strongly, but i really feel that hooks above a size 1 are cruel, and i sure as hell wouldn't want to be stabbed with one. i just put myself in the place of the fish when making a rig or buying materials andi definaely would not want 6/0 in my face, as you recommend in the main site!

Nick what you have got to remember is if your fishing a 1lb livebait the small carp hook has no chance of finding a hold as the bait will mask it.

just for a bit of trivia where did the original wels catfish that arrived in the UK all those years ago come from
answers please

the first cats that where stocked in to england in 1880 and came from germany and romania there was 70 in total and they went to bedfordshire to the duke of bedfords este lake at woben abby

slain) what can i say i am a welth of knolage but cant spell lol

catmans right nick ur hook just wont hit home .i dont want to go set out my stal only to be up and down landing carp all day and night cause thats what will happen using small hooks . how long u been going for cats nick not long cause ur only child some of the fellas on her have been doing it for years and when u see there pics who can argu with there rigs.not a 15 year old boy

i normally use either an 0/1 or 0/2 finding my hook up rates a lot better. Unless its for pellets then i use a 2 egale wave which is still a very strong hook. When i first started catfishing i brought 2 packs of a 'cat' hook in size 4 and 2. At the time these hooks were stronger than any hook id seen and larger, bt soon after i found egale waves and now wouldnt even consider using a hook of tht size as i wouldnt hav the confidence in it hooking up and holding. And compared to the size of a cats mouth a larg hook wont damage it anymore than a size 6-8 in a 20lb carps mouth.

a hook of any siz makes a hole, obviosly, but the bigger the hook the bigger the hole. the smallest size hat could probably safely and reliably land catfish is a fox armapoint size 6, as these hooks are insanely strong. as ive said before, a size 4 hook of most patterns will land any catfish under a ton provided the water is not too snaggy and the angler knows how to play the fish properly. i agree that a big hook is reguired when using oversized baits in carp-infested waters like tins of luncheonmeat, ect, but the lightest tackle you can sefely get away with is always the safest thing for the fish, which has to come first.

*that

Why is using light tackle a safe thing nick? Explain that one too me please? I have landed too many cats with size four and two hooks in there jaws, And dont say these have come from carp anglers because this is on a venue where you can count the number of carp anglers a year on one hand, and carp anglers dont use two hook rigs! Surely its more responsible to that cat to be able to ensure that barring complete disaster you are gonna get the cat on the bank, look after it, unhook it and return it safely rather that taking chances with gear that you think is light and gives the cat a chance. I dont want it to have a chance of busting me up and buggering off with my rig, And after fishing for cats for many years after catching every other species of course and game fish in this country I wouldnt advocate light tackle to anyone serious about cats, save your light tackle to fishing for roach. You are in the minority here am afraid mate because most of us dont see the cat as a long carp. If you feel confident with fishing size 4's on light tackle then fair enough but please dont try to convert us all.

im not trying to convert you all. and i do NOT see the cat as a long carp. i like to use the lightest SENSIBLE tackle ie 3lb test rods 18lb line, 45lb braid hooklink and size 4. if you like to use heavy gear then it's up 2 u, but surely common sense says that if the hook is still in the fish a week or more late, then it's sure as hell not going to fall out in the fight and that fish was lost de to bad abngling or unavoidable snagging, rther then anything to do with the hook!
atb, Nick

nice one Sandy thats correct

Someone else mentioned it was Spain or France on another forum