TackleChoice

Hook sizes

What size hook for catfish

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For channel catfish on a spinning setup, start with a 4/0 to 6/0 circle hook. For larger blues and flatheads on baitcasting tackle, step up to 5/0 to 8/0; leave the hook point exposed beside the bait. Smaller channel fish and bullheads can take much smaller J or long-shank hooks, while big blues and flatheads call for larger circles. A circle and a J stamped with the same size can have very different gaps.

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Hook size by catfish species

Circle and J hook numbers do not describe the same gap. Larger channel, blue and flathead catfish take larger hooks than bullheads or small channel fish.

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Hooks for four kinds of catfish
CatfishSizeHookBaitWhere
Channel#2–1/0 J for smaller baits (Georgia); about 3/0 J for cut bait; 4/0–6/0 circle (Minnesota)J or bait-holder; circleWorms or cut baitPonds, lakes, rivers
Blue6/0–8/0 anchored; two 8/0 or 12/0 hooks drifting (Missouri)CircleCut shad or skipjackBig rivers
Flathead6/0–10/0 (Oklahoma)CircleLive sunfish where legalRivers and reservoirs
Bullhead#2–1/0 (Iowa)Long-shank JWormsPonds and small lakes

Match the hook to the fish, bait and water; the ranges are not interchangeable across hook styles.

Flathead catfish in side view, showing its projecting lower jaw and broad tail.

Flathead catfish: look at the lower jaw and tail.

Blue catfish in side view, showing the long straight edge of its anal fin.

Blue catfish: the long anal fin helps distinguish it from a channel catfish.

Hook size by tackle and bait

Use a smaller J hook for a small channel fish or bullhead. No agency publishes a reliable treble size for dip bait or liver, or a hook size for shrimp; fit the hook to the bait instead of treating these circle ranges as treble sizes.

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Catfish circle hooks by tackle and bait
TackleHook sizeBaitsWhen to choose it
Spinning4/0–6/0 Circle hookNightcrawler, live minnow, crawfish, large live shiner, cut bait, chicken liver and stink bait or punch baitChannel-size fish
Baitcasting5/0–8/0 Circle hookNightcrawler, live minnow, crawfish, large live shiner, cut bait, chicken liver and stink bait or punch baitStep up for blues and flatheads

Circle, J, Kahle or treble?

Illustration of four complete hook styles, from left: circle, J, Kahle and treble. Drawings are not to scale.
  • Left to right: circle, J, Kahle, treble.
Illustration of four hook styles: circle (point turns toward the shank), J (point follows the shank), Kahle (wide rounded bend), treble (three points). Not to scale.

How do you set a circle hook?

Let the fish move with the bait, then reel steadily until the rod loads. A hard swing can pull the inward-pointing hook away before it catches the jaw corner. Circle hooks are designed to reduce deep hooking, though they cannot eliminate it.

When does a J or Kahle hook fit?

Use one when you want to set the hook yourself or need the wider open gap around a particular bait. Check the actual gap: the stamped size alone does not tell you how much room the bait leaves.

What about trebles for soft bait?

A treble or bait-holder can keep liver or prepared bait in place. No agency publishes a dependable treble size for dip bait, so use enough gap to leave the points clear.

Why do circle hook sizes run small?

At the same stamped size, Mustad's 39944 inline circle has a narrower gap than its 92553 octopus hook. A 4/0–6/0 circle in this line has roughly the gap of a #2–1/0 octopus. These are one maker's dimensions, not a conversion rule for every hook.

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Mustad hook gaps at matching stamped sizes, in millimeters
Stamped size39944 inline circle gap92553 octopus gap
2/010.4 mmInline circle gap10.4 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale16 mmOctopus gap16 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale
3/011.5 mmInline circle gap11.5 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale18 mmOctopus gap18 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale
4/012.3 mmInline circle gap12.3 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale20 mmOctopus gap20 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale
5/013.7 mmInline circle gap13.7 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale22 mmOctopus gap22 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale
6/015.1 mmInline circle gap15.1 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale24 mmOctopus gap24 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale
7/016.7 mmInline circle gap16.7 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale26 mmOctopus gap26 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale
8/018.4 mmInline circle gap18.4 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale28 mmOctopus gap28 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale
9/020.6 mmInline circle gap20.6 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale31 mmOctopus gap31 mm on a common 31 millimeter scale
10/023 mmInline circle gap23 mm on a common 31 millimeter scaleNot published

Bars share one 31 mm scale. The 92553 Octopus chart ends at 9/0.

What size sinker for catfish?

Use the lightest sinker that holds the bait where you want it. A pond bullhead rig may need only ¼–½ oz; Minnesota shows a 1 oz egg sinker for channel cats. Missouri's anchored big-river rig uses 3–8 oz, and its drift rig uses 12–24 oz. Current, depth and bait size decide the actual weight. Compare common shapes and weights in the sinker size chart.

How do common catfish rigs go together?

Slip sinker

Thread the sliding sinker above a swivel, then tie on about an 18 in leader and a 6/0–8/0 circle for Missouri's anchored big-river blue-catfish setup. Lighter water calls for less weight.

Illustration of an anchored catfish slip-sinker rig from rod line to sliding sinker, swivel, leader and baited circle hook near the bottom.
  • From rod to bait: sliding 3–8 oz sinker, swivel, about 18 in leader, baited 6/0–8/0 circle.
Illustration of Missouri's anchored big-river slip-sinker example; not to scale.

Two-hook drift rig

Missouri describes two 8/0 or 12/0 circles about 18 in apart on a 30 in leader, with the lower hook about 6 in above a 12–24 oz sinker. Keep the bait moving near the bottom without dragging the hooks into it.

Illustration of a boat drifting two baited catfish hooks above a sinker near the river bottom.
  • Two baited 8/0 or 12/0 circles about 18 in apart on a 30 in leader; lower hook about 6 in above a 12–24 oz sinker.
Illustration of Missouri's two-hook drift rig; not to scale.

Three-way or float rig

A three-way swivel separates the sinker from the bait when river current would pin a slip rig down. A float keeps bait suspended when fish are off the bottom. Adjust the depth to where fish are holding.

What hook and bait rules apply?

Rules depend on the state, water and device. Missouri's 2026 rules limit most anglers to 33 hooks in the aggregate, with a separate Mississippi River allowance, and require spacing on trotlines. Texas's 2026–27 freshwater rules have a 100-hook limit. Check your current state regulations before setting multiple hooks or using live sunfish as bait.

Read the sources and limits behind this guidance.

For your next step, use the Hook Size Finder, the catfish setup guide, the measured hook chart or the sinker chart.