Fishing tool
Fishing Hook Size Finder
Find a practical hook size based on the species, bait and fishing technique you are using — plus the sizes either side of it and when to move.
How this tool works
Your answers are matched against a rules table built from published tackle guidance and manufacturer specifications, then adjusted for water type, bait and experience level. A small set of hand-written rules covers the combinations where that arithmetic would give a poor answer.
The same rules produce every recommendation on this site, so a species page and this tool can never disagree. Nothing is generated on the fly by a language model, and nothing is influenced by a product. Read the methodology.
- Hook numbering is not standardizedThere is no governing standard behind hook sizes. Two hooks stamped 2/0 from different brands, or in different styles, can differ noticeably in gap. Compare hooks physically.
- Circle hooks run smallA circle hook has less usable gap than a J hook of the same printed size, so we step the recommendation up when a circle is the right style.
- The bait usually decides the hookOn soft plastics and live bait, hook size follows the bait far more than the fish. That is why the tool asks what you are throwing.
Full hook size chart
Prefer to read the numbers yourself? The full chart covers every size with what each one is used for.
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Open toolRelated guides
- Fishing Hook Size ChartEvery size from #28 to 12/0 with what each one is used for, and why the same number differs between brands.
- Fishing Reel Size ChartSpinning, baitcasting, conventional and fly reel classes with typical line capacity and what each size is for.
- Fishing Line Size ChartPound test against typical diameter for mono, fluorocarbon and braid, and how to compare them fairly.
- Fishing Rod Size GuideWhat length, power and action each control, and how to read the specs printed on a blank.
Hook sizes by species
- Hook size for bass
- Hook size for trout
- Hook size for crappie
- Hook size for surf fishing
- All species guidesWhere each fish holds, how it feeds, and setups by technique.