If you’ve been fishing or catfishing long enough, I’m sure you’ve been faced with the age-old dilemma about what’s the best catfish hooks to use. There’s been so much debate on which hook size to use and what brand of catfish hooks to use.
It’s enough to drive you crazy. Don’t worry, I’m going to try and help you find a hook that will have you catching monster catfish without spending all of your time changing and trying out new hooks. I can tell you this, not all catfish hooks are created equally.
When was the last time you had a big blue or flathead hooked and they bent or broke the hook? There is nothing more frustrating than waiting patiently for that 100 lb. flathead to snatch your shad and you fight with it for 30 minutes and get close to catching it and you lose it to a weak hook.
That’s happened to a lot of us and the situation isn’t totally lost, you have a fish story to share with the buddies. Of course, they’ll never believe you. That’s why it’s important to have the best available catfishing gear. And the best available doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive catfishing rods and $250 reels with all the bells and whistles.
It amazes me how many guys I see at a small lake or creek fishing with braided line that’s strong enough to wrap around a winch and a fishing rod with enough backbone that’s strong enough to land jaws. Believe it or not, there have been plenty of big catfish caught on simple setups like Zeboc 33’s and 10 lb mono.
One thing for sure, they had good catfish hooks. Once you set the hook and it’s strong, the only thing to do is apply your experience in being patient and knowing how to use the drag and rod to tire the catfish out. But, which catfish hook do you choose? It can get tiresome when you look at how many brands and sizes there are too choose from. And each tackle company is marketing there’s as the best catfish hook.
Best Catfish Hooks
1. My first choice for the best catfish hooks you can buy that’s priced decently is Mustad’s circle hooks. I’ve been using their circle and octopus hooks for years with much success. I like all Mustand hooks, but the UltraPoint Demon is on a whole other level than other catfish hooks.
I’ve never lost a catfish when fishing with the Ultrapoint Demon. It’s without a doubt one of the strongest hooks on the market and they make setting a hook easy, even for novice catfishing anglers. They’re very sharp and once a catfish are hooked, they won’t get off unless you have a catastrophic gear failure with your reel, rod or line.
They are so durable that I’ve used the same hooks for many fishing trips. I’ve only lost them due to getting snagged and have yet lost one to a catfish that bent it.
2. My second choice for best catfish hooks goes to good ole’ Eagle Claw. This is probably the most trusted brand of hooks because they’ve been around since the pre-historic catfish days. Eagle Claw was around when I was a kid and that’s the only brand of hook I can remember catfishing with as a youngster.
Eagle Claw catfish hooks or circle hooks offer an incredible value for what you get. You can usually find a package of 80+ hooks for $10.00 and some change. That’s enough hooks to last you for many fishing trips unless you’re fishing in a rock quarry or find a secret hole with 150 lb catfish everywhere.
I’d say they’re comparable to the Mustad’s but, I’m sold on Mustad’s as being the best hook. If you’re going to get the Eagle Claw’s get the platinum black ones. They’re very sharp and strong with nice craftsmanship.
3. I guess my next choice for the best catfish hooks would have to go to Gamakatsu. Their octopus hooks are reliable and I trust them to bring in a 50 lb blue or flathead any day. They’re not the cheapest hooks, but they’re well worth the price.
Remember what I said, don’t let your fishing trip turn into a fishing story about how you had a trophy blue catfish on the hook and lost it because your hook got bent or broken. Gamakatsu catfish hooks are trusted by many because they’re a great company. If you can find the silver Gamakatsu octopus hoods, buy them.
My choices are top of the line common catfish hooks than can be used to catch anything from a 3 lb channel catfish (good eating size) to a monster flathead lurking in the brush ready to take your bluegill bait. There are cheaper catfish hooks that will get the job done, but I use what I trust. When I set the hook, I don’t want it to break or bend.