Fishing Hook Size Chart: How Hook Numbers Work

By Cal Brannock · house pen name of the Dockrig editors · who writes here · Updated Oct 11, 2026

Dockrig is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission.

Hook sizes run 2 ways. Plain numbers get smaller as they go up: a #10 is smaller than a #1.

"Aught" sizes get bigger as they go up: a 5/0 is bigger than a 1/0. The scale meets in the middle, with #1 just below 1/0.

For bass soft plastics, most hooks fall between 1/0 and 5/0. For panfish, #6 to #10. The exact size of a 2/0 varies by maker and hook model.

How the numbers run

The "/0" is read as "aught." 3/0 is "3 aught." The numbers aren't a measurement. They're positions on a scale.

There's no single industry standard for dimensions. A 2/0 offset worm hook from 1 maker can be longer or wider than another maker's 2/0. Within 1 maker's line, the order holds.

Wire thickness and shank length vary too. Light-wire hooks bend under pressure. Heavy-wire hooks hold big fish in cover but need a harder set.

Hook size by species

These are common starting points, not rules. Match the hook to the bait first. A big bait needs a bigger gap. A small bait on a huge hook won't swim or stay on.

Bass hooks are where most anglers need several sizes. An assorted pack of EWG offset worm hooks covers the 1/0 to 5/0 range in the bass row.

Hook size by bait for bass

These match the ranges on our rig pages. See the Texas rig and senko rigs for each setup.

Offset, octopus and circle hooks

Offset worm hook. A small step bend just behind the eye holds the nose of a soft plastic. It's the Texas rig hook. EWG (extra wide gap) versions leave room for thick baits.

Octopus hook. Short shank, often with a turned-up eye. Common for live bait, drop shots and snelled rigs. The short shank keeps it light and hidden in the bait.

Circle hook. The point turns back toward the shank. It tends to slide to the corner of the mouth and catch there as the fish turns. Don't jerk to set it. Reel steadily and lift. An offset circle octopus hook in 2/0 is a common size for live bait.

Size numbers apply across all 3. But a 3/0 circle and a 3/0 offset don't look the same size. The shapes differ, so compare within 1 type.

See bass hooks by type for more shapes, including drop shot, wacky and neko hooks.

Between 2 sizes? How to choose

You'll often land between 2 sizes on a chart. A few tie-breakers:

• Bait thickness. Thick bait, go up. Thin bait, go down.
• Cover. Heavy cover and heavy line, go up and choose heavier wire. Open water and light line, go down.
• Bite style. Short-striking fish, go down a size so the bait looks natural. Big fish swallowing baits, go up.
• Rod and line. A light spinning rod with 6 lb line can't drive a big, thick hook. Stay small and light-wire.

When in doubt, hold the hook against the bait. On a soft plastic, the point should come out about where the body is thickest, with clear space in the gap.

Hook size for live bait

Live bait hooks follow the bait, not the fish. The hook should be small enough that the bait can still swim.

• Small minnows, 1 to 2 in.: #6 to #4, light wire. Hook through the lips or behind the dorsal fin.
• Fathead or shiner minnows, 2 to 3 in.: #4 to #1.
• Nightcrawlers: #6 to #1, depending on how much worm you use.
• Shiners for bass, 4 to 6 in.: 2/0 to 4/0.
• Shad and herring: see the striper rigs table.

Light wire matters on small baits. A heavy hook can kill a 2 in. minnow quickly, and a limp minnow barely swims at all.

Wire gauge and hook size

2 hooks of the same size can have very different wire. Light wire penetrates easily with light line and a soft rod. It can bend on a big fish in cover.

Heavy wire holds up against big fish and thick cover. It needs a firmer hookset and heavier line. That's why flipping hooks for mats are heavy wire.

Pick the size first from the chart. Then pick the wire by line and cover. For crappie on 4 lb line, light wire. For bass in mats on 50 lb braid, heavy wire.

Reading a hook package

• Size. The number or aught size, often with a picture at actual size.
• Wire. Light, medium, heavy, or "2X strong" and similar labels. These are the maker's own terms.
• Shank. Standard, short or long. "2X long" means longer than the maker's standard.
• Finish. Black, bronze, red or nickel. Mostly a matter of preference.
• Count. Packs vary widely. Check before you compare.

Compare packages within 1 brand when you can. Across brands, look at the actual-size picture. Better still, buy 1 small pack of a new hook and check it against your baits at home before you buy a box of 50.

Hook parts

The eye is where the line ties on. The shank runs from the eye to the bend. The gap is the space between the shank and the point. The barb sits just behind the point. Some hooks are barbless or have a micro barb.

The gap matters most for soft plastics. The bait has to fit inside the gap and still leave room for the point to come through on a hookset. That's why thick baits go on EWG hooks.

When not to go by the chart

• Brand changes. A new brand's 2/0 may fit differently. Hold the hook against the bait.
• Thick or thin baits. A fat creature bait needs a bigger gap than a thin worm of the same length.
• Rules on certain waters. Some waters restrict hook types, like barbless or single hooks. Check your state's rules.

Next rigs

• Fishing rigsevery rig on Dockrig compared
• Bass hooks by typeoffset, EWG, drop shot, wacky and circle
• Soft plastic baitsbait sizes and how to rig each
• Senko rigshook and weight for each stick bait rig
• Alabama rigjig head hook sizes
• Striper rigscircle hooks sized to live bait
• Texas rigoffset hooks by bait length
• Snell knottying on octopus and circle hooks

Sources: common hook numbering and maker package conventions. Species and bait ranges match our rig pages. Method on our methodology page. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, "Getting to the point on fishing hooks," for species hook sizes.