worm hooks - hooks too big?

[Lizardboy]

I've recently started experimenting with rigging my soft plastics on worm hooks and am wondering how important hook size is. My basic concern is that my hooks are too big. (maybe my concern is unwarranted and stems from a bait fishing way of thinking where hook size is chosen based on the ability to fit inside the targeted species' mouth)

I have rigged some ecogear paramax's and grass minnow M's on mustad pro select megabite hooks in size 1, is this a suitable size for these lures. If the bream was to try to eat the lure tail first, then the hook would be way to big to fit in its mouth, wouldn't it? So where/how do the bream usually grab an unweighted Soft plastic? If its from above then I guess hook size wouldn't be as important and my concerns aren't valid.

What brand and size of worm hooks do some of you guys use?

Looking at a rigged soft plastics on a worm hook I get the feeling that striking the fish would be more important than when using a standard jighead (ie fish are less likely to hook themselves).

If anyone has any other tips for fishing weightless soft plastics, I'd love to hear them (I'll be looking through the other forums as well). I love the way weightless SP's look in the water, they look so much more natural than when rigged on a lead headed jig!

Thanks for your help guys,

Lizard

[saltydog]

There are some pretty good articles on this site, you don't need to look to hard to find some interesting DohDohDohDoh. They also do a free newsletter. http://www.baits.com

[Lizardboy]

Thanks Saltydog,
Its a good site, I found some useful tips on how to work unweighted SP's on the site.
cheers,

Lizard

[chris_lemess]

Get some Gamakatsu G-Lock - they fit even bass master grubs, and have a smaller gape than Mustad or Gama EWG hooks. Also grab some bullet weights if you want them weedless and weighted. Remember: don't BURY your hook point, make sure it comes out of the plastic, and nick it into one of the bulges/ridges in the plastic. You want it to pop out when a bream gives the slightest nibble.

[saltydog]

Or if you're not fishing in to hazardous an environment just leave the hook 'Tex-posed' as in pushed through the arse end but not nicked back into the skin.
One rig I really liked was a version of the carolina with the split shot crimped about 30-40cms from the hook and the SP on an unweighted offset hook, also done with a swivel with a running sinker, personel prefference really. Either way I reckon when dealing with a strong current especially if your working from the shore this rig is great, you can use all the weight you want to keep your plastic on the bottom without affecting the action or presentation. When you jig you are moving the weight(sinkers) and the foot or so of leader with attached plastic trails with a very natural, current assisted action.
If you're using splitshot you have to be ultra aware of bites cause they tend to dampen the sensitivity of the line a bit.

[Lizardboy]

Thanks Chris,
I'll be keeping an eye out for the G-lock hooks. I picked up some bullet weights the other day, they came in a circular container with about 4 or 5 sizes pretty convienient. I think the brand was snowbee.

Thanks again Salty for the detailed reply, Most of the water I fish doesn't have too much current, but I'll keep the split shot in mind for the deeper water. The split shot might give you the added benefit of knowing that you lure is on/or very close to the bottom.

Cheers,

Lizard