Vertical fishing: choosing the right hooks for your lures

If the point of the hook is too close to the sinker, this can lead to a large number of misfires, as the lure is not held in place over a long length and will tear easily at the slightest touch. What's more, if the lure doesn't have a minimum of structure, given by the hook shank, it won't swim properly and will have too much rolling.

A hook that is too long stiffens the lure, preventing it from swimming properly and reducing its vibration - the exact opposite of what we're looking for, especially at very low speeds. What's more, when the lure is sucked in by a fish, this too-long shank is likely to hit the edge of the fish's mouth and not go in, whereas a shorter hook will go in more easily, especially if the fish sucks the lure in from the side.

Given the above two points, the ideal hook length for vertical fishing is the first third of the lure. This position gives the lure a good swimming action and frees up the hook point to give it a good chance of setting.

Vertical fishing is mainly aimed at pike-perch and does not require very strong hooks. Often, the hooks of leaded heads intended for this practice are thin iron to ensure easy penetration of the hook. This is not a bad thing, but you need to be careful to adjust your drag accordingly to the hook's iron diameter to avoid opening them on nice fish. If you have the possibility of using thicker hooks, you need to make sure you hit a fish with a bigger hook.

Lastly, the hook clearance must be large, i.e. the space between the lure and the hook point must allow the lure to slide into the fish's mouth without biting.

As for the addition of a stinger to provide a treble hook on the back of the lure, I personally don't use it and don't recommend it. If a fish wants to suck up the lure, there's no need for a second hook and it's on the single that the fish will bite. The triple will pick up detritus on the bottom and needlessly injure the fish.