Tackles: hooks, sinkers, floats, terminals, and feeders
Compare hooks, sinkers, floats, terminals, and feeders. Open an item for sizes, methods, and when it belongs on the line.
Hooks, sinkers, floats, terminals, and feeders
Each item is a catalog type, not a brand. Tabs group hook, sinker, float, terminal, and feeder. Sizes stay SI except industry tokens such as hook size.
Fishing hooks
J-hooks, circles, trebles, and fly hooks. Open a type for sizes and the methods that fish it.
Fishing sinkers
Split shot, bullets, pyramids, and feeder bombs. Open a sinker for weights and when it belongs on the line.
Fishing floats
Wagglers, sliders, and popping corks. Open a float for weights and the methods that show the bite.
Terminal tackle
Swivels, snaps, rings, and crimps. Open a piece for sizes and when it joins the rig.
Fishing feeders
Method, cage, and pellet feeders. Open a feeder for weights and when it belongs on a feeder kit.
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J-hook
A J-hook is the classic J-bend fishing hook for bait.
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Circle hook
A circle hook turns in the mouth and usually finds the corner of the jaw.
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Treble hook
A treble hook is three points on one eye, the stock hook on hard lures and some live-bait rigs.
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Double hook
A double hook is two points for lures and some bait where a treble is too much and a single misses.
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Single hook
A single hook is the lure-replacement hook: one point to swap onto a plug or spoon in place of a treble.
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Octopus hook
An octopus hook is a short-shank, round-bend bait hook for live and cut bait.
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Offset hook
An offset hook has a kinked shank for Texas and similar weedless soft-plastic rigs.
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Worm hook
A worm hook is the wide-gap fishing hook for plastic worms.
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Baitholder hook
A baitholder hook has barbs on the shank to stop a worm or piece of bait sliding down.
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Siwash hook
A siwash hook is an open-eye single for swapping onto lures.
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Assist hook
An assist hook rides on a cord beside a jig.
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Jig hook
A jig hook is the hook that is the jig: the bend is built to take a lead head.
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Aberdeen hook
An Aberdeen hook is a light-wire, long-shank hook for live minnows and delicate baits.
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Long shank hook
A long shank hook gives you leverage to unhook and keeps the bait away from teeth on wrasse, mackerel, and similar fish.
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Weedless hook
A weedless hook has a wire or plastic guard that keeps the point off grass until the strike pushes it aside.
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Fly hook
A fly hook is the light-wire hook a fly is tied on.
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Split shot
Split shot are small, pinch-on fishing weights for taking a float or a light bait down.
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Bullet weight
A bullet weight is the cone that slides on Texas and Carolina rigs so the line comes through cover.
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Egg sinker
An egg sinker is an oval slider with a hole through the middle.
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Bank sinker
A bank sinker is a teardrop or coin-shaped lead for holding bottom in current.
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Pyramid sinker
A pyramid sinker has four faces that bite into sand.
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Flat sinker
A flat sinker sits low on the bed so current slides over it.
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Bell sinker
A bell sinker is a pear or bell-shaped lead for general bottom work, often on a clip or swivel.
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Drop-shot weight
A drop-shot weight hangs below the hook so the bait floats off the bottom.
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Jig head
A jig head is a lead or tungsten head poured on a hook.
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Cheburashka weight
A cheburashka is a round fishing weight with a wire clip, so the hook hinges free of the lead.
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Bomb weight
A bomb weight is the smooth, aerodynamic feeder lead for casting to a clip.
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Fixed float
A fixed float is locked to the line with rubber or a peg.
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Sliding float
A sliding float runs on the line until it hits a stop, so you can fish deeper than the rod is long.
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Waggler
A waggler is a bottom-only attachment float for stillwaters and slow rivers.
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Stick float
A stick float is attached top and bottom for running a bait down a river at the speed of the current.
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Pole float
A pole float is a tiny, sensitive float fished under a pole, not cast.
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Bubble float
A bubble float is a clear, fillable bubble that adds casting weight for a fly or a light lure on spinning gear.
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Popping cork
A popping cork is a noisy float for live baiting and popping.
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Swivel
A swivel is the basic barrel that lets the lure or bait spin without twisting the main line.
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Ball-bearing swivel
A ball-bearing swivel turns under load, so a trolled lure or a spinning bait does not seize the barrel.
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Snap swivel
A snap swivel is a swivel with a clip so you can change lures without cutting the knot.
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Snap
A snap is a clip without a swivel.
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Split ring
A split ring is the coil that hangs a hook or lure on an eye.
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Solid ring
A solid ring is a welded loop for heavy trolling and jigging leaders.
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Bead
A bead protects knots, clicks on a sinker, or spaces a float.
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Line stop
A line stop is a rubber or yarn stopper that sets the depth of a sliding float or a sliding sinker.
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Crimp
A crimp is a metal sleeve you crush onto wire or heavy leader instead of a knot.
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Sleeve
A sleeve is a small tube for joining or covering a connection on spinning and jigging leaders.
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Tubing
Tubing is anti-tangle or hooklength tube on feeder and bottom rigs, especially carp.
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Method feeder
A method feeder is a frame you pack with groundbait or pellets so the hookbait sits in the food.
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Cage feeder
A cage feeder is an open mesh tube that dumps groundbait on the drop or on the retrieve.
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Open-end feeder
An open-end feeder is a plastic or mesh tube open at both ends.
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Block-end feeder
A block-end feeder is closed at one end so maggots and casters crawl out of holes instead of pouring out.
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Maggot feeder
A maggot feeder is a perforated pot made to leak maggots at the swim.
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Pellet feeder
A pellet feeder holds pellets in a frame or pot for carp and commercial work.
Guides and comparisons
- How to Tie a Fishing Hook: 3 Knots That Hold Three ways to tie a hook to fishing line — the Palomar, the improved clinch and the snell — and when to use each one.
- Waggler vs Stick Float: Which Float for Which Water Wagglers are attached bottom-end only and suit still water and slow rivers. Stick floats are fixed top and bottom and suit running water.
- Treble Hook vs Single Hook on Lures Treble hooks hook more fish on the strike; single hooks hold better, damage fish less and snag less. When to swap trebles for singles.
- Method Feeder vs Cage Feeder: Which to Use and When A method feeder puts your hookbait right in a ball of groundbait. A cage feeder builds a loose bed of feed. How to choose and set up each one.
- Fishing Hook Size Chart: How Hook Sizes Work Hook sizes run backwards: a size 20 is tiny, a size 1 is large, then 1/0, 2/0 and up get bigger again. A chart by species and bait.
- Circle Hook vs J Hook: Differences and When to Use Each Circle hooks set themselves in the corner of the mouth and suit bait fishing and catch-and-release. J hooks need a hook set and suit active fishing.