How to use curved shank hooks

The unique shape of ‘curved shank’ hooks are designed to flip over and catch hold in the mouth of a fish as soon as it sucks in a hair- rigged bait.

You can obtain this ‘flip over’ effect with normal, ‘J’ shaped hooks but, in order to do so, you have to artificially create a curve by steaming shrink tube over a kettle.

Several big-name specimen tackle companies make curved shank hooks, and two of the finest are pictured here.

As you can see from our picture, the hooks have a pronounced curve on the normally straight shank and an ultra-sharp, long point that points towards a downturned eye.

To get the best out of curved shank hooks they must be tied to a highly flexible link like a soft braid (we used Korda Supernatural) or a stripped portion of coated braid (Korda Hybrid). A standard ‘knotless knot’ is perfect to attach the hooklink.

This soft, flexible link allows the hook to swivel freely and turn instantly to achieve the desired ‘flip’ effect. This system works equally well with pop-ups or standard bottom baits.

If you’re getting pick-ups on a standard hook rig, but failing to hook the fish, try swapping to a curved shank set-up, and we think you’ll notice the difference.

The inturned eye kicks the hookpoint into an aggressive hooking angle.

As soon as the bait is sucked in, the hook 'flips' over and pricks the fish's mouth