Terminal tackle in the general sense of the term is anything that is tied to a fishing line. The proper definition of this term pertains to sinkers, swivels, floats and hooks. It covers any item that is intended for the purpose of placing bait or tackle on the end of the fishing line with the intent of attracting game fish.

One of the main categories within terminal tackle is fishing hooks. Hooks come in many different styles and sizes. Each of these sizes and styles has a particular purpose. The size of a hook is based on the space between the shank and the shaft. The shank is the part of the hook that contains one or more burs, or points, while the shaft is the main body of the hook.

The larger the number smaller the hook until it reaches number 1 then the numbering system is continued with a number written as a fraction such as 1/0. The larger the fraction numbers the larger the hook. This number system typically starts at a size 22 hook which is extremely small and is intended for use with flies. The largest number is 10/0 which is intended for use with deep see fishing and is large enough to handle a shark or very large game fish.

There may be different sizes of the shank on a hook. The size of the shaft will be expressed as an x and a number followed by the term long or short. If a hook has a shaft that is longer it will be expressed as 6 x2 long, meaning that the shaft is the size of hook that is two sizes larger, if it says short then the shaft is the size of a smaller hook.

Hook style in terminal tackle refers to the shape of the hook and how many burs it contains. There are many different shapes that are meant for different styles of fishing. There are some that have a wide gap between the point and the shaft while there are others that may have special bends or small coils of wire to keep plastic worms on them.

Different styles of hooks have specific purposes. One example is the Aberdeen hook, which is intended for freshwater applications such as live bait fishing for Bream or Bass. This style of hook has a round bend light wire hook with a slightly turned in point.

Another popular style of hook is the egg hook. This hook has a short shank and contains a wide gap. An egg hook is intended as the name implies, to be used for fishing with eggs such as salmon eggs. This type of terminal tackle m may also be used for bread balls or corn.

These are a few of the many style of hooks that are intended for specific purposes. Hooks are but one type of terminal tackle, remember that the term terminal tackle simply applies to any item that is tied to the end of the fishing line.

Want to find out more about terminal tackle, then visit Stabor’s site on how to choose the best tackle for your needs.