You have a suitable feeder, sharp hook bait and a good spot, but the bites are not developing. Should you use a longer hooklength? Or fish shorter? Hooklength length is one of the factors you can use to adjust your presentation. However, there is no fixed length that works best on every water.
Start with your feeding system: with a method feeder, you will usually want to present the hook bait close to the compact portion of groundbait. With a classic feeder basket, you can try a different presentation with a longer hooklength. The bait, fish activity and your rig then determine which adjustment makes sense.
Would you like to compare the available versions? View the hooklengths for coarse fishing and feeder fishing.
Why does hooklength length make a difference?
The hooklength forms the connection between the hook and the rest of your rig. By changing its length, you give the hook bait more or less freedom of movement in relation to the feeder. This can affect how the bait settles and how a bite is transmitted.
Length does not work in isolation. A longer, stiff hooklength behaves differently from a more supple version. Hook weight, bait and line diameter also matter. Therefore, do not conclude after one missed bite that your hooklength is wrong.
A short hooklength with the method feeder
Method fishing is all about presenting bait on a small, concentrated feeding area. A short hooklength suits presenting a pellet or wafter close to the groundbait on the feeder.
A practical example is the short version of the Preston KKM-B Banded Hair Rigs. These hooklengths are available in 10 and 38 cm. The 10 cm version is designed for method and pellet feeder fishing. The rigs have a barbless hook and a pre-mounted bait band for securely holding hook bait.
Do not use 10 cm as a universal rule. Check which hooklength suits your feeder system and follow the rules of the fishery. After loading, also check that the bait and hook can come free and that the hooklength is not wrapped around the feeder.
A longer hooklength with the classic feeder basket
With a standard feeder basket, the hook bait does not need to lie in a compact method groundbait portion in the same way. A longer hooklength is then one way to change the presentation.
The 38 cm version from the same Preston KKM-B range is intended for, among other things, the classic feeder basket, bomb and pellet waggler. This makes the range practical when you want to cover different fishing methods with the same type of hair rig.
However, 38 cm is not automatically the best length for every feeder basket. Bait on a hair requires a different consideration from maggots or a piece of worm directly on the hook. First choose a suitable rig and then test the length. Would you like to know more about the feeding system itself? Read our guide to method feeders, mesh feeders and open-end feeders.
Which hooklength should you choose for maggots, casters or worms on a standard feeder basket?
For natural bait directly on the hook, you can use a 50 cm hooklength as a practical starting point and then try longer or shorter lengths. The Guru LWGF Feeder Special Rigs are supplied at 100 cm. If you want to try 50 or 75 cm, cut off the existing loop and tie a new loop at the desired length. Take into account the length used by the new knot.
Would you prefer a ready-made 50 cm hooklength straight away? The Drennan Acolyte Super Spade Hooks to Fluorocarbon are available for this. This is a strong version for larger fish, with hook sizes 10–16 and lines from 0.17–0.23 mm. Choose it based on hook strength and line diameter, not length alone. Both ranges have a micro barb: check the fishery rules. For a compact method presentation, a suitable short method hooklength, such as the 10 cm Preston KKM-B, remains a different choice.
What about a 15 cm hooklength?
A 15 cm hooklength can be a practical choice at commercial fisheries, provided that this length suits the chosen presentation. For example, the 15 cm Preston GPM-B Spade End Hooklengths are ready-made hooklengths with a barbless spade-end hook. They can be used with, among other baits, maggots, small pellets, sweetcorn, meat and worms.
The main difference from the KKM-B Banded Hair Rigs is therefore not just the length: the bait attachment is also different. Do not compare hooklengths solely by centimetres. Also consider the hook type, line diameter and how you want to present the bait.
When should you try shorter or longer?
Start with a length that suits your method and observe several casts. Then adjust one factor at a time.
Are you getting knocks without a properly developing bite? First check the hook point, bait attachment and any tangles. Then try a different length while keeping the bait, hook and casting distance the same. This allows you to better judge what causes the difference.
Are you getting no bites at all? Then the hooklength may not be the problem. Also check the spot, amount of groundbait and hook bait. A longer hooklength will not solve an unsuitable feeding spot.
How to test without continuing to guess
- Note what you start with: length, hook size, line diameter and bait.
- Fish several comparable casts in the same spot.
- After every cast, check that the hooklength lies freely and the bait is securely attached.
- Only change the length, as long as you have an otherwise comparable hooklength.
- Assess both bites and hooked fish; one catch is not yet a reliable comparison.
Keep different versions organised. Ready-made rigs are useful for changing quickly, but always read the label: a different length may also be combined with a different hook size or line diameter.
Frequently asked questions about hooklength length
Is a short hooklength always better for the method feeder?
A short hooklength suits the compact method presentation, but the right version depends on your feeder system, bait and water rules. Use the system's recommended rig as your starting point.
Does a longer hooklength give more bites?
Not automatically. It changes the presentation, but it cannot compensate for a poor spot, blunt hook or badly attached bait. Test purposefully instead of continually replacing several factors at once.
Can I use the same hooklength for method and feeder basket fishing?
Sometimes, but check whether the length, hook and bait attachment suit both methods. A range with multiple lengths can be useful; that does not mean every version is equally suitable everywhere.
Choose consciously and keep your rig simple
Start with the method, then choose a suitable bait attachment and match the hook and line to it. Then use hooklength length as a targeted adjustment, not as the first explanation for every missed bite.
With a few well-chosen versions, you can already test many situations. View all hooklengths at Carpshop24 and compare length, hook size and line diameter before choosing your next rig.
