Choosing the right treble hook sizes for the right sized fish can be tricky.
If you go with a treble hook that is too big for what you are chasing then your fish won’t be able to fit his mouth around it and you won’t get a bite. On the other hand if you select a treble hook that is too small then it can fall out of the mouth of a bigger fish when you go to strike, leaving you with nothing on the end of your line.
Our Definitive Guide to Treble Hook Sizes should put you on the straight and narrow in terms of choosing the right sized treble hook.
First, let’s look at a treble hook size chart from one of the leading treble hook manufacturers.
If you need to know what size your existing treble hook is on your favorite lure then get your ruler out and get measuring, then compare it to our treble hook size chart below so you can purchase the right sized hook as a replacement.
Treble Hook Size Chart
Treble Hooks Sizes differ slightly between manufacturers. Each fishing brand that makes their own treble hooks has their own set of measurements and specifications that they use. So keep that in mind as you review the treble hooks size chart below.
If you use Mustad Treble Hooks or Eagle Claw Hooks then you may find that their sizes are slightly different to the sizes shown below. You can refer to the Mustad Catalog to see the exact details of their treble hooks but unfortunately I haven’t been able to find a Mustad Treble Hook Size Chart. I don’t believe they issue one. You will need to rely on the images in their catalog.
The Treble Hook Size Chart that we are using here represents your typical treble hook sizes and is supplied by Shaddock Fishing. I’ve provided the treble hook size chart with both mm and inches dimensions so that you can use whatever measurement you are more comfortable with.
| Size | Height in Inches & (mm) | Gap Width in Inches & (mm) | Gap Height in Inches & (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/0 | 1.25 in (31.75 mm) | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) | 0.6 in (15.24 mm) |
| #1 | 1.2 in (30.48 mm) | 0.45 in (11.43 mm) | 0.55 in (13.97 mm) |
| #2 | 0.95 in (24.13 mm) | 0.43 in (10.92 mm) | 0.51 in (12.95 mm) |
| #4 | 0.87 in (22.10 mm) | 0.35 in (8.89 mm) | 0.39 in (9.91 mm) |
| #6 | 0.71 in (18.03 mm) | 0.32 in (8.13 mm) | 0.35 in (8.89 mm) |
| #8 | 0.59 in (14.99 mm) | 0.2 in (5.08 mm) | 0.28 in (7.11 mm) |
| #10 | 0.55 in (13.97 mm) | 0.2 in (5.08 mm) | 0.24 in (6.1 mm) |
| #12 | 0.5 in (12.7 mm) | 0.15 in (3.81 mm) | 0.2 in (5.08 mm) |
| #14 | 0.45 in (11.43 mm) | 0.15 in (3.81 mm) | 0.16 in (4.06 mm) |
The treble hook sizes in the table refer to the three different parts of a treble hook. The below image explains where the height, gap width and gap height measurements refer to on the hook.
If you are more of a visual person then take a look at this visual comparison of the various treble hook sizes vs. a dime.
I know it can be hard to visualize on a computer screen or on your phone what the actual size really looks like, so here is what I suggest you do.
Get a dime out of your wallet and sit it next to his picture so you can directly visualize the comparison. If you are trying to find out the treble hook size on a lure you already own, lay the lure down next to the dime you took out of the wallet and then take a look at the below picture. This should give you a pretty good idea of what treble hook size you are looking for.
You can see that a 1/0 treble hook is slightly larger than a dime with a #1 treble hook being approximately the same size as a dime. As the hook size numbers get bigger the actual hook sizes get smaller.
Treble Hook Sizes Explained
If you are having trouble reading the treble hook size chart above, I am going to answer a couple of the more commonly asked questions about treble hook sizes right now. It won’t take long and it might help you interpret the table.
How Big is a Size 4 Treble Hook?
A size 4 treble hook has a height of 0.87 inches (22.10mm), with a gap width of 0.35 inches (8.89mm) and a gap height of 0.39 inches (9.91mm).
Is a #2 or a #4 Treble Hook Bigger
You can see from the treble hook size table that a #2 treble hook is the bigger hook. The size #2 hook has a bigger height at 0.95 inches vs. 0.87 inches for the #4 hook. It also has a bigger width 0.43 inches vs 0.35 inches for the #4 sized hook.
The smaller the number the bigger the hook!
Well, at least until you get into the 1/0, 2/0, 4/0 terminologies. But that’s a whole different ballgame and we won’t get into that right now.
Treble Hook Terminology
VMC Hooks have a great guide to all the various types of treble hooks that you can get – and believe me there’s more than a few!
Check out the VMC Hooks catalog for the full set of information (and grab yourself a coffee because you could be in that catalogue all day!)
PRO TIP: Many of the hooks are shown at their actual size in the VMC pdf catalog I just linked. You can print out a page from the catalog and see the actual treble hook sizes right in front of you. Go ahead and give it a try!
If you prefer to get your information the old fashioned way keep then reading. Below is the overview that VMC have put together demonstrating which parts of the treble hook come in which variations.
As you can see you can get your treble hooks with different ends, shanks, points, gaps, profiles, barbs, strength, steel and forging!
Who knew selecting the right treble hook could get so complicated!
Let’s break it down by the different bits and pieces that go together to make a treble hook.
Ends
Believe it or not you can get treble hooks with 12 different types of ends. Now for most fisherman your typical Ringed End Treble Hook or the Large Eye Treble Hook are going to be good enough to land whatever you are chasing. But if you are looking for something more specialized you can choose from these types of ends:
- Ringed
- Open-Ring
- Large Eye
- Flatted Ring
- Inline Rotated Ring
- Turned Up Eye
- Turned Down Eye
- Cut Shank
- Spade End
- Knobbed
- Notched
Shanks
Not to be outdone, you can choose from 13 different treble hook shank variations in the VMC catalog. Now 7 of these are different variations of shank length and 3 are the different numbers of barbs on your shank but I’m still impressed that there are so many different types of shanks! Check out the possibilities:
- Extra Short Shank
- Short Shank
- Medium Shank
- Long Shank
- Extra Long Shank
- 2X Extra Long Shank
- 3X Extra Long Shank
- Z Lock Bend
- 1 Barb on Shank
- 2 Barbs on Shank
- 3 Barbs on Shank
- Open Shank
- Curved Shank
Points
Points are a little more reasonable, just 5 variations to choose from here. These are pretty familiar sights to most fisherman and I think most of us have used a treble hook with a long or curved point before. Here are the 5 treble hook point options:
- Curved-In Point
- Long Point
- Straight Point
- Reversed Point
- Kirbed Point
Gaps
There are three different treble hook gaps to choose from. The gap will impact your catch potential, and depending on what you are chasing you can buy a narrow or a wider gap treble hook. The 3 treble hook gaps are:
- Extra Wide Gap
- Wide Gap
- Technical Locking Curve
Barb
Now the barbs here are different to the barbs that we talked about on the shank. The shank referred to the different number of barbs that you can have on your treble hook, whereas here we are talking about the different types of barbs. There are six different treble hook barbs available:
- Standard
- Micro Barb
- Barbless
- Semi-Barbless
- Outside Barb
- 3 Micro-Barb Point
Profile
We are starting to get a bit more technical now. And as things get more technical you get fewer options to choose from. Treble Hook Profiles give you the choice of 3 different variations:
- Reversed
- Half reversed
- Inversed
Strength
Treble Hook Strength refers to the thickness of the wire that is used. The thicker the wire, the higher the strength! If you are chasing big trophy fish to put on your mantle, then you are going to want to increase your choice in strength as you increase the treble hook sizes used.
There’s no point fishing a monster hook if it doesn’t have the strength to land the monster fish!
Strength comes in a wide range of options from ultra light to super strong. Here’s what you can order:
- 6X Strong
- 4X Strong
- 3X Strong
- 2X Strong
- 1X Strong
- Fine Wire
- Extra Fine Wire
- Ultra Light
Steel
Different manufacturers are going to offer all sorts of different steel to choose from, so depending on who you buy your treble hooks from you can expect to see different steel options available. Here VMC are offering you three choices:
- Vanadium Steel
- High Carbon Steel
- Stainless Steel
Stainless steel treble hooks are a fairly typical option and one that all anglers will have used before.
Forging
Last but not least, forging. This is a slightly unusual option and you won’t see this offered from all treble hook manufacturers.
Forging the treble hook wire will give you improved resistance to opening. If you are having issues with your treble hooks opening too wide then you might look to get a forged hook.
On the other hand, if you prefer to bend your hooks out a bit to give the fish a bit more room to bite then you should probably stick to the regular option.
Here you can choose from two options:
- Forged
- Regular
The Last Cast
Phew! Are you still with me after all that?
As I said, who knew that there were so many different varieties of treble hook sizes and options to customize your type of hook. I certainly didn’t before I started researching.
I hope you found the Treble Hook Size Chart useful as this information can be tricky to track down online. Not all manufacturers release the dimensions of their treble hooks either, so sometimes you just can’t find what you’re looking for. But this definitive guide to treble hook sizes should put it all in one place for you.
Do you have a question about treble hook sizes that you would like to see answered in this guide?
Then please let me know below in the comments!
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