PRACTICAL GUIDE
Bait to Hook Size Guide for UK Coarse Fishing
How common coarse-fishing baits affect hook-size choice, with a finder for the full setup.
Quick bait guide
| Bait | Hook-size effect | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Maggot / caster | Usually smaller/finer hooks | Roach, dace, F1s, bream, tench |
| Sweetcorn | Use enough gape to keep the point clear | Tench, bream, carp |
| Pellet | Scale hook with pellet and fish size | Carp, F1s, barbel, chub |
| Worm | Go larger as bait gets bulkier | Perch, tench, chub |
| Bread | Often larger than maggot/caster hooks | Chub, roach, carp |
The full finder combines bait with species, method, venue and cover rather than making a bait-only recommendation.
Sources
- Angling Times — commercial hook and bait examples
- Angling Times — chub pellets and hook sizing
- Angling Times — tench maggot feeder hook choice
Guide reviewed 2026-09-22.