THE ANGLAR - O'SHAUGHNESSY HOOK PACK 4004 FISHING HOOK

The Anglar O’Shaughnessy Hook Pack 4004

The O’Shaughnessy is the pattern most saltwater bait anglers reach for by default: a long shank, a deep round bend and a straight point that lines up with the eye. The long shank lets you thread a long natural bait — a fish strip, a squid tube, a whole sardine — so it sits straight and does not spin in current, and it keeps teeth and gill rakers away from the knot. It is also the easiest bait hook to grip with pliers when unhooking a catfish or grouper in the dark. The 4004 is the everyday version of that shape: forged stainless steel, inline barbed point and a solid ringed eye, offered in seven sizes from #2 to #6/0.

The material matters as much as the shape. Stainless does not rust, so a packet can live in a boat tray or a damp jetty bag for a season and rigs can stay made up between trips. High-carbon hooks are harder and hold a keener point longer, but they must be dried after use and will stain everything around them once they start. The other difference is what happens after the fish: a stainless hook will not corrode away inside one. If you are releasing, take the time to back the hook out rather than cutting the line short and leaving it in.

Key Features

• Classic O’Shaughnessy profile — long shank, deep round bend, straight point
• Stainless steel construction for corrosion and rust resistance in salt water
• Forged hook body for extra strength under load
• Inline point so pulling force runs straight through on the strike
• Sharp barbed point for fast penetration and secure retention
• Solid ringed eye for heavy line, leaders and snelled rigs
• Ten hooks per packet on the sizes the maker lists
• Suited to bottom fishing, drifting and offshore bait work

How To Rig It

• Cut fish strip — Thread a long strip on twice along the shank so it lies flat and streams in current. Leave the bend and point exposed.
• Squid (sotong) strips — Squid is tough and stays on well; pass the point through the thick end twice. The long shank stops it balling over the bend.
• Paternoster (apollo) rig — Two hooks on short droppers above the sinker, dropped onto reef edges, wrecks and bridge pylons. Wind down and lift into the bite rather than striking.
• Running sinker on sand and mud — Sinker sliding to a swivel, then 40–100 cm of leader, so the fish can move off with the bait before it feels weight. The ringed eye snells cleanly for whole baits.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Grouper (kerapu), red snapper (ikan merah) and golden snapper (jenahak) on reef and wreck; barramundi (siakap) at river mouths and jetties; croaker (gelama) and catfish (duri) on estuary mud in the smaller sizes.
• North America — Snapper and grouper on Gulf and Florida bottom, striped bass and bluefish on cut bait, and channel and blue catfish in rivers.
• Japan & East Asia — Bukkomi (ブッコミ) bottom baits from breakwaters for anago, kurodai and kasago, and heavier dozuki (胴突き) boat dropper rigs for hata.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Snapper, emperor and mulloway on Australian bottom and estuary rigs; hamour and sheri in the Gulf; cod, ling and conger over European wrecks and rock marks.

Specifications

Material: stainless steel throughout. Sizing runs #2 (smallest), then #1/0 up to #6/0 (largest).

Recommended Pairing

• #2–#1/0: light bottom and jetty rigs, 12–20 lb line, prawn and small strip baits
• #2/0–#4/0: general reef, wreck and estuary bottom fishing, 30–50 lb braid with a 40–80 lb leader
• #5/0–#6/0: whole fish and large squid baits, heavy bottom rod, 80–120 lb leader
• Add a short wire trace where mackerel, barracuda or shark are present