GAMAKATSU - ISEAMA RING EYE BLACK FISHING HOOK MADE IN JAPAN

Gamakatsu Iseama Ring Eye Black Fishing Hook (Made In Japan)

Iseama (イセアマ) is one of the oldest and most widely used general-purpose hook shapes in Japan, and the ancestor of the pattern Chinese anglers call yisheni. It is defined by a round, fairly deep bend and a point turned slightly inward: once the hook is in, that angle keeps the pull on the bend rather than levering the point back out, which is why iseama hooks hold fish that jump, roll or head-shake. This Ring Eye Black version is the heavy-duty build — thick wire, a forged flattened section and a ring eye — for rock, shore and saltwater work where hook strength is the limit. Gamakatsu lists it for black porgy, red sea bream, pelagic species and stocked marine fishing ponds; the black finish keeps it discreet in clear water.

Key Features

• Classic iseama profile: round bend, inward-facing point that resists hook shedding
• Thick, heavy-duty wire for large and powerful fish
• Ring (closed) eye rather than a flatted eye: stronger, easier to knot with heavy mono, fluorocarbon or braid, and no pressed edge to cut the line
• Offset (kirbed) geometry for better point exposure
• Forged flattened section that resists opening under load
• Black finish; eight sizes, #7 through #14

How To Rig It

• Bottom bait rig — Running sinker above a swivel, 50–100 cm leader to the hook. Suits prawn, squid strip, shellfish, cut fish and dough baits. Let the rod load before lifting into the fish.
• Float and shore rig — Fish it under a sliding float along rock ledges and breakwaters; the incurved point sets on a moving line rather than a hard strike.
• Pond and river bait fishing — A standard shape for reservoir and river bait work across Asia: paste, pellet, worm or prawn on a running or paternoster rig.
• Live bait — Hook a live prawn or baitfish through the collar or nose so the bend stays clear, then fish it slow-sinking near cover.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — One of the most-used shapes in the region: patin, rohu, tilapia, catfish (keli) and snakehead (haruan/toman) in paid ponds and reservoirs; barramundi (siakap), grouper (kerapu), snapper (merah) and croaker (gelama) off jetties and in estuaries.
• North America — Catfish, carp and striped bass on cut and dough baits; black drum and redfish around pilings and jetties.
• Japan & East Asia — Kurodai (black porgy), madai, mejina and pelagic species from rock and shore, and a standard hook for umi-tsuribori marine fishing ponds.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Bream and mulloway in Australian estuaries; hamour and safi in the Gulf; carp and catfish in European still waters.

Specifications

Sizes follow the Japanese gō (号) system: the number rises as the hook gets larger, the reverse of Western numbering. #7 is the smallest, #14 the largest.

Recommended Pairing

• Medium to heavy bait rod, 3–8 kg class, with a 3000–6000 spinning or overhead reel
• 20–60 lb mono or braid with a fluorocarbon leader tied direct to the ring eye
• Small sizes for pond and river species, large sizes for rock, shore and saltwater work