THE ANGLAR - ISEAMA HOOK PACK RINGED NSB 4172 FISHING HOOK

The Anglar Iseama Hook Pack Ringed NSB 4172 Fishing Hook

Iseama (イセアマ) is the general-purpose bait shape of Japanese and Asian fishing: a round, fairly deep bend with the point turned slightly inward, so pressure loads onto the bend rather than levering the point back out of a jaw. The 4172 is the heavy-duty saltwater member of that family — the maker rates it 4X strong, meaning the wire is several gauges above a standard hook of the same size, fully forged through shank and bend, in a black-nickel finish. It is the iseama you fit when the thing likely to fail is the hook rather than the knot: big catfish and snakehead on a locked drag, grouper trying to get back into a hole, a ray settling on the bottom.

Two details set it apart from the standard Anglar 4170. First the point: the 4172 is kirbed, swung slightly off the centreline, where the 4170 runs its point straight inline with the eye. A kirbed point is already angled across the jaw when a fish takes a still bait side-on and turns away, so it finds purchase on a pull that an inline point can slide straight through. That is the geometry you want for bottom baits and rods in holders. Second the range: where the 4170 runs sixteen sizes from a tiny #3 up to #20, the 4172 starts at #8 and runs nine sizes to #20 — no small sizes at all, because a 4X wire in a small hook is not the point. The turned-up ringed eye completes it, sitting the hook at a working angle when tied or snelled.

Key Features

• 4X heavy-duty wire (manufacturer’s stated strength classification) for heavy lines and high drag settings
• Fully forged construction through shank and bend to resist opening under load
• Kirbed-in offset point — more contact on a side-on take than an inline point
• Chemically sharpened point with a pronounced retaining barb
• Turned-up ringed eye for tying or snelling, with no pressed edge to shave the line
• Deep round iseama bend with room for a natural bait
• Black-nickel finish for a low-glare look and corrosion resistance
• Nine sizes, #8 through #20, at 6–14 hooks per pack

How To Rig It

• Running sinker on the bottom — Egg sinker above a swivel, 50–100 cm leader, with prawn, squid strip or cut fish for estuary, jetty and surf work. Let the rod tip load and lean into it; the offset point does the rest.
• Paternoster over reef and rubble — Two short droppers above a heavy sinker. With 4X wire you can set the drag hard enough to turn a grouper before it reaches structure.
• Big pond and river baits — Paste, pellet, chicken gut or live prawn for catfish and snakehead in reservoirs and paid ponds, where fish run into weed and the hook takes the strain.
• Live bait under a float — Pin a live prawn or small baitfish through the collar, keep the bend clear, and fish it down a breakwater or jetty face.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Barramundi (siakap), grouper (kerapu), golden snapper (jenahak), croaker (gelama) and catfish (duri) from jetties and estuary mud; big patin, catfish (keli) and snakehead (haruan, toman) in reservoirs and paid ponds.
• North America — Channel, blue and flathead catfish on cut bait, plus black drum, sheepshead and striped bass around pilings and jetties.
• Japan & East Asia — Heavier bukkomi (ブッコミ) bottom rigs from breakwaters for kurodai and anago, and boat dozuki (胴突き) rigs for hata and large kasago.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Mulloway, snapper and estuary cod on Australian bottom rigs; hamour and sheri in the Gulf; large carp, catfish and conger in European waters.

Specifications

Sizes follow the Japanese gō (号) system: the number rises as the hook gets larger, the reverse of Western numbering. #8 is the smallest here and #20 the largest. Finish: black nickel.

4170 or 4172? Take the 4170 when you want one iseama pattern covering everything from panfish to jetty fish, with an inline point and a threaded bait that hangs dead straight. Take the 4172 when the fish, the structure or the drag setting is the limiting factor — 4X wire, an offset point for unseen side-on bites, and only the sizes that justify it.

Recommended Pairing

• #8–#11: heavier estuary, jetty and pond work, 15–30 lb line with a fluorocarbon leader
• #12–#16: big catfish, snakehead and inshore saltwater baits, 30–50 lb braid, 40–60 lb leader
• #18–#20: whole and large baits on heavy bottom or surf gear, 50 lb and above, 60–100 lb leader
• Match the rod to the wire — a 4X hook needs a blank and a drag that can actually drive it home; step up the leader, not the hook size, around oysters and rock