THE ANGLAR - DX AJI HOOK PACK RINGED BLACK 4502 HI-CARBON HOOK FISHING HOOK

The Anglar DX Aji Hook Pack Ringed Black 4502 Hi-Carbon

Aji (アジ) is the Japanese name for horse mackerel — the small, soft-mouthed schooling fish that feeds by sipping rather than smashing. The hook built for it is a specific shape: fine wire, a short shank, a narrow gape and a needle-fine point, so a tiny bait sits naturally and the hook slides in on almost no pressure. That is why an aji hook works far beyond aji: anywhere small fish are mouthing a bait on light tackle, a heavy-wire hook is what costs you bites. The 4502 is the high-carbon version, with an eagle-cutting point (angled cutting edges rather than a plain cone), a straight point alignment so the pull runs directly from eye to point, and a retaining barb. Unlike the spade-end hooks that dominate this style in Japan, it uses a turned-up ringed eye — knot straight to it with fine fluorocarbon, no whipping, which makes it much quicker to tie your own sabiki-style dropper rigs. Black finish, twelve sizes, ten per pack.

Key Features

• Aji pattern — fine wire, short shank, narrow gape for small fish with soft mouths
• Eagle-cutting point: sharply angled edges that slice in rather than push through
• Straight point alignment for direct pulling force on a light lift
• Turned-up ringed eye — knot direct to fine line, no snelling required
• Black finish for a discreet appearance and added surface protection
• Twelve sizes, #6 through #20, ten pieces per pack

How To Rig It

• Self-tied sabiki / apollo rig — Two to six hooks on 15–25 cm droppers off a main trace, sinker at the bottom. The ring eye lets you tie droppers direct in fluorocarbon. Dress the shanks with a scrap of skin, tinsel or white thread if you want a shop sabiki without buying one.
• Small natural baits — Shrimp paste, a sliver of squid, a strip of the last fish or a piece of worm, kept smaller than the gape; a loaded hook on this pattern will not set.
• Float rig off a jetty — Small float, one split shot, hook set 1–3 m down and drifted along pilings and pontoons. Feed a little chum to hold the school under you.
• Do not strike — Small fish tear out of a fine-wire hook. Lift the rod steadily into the weight and keep the drag light all the way in. The smaller sizes also nose-hook a 1–2 inch soft plastic for a slow, weightless fall.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Jetty and pontoon fish first: yellowstripe scad (selar kuning, 巴弄), Indian mackerel (kembung, 甘望鱼), sardine (tamban), anchovy (bilis), small trevally and mullet (belanak). This is the standard hook for tying your own bait-catching rig before a live-bait session, and for small croaker (gelama) and rabbitfish (dengkis) on shrimp paste in the larger sizes.
• North America — Crappie, bluegill and yellow perch on light bait; Pacific mackerel, jacksmelt and herring on pier sabiki rigs.
• Japan & East Asia — The home water: aji (horse mackerel) on sabiki (サビキ) chum rigs and dozuki dropper rigs from breakwaters and boats, plus iwashi, small saba and mebaru. It is the bait-fishing counterpart to lure-based ajing.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Yellowtail scad (yakkas), slimy mackerel and garfish off Australian wharves, mostly as live bait for kingfish and snapper; small scad and sardine in the Gulf; mackerel and coarse-fishing baits in Europe.

Specifications

Sizes follow the Japanese gō (号) system: the number rises as the hook gets larger, the reverse of Western numbering. #6 is the smallest here and #20 the largest. Material: high-carbon steel, black finish. High carbon takes and keeps a harder point than stainless, but it will rust once the coating is scratched — rinse in fresh water and dry opened packets after salt use.

Recommended Pairing

• Light or ultralight rod with a soft tip, 1–6 lb class; a stiff rod pulls fine wire out of a soft mouth
• 500–2500 spinning reel, 2–8 lb mono or fine braid, drag set light
• 3–8 lb fluorocarbon for droppers and traces — fine enough to hang naturally, tied direct to the ring eye
• Small sizes for bait-catching and panfish; largest sizes for bigger scad, mackerel and rabbitfish