I caught a nice, fat Pike today! It has been eating well!
Do you use non-barbed hooks for catch and release?
Have to use them on striped bass out east, can only keep certain sizes.
No, it's not necessary here.
I typically use an EWG (Extra Wide Gap) hook for 2 main reasons.
1) it allows for a weedless/snagless presentation. Bass (and pike) are in the weeds, so to fish those areas without EWG is impossible
2) it allows any bait thicker than a worm to "collapse" down to enable a hookset. So you can use thick/fat baits and still get great hooksets.
I typically use either a standard EWG (top) or a screwlock (bottom).
