When hunting for a certain species of fish, efforts should be made to catch that species specifically. Factors such as the right tide, the best time of day or night, the season, and the fish’s preferred depth of water are some of the factors that should be considered.

Further consideration should be the best technique for this species, particularly when it comes to rigs. Usually, the most important discussion revolves around hook choice, and the properties required to land our species of choice. Some fish species are better to catch with an Aberdeen hook, while others are better to catch with an Octopus or Chinu hook.  
     Whatever fish you have in mind and whatever technique you are going to use; the hook is the most important part of your rig! Fortunately, you will find the right hook for every fishery in the Cox & Rawle range.

Besides this group of species-hunters, the largest group of anglers consists of true all-round anglers. They go to the water and fish for any species that are willing to bite at that moment. This group of all-rounders, with no specialization or specific goal, just fish and wait to see what bites. It is even more important for them to choose the right hook, so they don’t have to bring countless packs of hooks to the water’s edge.

I’m a big fan of targeting a specific species of fish when I go fishing, yet I still regularly go fishing for whatever bites. It’s wonderful not to spend too long preparing, or to unexpectedly grab the rods and go fishing for a few hours. To be able to fish well during these sessions, I think it is important to have the right all-around hook with me. This hook must meet several conditions: it must be very sharp and strong, have a good shank-to-bend ratio, and hook aggressively.

Any all-around angler should have the Cox & Rawle Stinger (SCR20) in their equipment bag. It’s a hook that meets all requirements and is also advantageous for specialist anglers to have this hook available, in various sizes if possible.

Last year I put the Stinger through its paces and used this hook in all my fisheries. One rod with the Stinger and one rod with another trusted specialist hook from Cox & Rawle. In this way, I managed to catch a lot of different fish species on the Stinger. Another big advantage of the Stinger is that you can easily offer many different baits with it. From ragworm to strips of mackerel and from shrimps to salted lugworms. The only bait that was a bit more difficult to get on the hook are the small ragworms such as whites, which are a bit too fragile.

Are you looking for a real all-round hook that can be used in almost all circumstances? The Cox&Rawle Stinger is the hook you’re looking for! Available in no less than 15 sizes.

Martijn Dekkers

Martijn Dekkers

Cox & Rawle Ambassador