Why use long shanked hooks for whiting

[Volitan]

I’ve never targeted whiting but I’ve read a bit about them and always wondered why people always use long shanked hooks when fishing for them.

I googled it a bit but no convincing explanation found.

cheers

arron

[rickmarlin62]

Whiting have a very narrow small mouth and generally eat worms n nippers so a long shank hook holds the bait in a long skinny format so its easier for a whiting to suck the bait in..try using a larger gape hook like a circle you wont hookup..rick

[macman]

Small circle hooks actually work pretty well, I tried them for a few seasons and didn't seem to effect hookup rates, only problem is that you end up with either a clean hookup in the corner of the mouth or a gut hook up which is a pain with a circle. I ended up going back to a large long shank, less hookups, but avoid a few of the smaller fish. 

Matt

[Volitan]

Yep, I thought it was something like that. It just seemed hard to reconcile with the fact the same fish is also keen to smash poppers and sugar pens on the surface.

[PaddyT]

bait presentation- you can feed the worm up the hook and line so it looks nice and natural

[campr]

I use gamakatsu worm hooks for whiting and bream.  they are a fine guage longer than a conventional hook but not as long as a long shank and also have little barbs on the shank to stop bait sliding down hook.  

[Yowie]

I use size 2 longshank. The hooks are strong enough to also land big flatties, trevally, salmon that will eat nippers and worms.

[harold]

I find it is easier to remove the hook with long shanks.

[CJay]

Long Shanks with a small gape - for a fish with a tiny mouth,  Red tubing and a couple of red beads then a red longshank hook can actually catch whiting with no bait! It imitates worms especially if its moving in the current,  the same as the green straw and a bare hook for herring