Hooks
92%Korda
Korda Kamakura Wide Gape
Original pattern, sizes 4 / 6 / 8, barbed or barbless
Korda’s extra-sharpened Wide Gape. Sticky sharp out the packet, but the fine point is delicate.
- Sizes 4, 6, 8
- Barbed or barbless
- 10 per pack
Best-of guide
Best hooks: our top-scored picks
Right, here's the lot. Every bit of hooks we've dug into, ranked by our on-paper score — that's our own desk research on specs, build and price across five things: product quality, performance, how much it helps you catch, ease of use and value for money. We haven't bank-tested these, so treat it as a smart shortlist, not gospel.
Top of the pile right now: Korda Kamakura Wide Gape (9.2/10), RidgeMonkey Ape-X Medium Curve Hooks (9/10) and Korda Krank (9/10). Tap into any review for the full lowdown, the comparison and a buying checklist.
Top tip: match the kit to how and where you actually fish before chasing the highest number. A cracking bit of gear for big open waters can be overkill on a snug club pond. How we score.
Fishing style
- 92%
- Hooks
90%RidgeMonkey
RidgeMonkey Ape-X Medium Curve Hooks
Barbed · Sizes 4, 6 and 8
A proper all-round curved hook for modern carp rigs, with a nasty point, tidy finish and sizes to cover most situations.
- Available in sizes 4, 6 and 8, with 10 hooks per packet.
- Ultra-sharp straight point with a long needle point and micro barb.
- 16° downturned eye, forged bend and shank, plus RM-Tec Gun Metal coating.
- Hooks
90%Korda
Korda Krank
Krank hook, barbed and barbless, sizes 2-10, pack of 10
Korda's Krank is a distinctively shaped, wide-gape carp hook designed by Tom Dove to keep working its way into a fish's mouth under pressure, and it's become one of Korda's most popular all-round patterns since its release in 2014.
- Very wide gape with a short, curved shank
- Slightly in-turned eye and offset beaked point
- Micro barb, also available barbless
- Hooks
89%RidgeMonkey
RidgeMonkey Ape-X Chod Hooks
Barbed
A sharp, properly thought-out chod hook with a micro barb, out-turned eye and a stealthy gun-metal finish. Here’s where it fits on the bank.
- Available in sizes 5, 6 and 8.
- Barbed pattern with a micro barb.
- Made from Japanese Carbon 80 Steel with a forged bend and shank.
- Hooks
89%ESP
ESP Cryogen Slammer Hooks
Micro-barbed · Sizes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8
A beefy-looking carp pattern with a fine point, enlarged eye and useful in-between sizes. The Slammer gives you plenty to work with, provided you match it to the bait rather than just reaching for the biggest hook.
- Straight point, wide gape, medium-length shank and in-turned eye.
- Available in sizes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
- Heavily forged, with heat and cryogenic tempering.
- Hooks
88%RidgeMonkey
RidgeMonkey Ape-X Straight Point Hooks
Barbed straight-point hook
Proper sharp, nicely finished carp hooks with a classic straight point. A solid choice when you want a dependable pattern without blowing a load of quid.
- Available in sizes 4, 6 and 8, with 10 hooks per packet.
- Barbed pattern with an ultra-sharp, long needle point and micro barb.
- Straight eye, forged bend and shank, made from Japanese Carbon 80 steel.
- Hooks
88%ESP
ESP Cryogen Trig-Hammer Hooks
Micro-barbed and barbless versions; sizes 4–8
A wide gape, subtly curved shank and fine needle point make the Trig-Hammer an interesting choice for Ronnie rigs and bottom-bait presentations. Just give that longer profile room to work.
- Available in sizes 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
- Micro-barbed and barbless versions available.
- Long, subtly curved shank with a wide gape and in-turned eye.
- Hooks
88%Gardner Tackle
Gardner Covert Dark Mugga Hook
Covert Dark Mugga, barbed and barbless, sizes 2–12 (code DMH/DMHB)
The Mugga has been one of carp fishing's most trusted hook shapes for years, and Gardner's Covert Dark version carries it forward with a re-profiled point, a stripped-down matt finish and a micro barb, aimed at anglers who want a reliable flipping action out of the packet.
- 25° in-turned eye with a sweeping curved shank for a fast flip on the take
- Re-specified point: longer, slimmer and sharper than the previous generation
- Single-layer Covert Dark matt electroplated finish for camouflage and a sharp-from-the-box point
- Hooks
87%ESP
ESP Cryogen Stiff Rigger Hooks
Barbed · Sizes 4–8 · 10 hooks per pack
An out-turned eye, heavy-forged construction and a refined point make these a tidy choice for stiff pop-up presentations. Just check your venue allows barbed hooks before you fill the rig wallet.
- Designed for chod rigs and hinged stiff rigs.
- 13-degree out-turned eye.
- Heavy-forged and cryogenically tempered, with a PTFE Teflon coating.
- Hooks
81%Daiwa
Daiwa Gamakatsu G-Point All Round Coarse Hooks
GP103 · Barbless · Spade end
The GP103 keeps things straightforward: loose, barbless, spade-end hooks with a size range covering delicate maggot work through to bigger bread, worm and corn presentations. Just bring your hook-tying skills.
- GP103 All Round coarse hook pattern.
- Barbless with a spade-end attachment.
- 10 loose hooks per packet; not tied to nylon.