Assist Fish Hooks associated with the latest speed jigs, have found favour among many pirk anglers who were previously stuck on meaty treble hooks. Here Dave Proudfoot shows just how quick and easy it is to form perfect assist hooks for attaching to the latest speed jigs…

Frantic upmarket pirk fishing might well describe speed jigging to European anglers. Vertical jigging, deep jigging, speed jigging, call it what you will, the UK has slowly embraced this modern fishing method and all the tackle variances that come with it. Speed jigs are armed with assist hooks rather than traditional large trebles… and these have proven incredibly effective.

Assist hooks are used for various reasons. Some say that fish usually attack prey at the head and the assist hook provides a barded trap in this area. It may also be that the swinging chord used to tie assist hooks attracts fish. In my opinion, the assist hook/hooks seems to provide hook-ups which are at least as secure as the alternative treble attached to the tail of the lure. The fish is not able to use the weight of the lure as a lever and throw the hook. It also reduces the risk of the lures snagging the bottom or wreck.

Assist Fish Hooks can be fished as a single hook or in tandem. While there is a slightly better hook up rate with two hooks, it’s better to use a single if you plan to release your catch. With two assist hooks, fish tend to be caught in the mouth, while the other embeds in the side of the head or body, which damages the fish and it takes more effort to land it because you’re pulling the fish sideways.

Of course you can always buy assist hooks ready-made. Brands like Hiro, Owner, Shout and Varivas provide excellent ready-to-go hook options, but there is more satisfaction in making your own, and it’s less expensive.

The following tutorial will show you one method of producing serviceable assist hooks in easy steps. And it will probably take longer to read this than to produce the finished assist hook.