.....I fish a 6.5 ft.M-H rod with a Chronarch reel and 12lb. flouro. Too thick (gage)of a hook like CJ says is harder to penetrate. I bend the hook out slightly to the side and out a hair to give the point a "clear" avenue for a solid hookset. A highspeed reel is crucial for pickup as you "crankswing" on the hookset....keep reeling like a mother until you load it up all the way.....go get them....