As fishing continues to evolve, so does the tackle. Terminal tackle, like hooks, are no exception and the selection to choose from has become almost overwhelming. To simplify things, I like to utilize hooks that can be used for more than one purpose and reduce my size selection to a few sizes. That way it’s easy for me to switch soft plastics on the water, without having to retie or switch to a different hook.
Standard Worm Hooks
The wide gap style has become a standard offering for bass anglers over the years. The wider gap allows for you to use big, bulky plastics and still get excellent hook sets. They are also great for smaller soft plastics and generally good for just about anything you will be using.
A good choice in this style is the Owner All Purpose Bait Hook. Like the name implies, it works for many different baits. If I were to just choose two sizes, I would pick a 3/0 and a 4/0. These are big enough to fit most standard size baits; yet. not too big that they impact the action of the soft plastic. A good rule of thumb I always use is to make sure the hook, when Texas-rigged, is about a third of the way down the bait, so you can hook most everything that bites your plastic.
Drop-Shot Hooks
Drop-shot fishing for me is done either by nose-hooking the plastic or Texas-rigging it. I prefer a nose-hooked bait for open water.
If I am fishing shallow water, around cover or anytime there is grass nearby, I will always Texas-rig the bait. With that being said, I use two different hooks.
For nose-hooking, a smaller hook in an octopus style or a similar style works great. I like to use a size 1 for baits larger than 4 inch and a size 2 for anything smaller. With drop-shotting, you do not want your bait to be affected by a large hook and these small hooks do not mess up the action and will still be big enough hook and land big fish.
The Owner Mosquito Hook has become one of my go-to hooks for drop-shotting for two reasons: they are sharp and they are inexpensive.
For Texas-rigging, a small wide gap hook in a size 1 or 2, or a straight shank hook with a plastic keeper are my go-to for drop-shotting.
Wacky Rig Hooks
A good wacky rig hook has to have just the right bend and a compact size. A small weedguard is another plus and helps to keep grass off of the exposed hook. Most of the time when I am wacky-rigging I am using a 5 inch Senko, one of the most popular soft plastics in the world. A 1/0 size works great for this bait. I like the Owner Weedless Wacky Hook, because it is a camo green color and does not stand out as much as a gold, silver or even black hook does. It is small and compact, so I am not worried about it affecting the action of my bait as it falls. This hook combined with an O-Ring is a great way to fish a wacky-rig under docks and all the way out to deeper water.
Swimbait Hooks
Soft plastic, hollow belly swimbaits require just the right hook and the correct size to get the best action. Most of these are weighted, so the bait runs true and casts farther. They work great and act as a keel on the swimbait as it is retrieved. 
I prefer the style that features a screw lock keeper.
The Owner Beast is, by far, my favorite for throwing a 4 to 6 inch swimbait. The hook on the Owner Beast has a big bite for a good hooksets, but one of the best thing about these is the screw lock. It’s called a Centering Pin Spring (CPS) and is much easier to rig it straight and it seems to hold the plastics more securely.
You can even buy these buy themselves if you want to use them on a different hook, but in my opinion the Beast is the perfect swimbait hook. The 5/0 and 6/0 sizes fit nicely with all of the major brands of hollow-belly style swimbaits in the 5-6” size that are most common.
Flippin’, Pitchin’ and Punchin’ Hooks
These techniques continue to evolve and manufacturers have really helped design terminal tackle products that help us catch more fish. Tungsten weights, sinker stoppers and more are now designed just for these techniques. Hooks have also come a long way and now most companies make a quality straight shank hook with a welded eye and include a bait keeper right out of the package. These three things are a must for me with flippin’, pitchin’ and punchin’. The Owner 4X Jungle Flippin’ Hook in 4/0 is my top choice for these applications.
This welded eye ensures that your line will never slip out and the soft plastic keeper is to secure the plastic. The Jungle Flippin’ hook bait keeper is made out a monofilament loop and while it might not look sturdy, I actually like this design as it doesn’t tear up your plastics as much as metal bait keepers do.
There are so many good hook brands on the market and they all have a full line of specialized hooks to choose from. My advice to everyone is buy the best hooks you can afford as hooks are a crucial part of fishing success. Choosing a hook can be complicated, but you can simplify the process by picking a few hooks in sizes and styles that will work for multiple baits.
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