Q I generally use a size 8 hook when carping with my usual 15mm baits. I recently started experimenting with rigs, but what hooks are best for what rig. Am I using too small hooks? Dean Hale, Gloucestershire

MARCUS HOWARTH: I would use a hook with an out-turned eye when using stiffer hooklinks and an in-turned eye for supple. The stiffer hooklinks would create a very aggressive and small gape on an in-turned eye, but sit perfectly with an out-turned. The in-turned hooks work nicely with the softer hooklinks, like coated and supple braids. It comes out the eye nicely and leaves a large gape to help hook the carp. Regarding size, I prefer a large hook. Unless I am floater fishing, I won’t cast out anything smaller than a size 6. I tend to use size 4 or 5 for most of my fishing with 16mm baits. I feel much more at ease when I play a fish, knowing that I have a large hook on the end.

Larger hooks are likely to give you more confidence