Hook size for crappie
Don’t remember anyone saying you “need” bigger hooks to catch crappie. But I do it for cash and get 1099’d every year for tournament fishing and if I can get away with a big hook will choose it every time. Very,very few fish come unbuttoned on a 1/0 or 2/0 jig hook where conversely pretty much every trip or day using hooks #4 or smaller, sickle or round bend, a good fish is going to come off. I pour my own heads and have every size and style imaginable in the garage and none of them are a magic bullet, some fish will get away no matter what hook you use. But you will lose many more big fish on the little hooks than big ones, anyone that says differently probably hasn’t spent much time trying both.
The other thing to consider is a lot of use are using much bigger baits than what some of you do. A big profile 2.5”-3” bait with a #8 hook isn’t going to work very well at all no matter how you spin it.
2018 Crappie Masters Kentucky/Tennessee State Champion