These days, 95% of my fishing is with eyed hooks that I tie on myself. Mostly I use barbless but if I am using small hooks, for big roach for example, I will use barbed or micro-barbed.
If I am facing a very difficult challenge, say big spooky fish in crystal water, I will put on a pre-tied hook to nylon. These just give the edge in rock hard situations.
The major consideration is the size of the hook. The vital thing is to match hook and bait together. For example, a single maggot would look foolish on a size 2! I will use a 12 or 14 for one piece of sweetcorn, an 8 or 6 for a lobworm, a 10 for a decent piece of flake and a 16 or 18 for two maggots and so on. It is the same with pellets too. I’ll use a 20ml on a 4 or 2 and an 8ml on a 14. I’m sure you get the picture.
You also need to think about the strength of the hook. Some have thicker wire and some finer. Lightness is generally good but not for big fish in tight situations where you need strength if you are are going to pile on the pressure.
The result of all this is that I have about 50 different sizes and types of hook with me when I go out. I’ll have sizes 2 to 20 and various different patterns in most sizes too.
What about you? How do you make your selections?