Pliers, Crescent Wrench, Flathead or Phillips Screwdriver- They are all for specific purposes. Match the hook to the bait size, bulk, length, and the application you are trying to accomlish. One Size for ALL is NOT always a good option if you have an assortment of techniques and baits.

I don't use any thin wire hooks I set the hook hard use non stretch line and a tight drag so hook penetration is never really an issue. I really like a 3/0 gama EWG super line hook for a brush hog, 4/0 for senko and other creature baits then 5/0-7/0 for big worms and flukes. Any bait thats getting pitched into a bush or shallow laydown with my flipping stick gets a 4/0-5/0 owner jungle flipping hook

A thinner hook does get better penetration thru the worm and into a fishes mouth. If you are sitting back and casting a bait you will probably never straighten out a 2/0 or 3/0 hook. However a lot of guys pitch or flip baits into heavy grass or brush. When you do this you have to adjust your tackle. 50-65 pound braid and large heavy wire hooks are a must when doing this. It's not an ego thing to use big line & heavy hooks, it's just selecting the right tool for the job at hand like some of the others have said.

Greg Hackney did an article shortly after winning at Texoma. He was making a case for why he used heavy braided line even though some think it will cost you bites. I will try to find it and post it on this thread. The same principles can be applied to hooks. I wouldn't use a 5/0 heavy wire wide gap hook in a Zoom Trick Worm but I most likely would a Magnum Fluke or an Old Monster worm.

make sense?

Here it is. Good read from a great angler.

http://bassblaster.bassgold.com/greg-hackneys-braid-flipping-system

What does the hook on the end of your line have to do with a poor hookset?

Match your hook with your setup and presentation, there is usually a size guide on your soft plastic bag for that. Simple.

The best piece of advise I can give you if you're worried about hook penetration is to practice your hookset.
At home.
On a thick piece of cardboard.
With different hook sizes, gauges, lines and rods. You'll learn a lot about how you really need to set a hook for each setup to get proper penetration.

It may surprise you how difficult it is to get proper penetration of a thick piece of cardboard and it will improve your technique.

Tight lines

Ok, so thick hook vs thin hook.

Over the years I've moved to more thin hooks for my TR plastics...cover and technique dependent of course. My experience has been that for most TR plastics applications, a thin hook penetrates much better/easier than a thick hook. Think about a raw potato and try to push a nail in the potato vs pushing a pin in the potato...the pin will go into the potato with much less force.

As for 5-0 and 4-0 vs 3-0 and 2-0...that is dependent on the size of the plastic.

I have and do the same.

Match the hook to your bait as others have suggested. I try to match everything up including hook, bait, line, rod and reel.

More importantly, if you are fishing for big bass you need the larger hook to get the barb penetration you need. Have you ever paid attention to the thickness of jaw bone on a big bass? Its thick. So pay attention to the distance between the barb and the bottom of the hook. In my rookie days I lost a lot of double digit size bass because I was using a hook too small and not much distance between the barb and bottom of the hook. When I changed to a larger hook I started landing them big mommas.

If I were fishing where little bass were most common like some of these ridiculous places you see the bass pro's forced to fish, I would downsize everything.

If you are in big bass waters you better have the gear to land one if you are lucky enough to get one on the other end of your line. The hook is where all the business is conducted. So be sure yours is sharp and large enough to sink the barb.

Long story short, match it all up best you can.

To me it's like a mechanic... He's not going to use a crescent wrench for every job. It's about what tool works best in the given situation. Or like using a breaker bar on a oil pan drain plug, you will destroy it. There are certain applications for each tool or in this case a hook.

I use heavy hooks on all plastics. Thin hooks flex, flex robs penetrating power. If everything worked in straight lines like the pin and nail in the potato analogy I would agree thin penetrates better. But since we are pulling at an angle I'll keep using heavy hooks that don't flex,skip and tear.

I personally use multiple sizes based on bait size but not many different types. There are just some baits you can't put on a 3/0 because it would consume the hook and not give you the best chance for a hook up(12" worm for example). I basically see how bulky the bait is and go from there which hook I want to put it on.

This! Put a thin wire ewg and a super line ewg on a piece of cardboard and pull. The thin wire will flex and not penetrate as easily as a super line hook. Sounds wrong, but try it for yourself.

I use a #1 size up to a 10/0. It all depends on the bait I am fishing.

Simple physics actually and the potato analogy is a pretty darn good one. All things being equal, a thin hook will penetrate easier than a thick hook, and a sharp hook will penetrate easier than a dull hook.

Below is from Edwin Evers on the importance of a hook's diameter. ( I figure he knows a little bit about Bass Fishing)

"Since today's hooks are almost all very sharp, it's usually other qualities I'm looking for when selecting a hook. One of the big factors is diameter. Basically, I want hooks that are thin and strong, but those two qualities are typically at the opposite ends of the spectrum from each other. Thin hooks are not the strongest, but they penetrate well on the hookset. Thick hooks are very strong, but it takes more to get good penetration. Generally, if I'm using light line or making long casts, I'm going to use a light, thin-diameter hook. If I'm using heavy line and fishing close, I can get away with a thicker, heavier hook. "

I agree with most comment here. A thicker body or longer worm needs a larger hood for better hook set. If you look at what a 10+ inch worm or big craw looks like when it bunches up on a hook... you will understand the reason for so many near misses.