I think the gap is more important than the length of the shank. Depends on the situation, but for big fish I want a long shank, wide-gap hook. Reason the wide gap matters is the the fish usually takes the lure on the drop head first. When you feel the strike and set the hook, the jig-head flips, and the wider gap is more likely to catch the top of the fish's mouth than a narrow one. A lot of times you'll pull the lure right out of the fish's mouth anyway, even if he sucks it way down. I mostly prefer a 1.5 ounce head in the open Bay, but this time of year, that's too heavy, especially when fish are running bait up on the ledges. It doesn't take much weight to get 'em to fall 10 feet.