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preferred hooks for metal lures

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W

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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
All,

I've doing some winter renovations of my tackle box. Several of my lures need new hooks - primarily stingsilvers, gotchas, etc.

What hooks does everyone prefer and what sizes? I'm probably going to stick with trebles for now, but would consider swapping out to a single hook to reduce the chances of hooking myself.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide.

Second question - does anyone have a good link for instructions on how to replace hooks in gotcha lures? I searched around last night but the youTubes I found weren't particularly helpful. Just providing me instruction may be enough, but a picture or video usually helps.

Thanks
wvlheel
 
I

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#5 ·
On the gotchas cut the treble off by cutting the eye of th e treble..get an o ring clip ,attach it then put your new treble hook on that.make sure your middle treble hook doesn't hang up onto the rear one. Might have to offset them in size. Or the diff size o rings,up to you.

Owners for lures that need light weight trebled aka mirroeluees etc and vmc for metals,gotchas, etc..
 
W

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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
One thing I meant to ask, what about preferred colors? I have a bunch of VMCs left over from replacing mirrolure hooks. They are black. Stingsilvers and gotchas usually have silver and gold hooks. Does hook color matter?
 
bigjim5589

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#9 · (Edited)
I still use trebles, but have been slowly changing many of them over to single hooks. Even on crankbaits & jerkbaits I use for bass, I've started to go with more single hooks.
VMC, Owner & Decoy all make an inline single hook intended as a direct replacement for trebles. All are very good brands as others have noted. For trebles, I prefer VMC or Owner & use Daiichi trebles too, but not on saltwater lures.

I also use the VMC Siwash hooks on such lures as stingsilvers, or other types of spoons. Sometimes dressed, sometimes not. VMC makes them in two types, one with an open eye, the other closed. Both can be useful, depending on the lure.

As far as hook color, IMO it doesn't matter most of the time, but some color, such as red can add a little more flash to a lure. I have some bass lures with red hooks on them, but not because I believe all the hype about "red". For me, I buy what's less costly, yet still a good hook, and have bought red hooks because they were on sale.

If I want color on a hook, and often this would be on a tail hook, I'll dress it with hair or feathers, which also adds additional motion.

Generally, I want the hook to last longer so stick with the permaplate VMC hooks, or tinned versions in other brands. Some of these singles are available in black nickel, which is fine for brackish or freshwater use, but I much prefer the tinned in saltwater. However, I do use some black nickel finish hooks in saltwater & they're fine, but I know they won't last as long as tinned.

I try to stay away from nickel or gold hooks in saltwater, as they seem to rust much quicker than hooks with the previously mentioned finishes. :D

BTW, I have some hooks I use for various purposes that have a "black" finish, much like what is used on Salmon fly hooks. It's often called Japanned finish. A lot of folks seems to think it's not worth using, but I don't have that opinion. I've yet to find any situation where using a black hook had a negative affect on the fishing & I've been fishing for over 50 years. I tie a lot of flies for bass & other species on black hooks & they work as well as any other hooks I've used. IMO, finish on a hook is primarily for corrosion resistance, and even though it might add a bit of color or flash, that's the last consideration I make when choosing a hook. ;)
 
bigjim5589

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#11 ·
You're welcome! I just re-read your post & I didn't mention sizes. That depends on the lure. I've got a lot of lures for different types of fishing. I try to replace hooks with similar size hooks. However, if you change trebles to singles, on some lures it can change the balance or action since the singles will be lighter in weight. Generally, on such lures as stingsilvers or spoons, it's not usually an issue. I just go with a single that looks to have enough gap & heavy enough wire for the fish I'll be targeting. You may have to experiment with single hook sizes to get the "correct" hook compared to the treble.

I have replaced trebles with a size or two larger at times, as I feel some lures don't have large enough hooks. It seems to me that some lure makers simply use what they have on hand, and that may not be the correct size hook for that lure. For example, I have a bunch of Jensen Krocodile spoons that seem to have hooks that are too small. Of course, I know they're popular on the west coast & Great lakes for Salmon or trout, and I'm using them for Striped bass primarily. They may be fine for the trout or salmon, but I like a bigger hook for Stripers, so I change them. I may also go with a heavier wire type treble, depending on the lure type particularly with saltwater lures. However, I am always aware that it could change the lures action.

One small detail that is not often mentioned in discussions about changing hooks is split rings. If you have lures with split rings, be sure to check to see if they're deformed. This too is sometimes an issue with factory installed split rings, as they often use split rings that are too small. IMO, smaller rings may look better, but who cares, I want a split ring that's not going to fail, and deformed rings will eventually fail. You don't want that to happen when you hook the fish of a lifetime!

If the split ring is not closed tight, it's deformed. This happens when they're opened too far, sometimes by using the wrong tools to open them, or by trying to insert a hook that is too big. I have a couple of sizes of split ring pliers that allow me to open the various sizes of split rings & insert the hook or hook hanger on the lure without deforming the split ring. I also have changed out split rings to larger sizes & if on saltwater lures to the heavy versions. These will be designated with an "H" added to the size when you're buying them.

One other thing I do on many of my lures is add an oval split ring to the line tie. This allows a free connection so I get the best action from the lures. I use some made by Worth manufacturing that they call X2 rings. They're an magnesium alloy ring, don't easily deform & are both lighter & stronger than stainless rings. I've yet to have one fail and have been using them for at least 20 years. I like the oval rings because they tend to keep my line & the knot away from the "split" in the ring, which may cause damage to the line or knot. Not everyone likes a ring on the line tie of their lures, but I do on most. Something to consider.
 
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#12 · (Edited)
Do yourself a favor and get split double hooks. Cut the factory hook off with side cutters and slip the double back on the wire. Terminal Tackle carried them last I ordered. # 2's front and rear. Front hook up, back hook down. Front hook up, helps prevent line snagging. I've never, ever had one come off, fish or no fish on. I make my gotchas from scratch and the hooks aren't as expensive as the band aids.
 
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