says Chris Jeffries
Have a Butchers at your Hooks !
says Chris Jeffries
Some lures come with completely crap hooks, and some of the hook-hangers and split-rings aren't too clever either. Now I know that there's a lot that's already been written about checking and changing hooks but how many of us lure-anglers actually do it? Not very many, to judge from what I've seen when I'm out and about !
One guy I used to fish with, who boasted that he's a "known" writer, was always banging-on in print about how he always changed his hooks etc., though judging from the state of the hooks on some of his lures that I saw, Noah must have used them when he fished from the Ark, no kidding — just goes to show that some of these guys don't actually practise what they preach.
Anyway it still really sticks in my throat to have to cough-up for some decent hooks after I've just paid-out good money for a brand new lure, though as far as I can see, there's no easy way round it — it's an unfortunate fact that many lure producers opt for 2nd-rate hooks probably for reasons of economy. To be fair, some lures come with OK hooks, like Rapala; some others are totally naff with hooks that you can bend with your fingers like some Arbogast top-water plugs — OK so these types of lures do need lighter hooks to stop them sinking but you don't have to sacrifice that much weight and strength.
Some other lures come with hooks that are massively over-sized with huge barbs and they're blunt as well, complete rubbish and downright ugly. To be fair, some lures are really aimed at sea-fishing and so they have great big galvanised trebles on them. In my opinion, you've no choice than to change these hooks for some more suitable ones, and that's what I actually do.
I've learnt the hard way and now, when I get a new lure, I always check-out the hooks and split rings and more often than not, I usually have to change them all. I check the strength and sharpness of the hooks and if they're OK, I crush the barbs and leave the hooks on. Mostly the hooks are naff and need binning right away and decent ones put straight on. While I'm changing my hooks I usually go down a size as well, or two sometimes, maybe even three, as some lures come with hooks that are ridiculous, a joke, more suited to lure fishing for Nile perch or mahseer or something like that, not for pike, well not the sizes of pike that I normally catch, I don't know about you?!
As far as my small and medium sized lures are concerned, as well as replacing naff trebles with decent ones, I sometimes put on double hooks instead of the original trebles. As for my smallest lures which some lure anglers might call lightweight or even ultralight, I often change the original treble for a single hook.
I've been doing it for years without any problems and before anyone jumps right down my throat and says "Ah ha, but you'll lose more fish that way!", I'd say that although I might not make firm contact with quite as many "takes" as when I'm using trebles, I reckon I get more "takes" overall because my tiny lures are even less obvious and spooky when they've only got single hooks, so overall I reckon that things just about even themselves out. After all, you could say the same sort of thing about spinnerbaits and they're one of the best all year round lures going, by my reckoning anyway.
As for my replacement hooks, I always use the ones that are sold for salmon and trout fishing. OK so they mayn't be cheap but they are the business. They are forged and chemically sharpened, needle sharp in fact, as well as being very strong and surprisingly light.
Some of my top favorite replacement hooks used to be Kamasan/Drennan. Partridge are also good for trebles, very strong, but they do tend to be a bit on the heavy side and a bit more expensive. Since they became easier to get hold of in UK, I've been using some of these dogs bolls Gamakatsu trebles, and I've never relly looked back ! They're very good, on a par with Drennan's Kamasans I would say, maybe even better, and they do some nice Size 10s and 12s.
Another make of trebles that I rate very highly is Ashima — they're not always easy to get hold of nowadays, so when I do find some I usually go a bit mad and buy up a whole load — they're called Supreme Trebles — catch some if you can. I think Ashima have stopped trading now.
Daiichi and Owner are another couple of brands that I rate highly, but I'm having great trouble getting hold of any, so I stick with Gamakatsu because at least they're easy to obtain.
Of course I've been through most of the rest, Eagle Claw, Mustad etc., etc., and I wouldn't give them a second look any more — they're a false economy if you ask me! Cheap and cheerful they may be, but are they any good for serious long-term lure-fishing? I wonder. Personally I can't understand the mentality (other than tight-waddedness) of anglers who spend £10+ on a lure and then skimp on the hooks. And what's more, they sometimes mock or knock other decent brands that they've never even actually tried for themselves!
VMC also claim to make the world's finest hooks, and there's no doubt that they're very good, certainly in my Top Three of Choice. They're not quite as easy to get hold of as Gamakatsu, at least that's what I've found, but when I do get the chance, I must say that I'm only too happy to add some VMC trebles to my box of replacement hooks.
If like me you sometimes replace trebles with doubles or singles, Gamakatsu, Kamasan and Partridge double-hooks (for salmon) are excellent for lures and Kamasan/Drennan also market good single-hooks.
Of course, when I first started doing this, I quickly found-out that replacing original treble hooks with lighter, smaller ones, doubles or singles, can affect the "action" of my lures so after I've changed hooks and/or split rings, I always test my lures to make sure that their "action" is still OK. If it isn't, I add small pieces of stick-on weights until I get back the original action as far as I can.
I usually have to add extra weight because putting on lighter hooks makes my plugs more buoyant. I like them to be less buoyant, nearly suspending if I can make them like that — I don't like to wrap lead wire round the shanks of my hooks like some people do. I prefer to add the extra weight to the lure itself — by doing this I can move the weight around and sometimes get even better action than my lure had originally.
I try not to let my hooks get even the tiniest bit rusty — rust is very bad news — I always take my lures out of my lure box after every trip and put them somewhere safe to get completely dry — safe from the kids, the cat and the Missus! On top of the boiler is my favorite place as long as it doesn't get so hot that it melts the paintwork on my wooden or hard plastic plugs or makes my soft plastic lures go all blobby and squidgey — I've done that a few times I can tell you.
I keep a close eye on my split rings as well and swop them if they start to open out or look bit weary — they take a lot of hammering and need replacing just like my hooks — you can lose a good fish just as easily when a split rings lets go as when a hook breaks or opens out.
When my hooks get bent, blunt or damaged, I replace them straight away. I must admit that I've got severe misgivings about re-sharpening them with a stone or a metal file. Yes, I know a lot of anglers do it and they'll say that they've never had any problems — they would say that, wouldn't they? It's not always easy to tell exactly what let go and let that monster get away — there are so many explanations and excuses, aren't there?
With re-sharpening there's no way I can get back the original sharpness and strength of forged chemically sharpened hooks. OK, so it's easier with large hooks when it comes to re-sharpening, but I still reckon it's a false economy. After all with lures it's not as though I have to buy bait and stuff every trip like other anglers so I prefer to spend my money on the best lines, wire, swivels, links, lures, split-rings and hooks that I can afford.
Take it from me, it pays to have a regular butchers at your hooks and split rings whether it's a new lure or an old one. I replace anything that's damaged or has started to look a bit dodgy. To me it makes good sense. Then I won't have to go home or up the pub or Club and bore other anglers half to death with stories of how this fish got away because my hooks broke or opened out; listening to other anglers' stories about the fish that got away, it's always a massive fish that made the hook open out, isn't it? It's never that their hooks were old, rusty and total crap, is it? Oh no!
Lure-fishing with naff hooks is a mug's game — good for neither fish nor angler! How often do other types of anglers change their hooks? Have a butchers at those Match Anglers, for example — new hooks all the time! Anyway I've learnt that although it costs money, changing the hooks and split-rings on my plugs, spoons, and spinners puts more fish in my net for me, so if you haven't already wised-up to regularly checking your hooks and replacing them if necessary, do yourself a favour and it'll do the same for you for sure.
Happy Hooking!
Chris Jeffries
POSTSCRIPT
A very important point, Chris, if you'll forgive the pun — thanks for
a very practical article, and I have to agree with you about the hooks on some
new lures, and the condition of some hooks on some anglers' lures!
Please e-mail
any comments or feedback to me,
Nick Caine, the Editor NickCaine
@ Talk21.com