Now, what brand of hook do you tie at the end of that favorite line?

[Deleted User]

Having a nice fishing line is crucial, but it's worthless if your hooks aren't up to snuff.

What hook manufacturer do you swear by? The old standard Eagle Claw? Or the imported Gamakatsu? Or one of the others?

Tell us what you use, and why. Experiences with hook brands (both positive and negative) would be great.

Thanks!

[Deleted User]

Gamakatsu for drift fishing anf jig fishing.
I use Mustads for fly tying.

[Artwo]

I have always used VMC, just have to make sure their needle point sharp. Thay actually come pretty dull out of the box. Never had one straighten out.

JK

[Jennie@ifish]

I always used to use Gammies, but I really like Vision hooks now. Think I'm hooked, so to speak.
J

[scott98541]

i use the good old eagle claw lazor sharp single hooks,for the trebles i use vmc conecut wide gaps.scott

[boater]

eagle claw lazer sharps here too for salmon.

[First Bite]

For jigs I use the heavy wire Gamakatsu hooks...they are the best quality jig hooks I've seen. For drift fishing I like the VMC 9659 series.
Mark

www,firstcastjigs.com

[WheresMyBobber]

I have no special preference for hooks except that I despise those "alloy" hooks that come on some spinners these days. For most of my fishing I use pretty much all of them - VMC, Gammies, Eagle Claw. Since I never put a hook into the water without sharpening it first no matter who made it, that is not an issue for me. I've never had any brand of hook straighten out on me either.

[Salmonator]

When I know I won't lose many hooks (bobber fishing) owner hooks are my favorite. When i'm fishing a moderately snaggy river then it's gamies. Drift fishing in a very snaggy river, VMC octopus style are great for the price. As a matter of fact if I keep sticking fish like I have been with the VMC's I may not buy gamies again. Owners don't need to be touched out of the pack, gamies are sharp too but are harder to re-sharpen and VMC's are generally dull out of the pack but are really easy to sharpen and re-sharpen. Oops, that might be 3 cents worth... Joe

[SteelieSteve]

Gami's or eagle claw, vmc's are softer and bend easier ruining the point.

[smilesforu]

Mustad for drift fishing and here is why...stronger and lighter. Since I use as much hook as my corkies will allow by weight. Bigger hooks allow for the wider gap to get penetration. The fine wire penetrates better than a thick wire. Hook weight is very important and all the other hooks that have the strength to hold big fish are made with a heavy wire. Being made of a fine extra strength wire material Mustads hold the point better than any other sharpened hook...PERIOD!!

Gamies are good for jigs and siwashes for the out of the box sharpness. I am not looking for a light hook with strength when I am jig fishing or spoon pitching, just strength and intial sharpness. I would be interested in trying Mustad Ultra point siwash hooks to compare against the gamies. Eagle claw makes a extra strong jig hook that will get you by if you sharpen it. Jig hook points don't take the abuse the same way a drift hook does. Becareful with your jig hooks or you will have one that bends out on you. A simple test is to tie your line on to it and put the point into a wood block and pull. What happens to the hook? Did the line break first or the jig bend out?

I hate hook points that roll over with out putting the weight to them. I find eagle claw hooks and vmc to be inferior in drift hooks because of this. VMC's also tend to not hold or even get a sharp point. This comes from a lighter pot metal style material. Gammies are a heavy strong hook but don't take a good or repeated sharpening and they aren't sharp enough out of the box for my taste. People tend to over look the weight of their hooks and only concentrate on the intial sharpness. They also need to consider the point after a sharpening unless you prefer to retie instead images/icons/rolleyes.gif .

Of course all this could change if Gamie, eagle claw, vmc or Vision get there act together and use a higher grade of wire to make the hooks. I have heard good things about Diiachi and Owner but haven't personally tried them. The Diiachi hooks I have found have been pretty small.

Vision hooks.... I won't go there because the quality was in need of a upgrade. I didn't try any of the smaller hooks which were not experiencing difficulties. Hope they have fixed the quality on the larger size hooks. This was last year..superfly can fill you in on the improvements the hooks have experienced over the last year.

I am not trying to make people mad just telling it as I see it on the hooks. Hooks are very important and many people don't understand the finer Points images/icons/grin.gif

[Snagly]

Gami's for drift fishing (though I can't/ don't re-sharpen), Gami siwashes for spoons/ pugs (and these can be resharpened)and I'm still in search of a jig hook that doesn't bend out. (I think that search is over because I've corresponded with the jig tiers active on this Board and they're all tying up jigs on their beefed-up hooks.)

I tried the painted Gami's years ago, and lost several fish. Thought that the painted hook shank may be impairing penetration, and never bought them again.

Here's a puzzler for you. Does drift hook COLOR make a difference? I don't think so, but someone must because the same Gami's in sizes 1-4 cost less in green than either red or nickel. (2001 Cabela's catalog, 25 packs). I find that weird, but no complaints.

Couple of folks on the Board are recommending Vision hooks as value-for-money Gami substitutes, but I've yet to try them.

I go through 100's of hooks a year in the salt, generally trebles on lures. I use VMC 2x-4x most of the time: easy to sharpen and reasonably strong in the XX gauges. VMC also make a 3x barbless, saving me a little work.

The Owner 4x trebles though are absolutely awesome. Too expensive to replace the hooks on the "The Fleet" (400 plugs, I think), but for that special lure that gets nailed by day and worked on by night (e.g. new split rings, a tuning and new hooks) I'm going to have some Owners in my box.

One last comment. I noted that Marty pointed out a key hook feature that most people don't talk about, and that's weight. If you're looking for neutral buoyancy and fish small drift gear, that pushes you towards a small hook. In the last five years I've dropped from 2/0 down to #4 for ordinary yarn ties even on big fish, and haven't had a Gami straighten out on me yet. (For fishing small Corkys or Spin-n-Glos I'll bump up to a #1 for the bigger gap.)

I think that the smaller the hook (subject to the wire being strong enough to hold the fish!), the easier it is to get penetration even if the gap isn't as wide as on a bigger hook (made of heavier wire). Marty?

[smilesforu]

ARG I wrote a big answer to snag's question and lost it in the internet images/icons/frown.gif. OK I will try again... Always looking for a better hooks, just can't find any that pass the tests.

Hook color can make a difference in some fisheries...Lake Washington sockeye are fished with bare red hooks.

With a yarn fly bouyancy really becomes a issue since you don't have anything other that the current and bulk of the fly itself. Since yarn doesn't hold a solid obstacle against hook gap like a corkie does it is possible to get away with the smaller hooks. You also give up some gap going with the smaller hooks. Small hooks work great if the point is exposed the same way a big hook works great. It is just easier to keep the larger hook point exposed. Small hooks do penetrate easier than the large ones because of the smaller diameter of the wire on smaller hooks. Now move up to larger hooks and the diameter is important again..hence the reason for a fine wire made of high quality. Weight doesn't become as big a factor on small hook due to the relative size so a heavy small hook is feasible. The same heavy weight hook loses its advantage when it is made in a larger size.

Hook gap is very important relative to the lure. Ever hear anybody complain about kwikfish not hooking up with the fish when they bury the rod?...Of course it is a common problem that many overlook the answer to. The weight of the hooks to get beyond the width of the kwiky is very heavy causing them to sink and allow the fish to miss them or they use standard hooks and don't have enough gap to get a hook into the fish. Solutions have ranged from adding a rag body to melting cheaters around your treble to neutralize the weight. Another practical solution is to use lighter trebles on a spreader bar at the rear of the kwiky. The spreader bar allows the hook points to be past the sides of the bait and also a lighter hook since you don't have to use one hook to get past the edges.
Standard hooks on most plugs needs to be replaced. Modifications usually put the hook farther back and make the hook larger to improve the gap. Works great until you try it on the kwikfish because of the weight problem.

Now snagly if you bumped your hook gap up with out losing your bouyancy or strength would you switch? images/icons/grin.gif If you think bouyancy isn't a issue when drift fishing then you don't fish streams with lots of wood bottoms structure or you like to tie up. Now you know why I like light wire hooks, but I am going to give those owners in triple a try.

What about double hooks? With a heavy hook your really going to double your weight problems.. I use from double size 6 to double 5/0 depending on presentation and technique. Are you willing to trade fish for hook gap? Double hooks are proven to catch more fish.
Tight Lines

[STRIKE ZONE]

Gammi/Gammi/Gammi and also Gammi.
Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

[Richter]

Gamakatsu Hooks + Maximum Ultragreen Line = No fish lost due to tackle failure

[kingofbacklash]

Drift fishing Steelhead = Gamakatsu hooks + Maximum Ultragreen line.

Bobber fishing Chinook = Owner hooks + Seaguar Fluorocarbon line.

God Bless

fearsnofish

[Osprey]

Drift fishing-----mustad
Jigs fishing -----mustad again,tried the Gammies just not as strong and can't be resharpen very well.

.................Os

[Salmonator]

Marty, i'd have to say that the VMC's seem to be one of the easiest sharpening hooks i've used. I haven't noticed that they didn't hold their point as well as others although that might be true. The last 14 or so winter steelhead hooked in my boat were landed using #1 red octopus style VMC's, with the exception of one fish getting knocked off by an oar in fast water. I did notice that when I switched up to G-power line (14 leader and 17 main) I have bent a few out but only after some serious pulling. They actually saved me a lot of gear by bending out rather than breaking the leader. Never had one bend out on a fish.. Joe

[Tinman]

Any reputable brand will do. The main thing is to keep them sharp. Be a fanatic about it. Hooks are never sharp enough out of the box, they all need sharpening.

Check sharpness every time you tie on a hook, even if you just used it the day before. Sometimes a bit of corrosion will appear right on the point, because that is where you knocked the plating off with your sharpening file. Check hooks again after snagging on the bottom because sometimes the point will roll over or just get slightly dulled.

By the way, circle hooks are all the rage for tuna on the long-range sportboats out of San Diego. I know Pilar favors circle hooks for flatties, but has anyone used them for salmon?

[SAUKit2em]

There are a lot of quality chemically-sharpened hooks on the marker right now but for the money I'd have to say that you can't beat VISION. I've been using VISION for quite some time now and I have no complaints whatsoever. Vision hooks are made of high carbon steel and chemically-sharpened just like the competitors hooks but they sell for a lot less than the Gammies, Owners, etc.

The Vision Octopus style hooks are sharp as hell right out of the box and very strong too. The new Vision Siwash hooks are every bit as good as any other Siwash hook on the market yet you can buy them for considerably less money.

I see almost no difference in the Gammies and the Visions except the fact that Gammies are way overpriced in my opinion.

Save yourself a few bucks and fish VISION!!!

[DanS]

I've always leaned toward Gammies, but I'm sure the Vision Pro Staff are going to lean on me to switch over to Visions. I've use the smaller Visions for several years when fishing in my guide-buddy's boat and found their sharpness to be on par with Gammies, but I haven't tried any other sizes/styles of Visions.

I've found that the chemically sharpened hooks like Gammy and Vision are sharp enough to fish right out of the box 99% of the time and think it's time for the rumor about "no hook " being sharp enough out of the box to be put to rest. Most hooks aren't, but you can tell with a touch of the finger if a hook is ready to fish. Is it tacky-sharp? If so, fish it; if not, get the file out. When my Gammies lose a point, they get tossed, rather than spending minutes trying to put a point on a chemically-sharpened hook. Various Mustads, Eagle Claws and VMC's can be honed tacky sharp in a few seconds, but they won't hold that point for long.

There's give and take with all fish hooks. Heavier wire usually means stronger hooks that hold a point longer, but slower penetration. The lighter-gauge wire allows for super fast penetration and easier sharpening, but it comes at the expense of hook strength and point-holding ability.

Bottom line: ALWAYS fish with a sharp hook. Don't cast "just one more time" with a dull hook. If "Fat Ba$tard" picks up on that one last cast, you'll hate yourself.

[Snagly]

Whoa, Marty! I didn't mean to say that buoyancy at the hook wasn't important -- quite the opposite. My only comment was that small, chemically sharpened hooks (e.g. Gami's) hook up well even if their gaps aren't as big as in larger sizes. If I could go to an even lighter weight hook than a Gami w/o sacrificing strength then that would be worth considering. But given how light and strong (and brittle) Gami's are already, I'm not certain that there's a lot of room for improvement here. What model Mustad hooks are you using, and can you buy them mail order? (Where?) I'll give 'em a try.

While I'm all for improving hookup and stay-on ratios, I have a question about double hook rigs and that's whether they are extra hard on the fish? What's your experience been?

Definitely check out the Owner trebles, "Power Point 4x trebles" model #5651. Bass Pro has them beginning in size 1 (through 5/0 -- a tad big) for $5.70/ 6 pack in the 1's. (Order: 35-446-509). Spendy, like I said, but if you really think about it, what's a buck a hook vs. $0.25 a hook when the prize is a 20lb'er vs. a heartache?

The question of circle hooks has come up before on other boards, and several folks suggested that the best trial application on rivers would be run them behind bait divers. My only thought is that a circle hook is likely to pull straight out of the fish's mouth w/o hooking anything unless it turns after swallowing the roe. But I've not tried it so I can't really say.

[Swami]

I have to go with the Gamakatsu. Buy them in bulk to save a little cash. I use them for everthing, Bass to Salmon. If it swims use the Gammies.

[smilesforu]

Snagly the model number is the 9263e . I haven't found them mail order and they are tough to find. Don't buy the 9263 they don't have the extra temper to give them the strength in the fine wire and will bend out. If you find a mail order house that carries them I would like to know.. I don't like gammies for drift fishing. Any hook can work but I choose mustad after field testing the others. I usually fish with 20# Ande and put the tackle to the test and Mustad has passed the tests. All the others have fallen short with the heavy line for one reason or another.

As far as the doubles doing damage to the fish most all of my hook ups are in the corner of the mouth and the hooks are easily removed with a quick twist. I don't experience trouble with fish swallowing the drift setups. You can be asleep at the switch with doubles and they will get placed in the corner of the mouth with sharp hooks. The only difficulty I experience with good hookups is directly below. Even that can be overcome with a set towards the beach to get a better angle, instead of a overhead set or towards the stream side set.
Tight Lines

[parker]

Hey Marty, have you tried Vision recently? The older Vision hooks were originally not that good. The new hooks, are every bit as good as the competition.

The new Visions, IMO, are fantastic, and a fraction of the price of a Gammy. I've been using the Vision octopus hooks for a while now and have not noticed the difference. I've never broken, or straightened a Vision octopus hook.

A new Vision siwash was just introduced as well. They are nice, strong, and sharp hooks.

Vision is actively working on replacing their jig hooks.

In the past, Vision has had their problems, but the company is now under good solid management, and is producing a very high quality product. Hopefully, over time, we can gain your trust and confidence back in Vision Hooks.

Finally, as a fisherman, I dont use hooks that break, or straighten out on a fish. I'm not out there spending all my time on the river to lose fish. I have all the confidence in the world with Vision Hooks and Swivels.

Take the Visison Test. Invite the Vision Pro Staff fishing on your favorite river for your favorite fish. Bring your favorite hooks along and let's see what happens in some real world tests!

Parker
Vision Pro Staff

[SteelieSteve]

Sorry Marty but opinions due differ. I have used all the name brands and find mustads bend just as fast as vmc's, just hang one up on a rock then it's trash. Eagle claw hooks are strong, easy to sharpen and have proven there worth to me. Gami's are great hooks but don't resharpen well. Everyone has their own favorites and I've used eagle claws for a long time, way before they came out with the lazer's. Actually I liked the old hooks better. As to color I'm not sure colored is better than bronze but what the hey I use them when I can get them, red's my pref with black second. images/icons/wink.gif

[ 05-11-2001: Message edited by: SteelieSteve ]

[ 05-11-2001: Message edited by: SteelieSteve ]

[Wog]

I have used Eagle Claw for Years, but had some problems with defective hooks when I bought them in the 50 packs. Several of the hooks were bent or the points so dull even sharpening them a file did no good.
So.......... I decided to try several other brands this winter and spring.
After experimenting I went back to the Claw. The Bronze Laser Sharps are a great hook and are easy to get "sticky" sharp. So far I have not had any problems with defective hooks that I have purchased. So far.... images/icons/wink.gif

[smilesforu]

Steelie steve what hook number are you using? hook size? and what lb test are you using for your fishing. Eagle claw and Mustad make a large assortment of styles with different qualities in each style. The mustad hooks that you used were they the 9263e style? Opinions do differ but I am open to your experiences.
Tight Lines

[onstep]

Owner cutting point. Don't just hook them land them over and over..............

[Sand Shrimp]

I use Eagle Claw Lazer Sharps also.They are reasonably priced if you buy them in the 50 packs.It seems like I have to sharpen almost all the hooks but I am picky about them and my hooks are very sharp.The only time I don't use them is when I am fishing for fall chinook and then I use Gammies for the most part.A friend of mine swears by Owners but he hasn't converted me yet.

[SteelieSteve]

Marty
The eagle claws are 183's. The vmc's are old barbless ones left over from the barbless years. don't have any mustads. Do have some gami's I like them but I think they are cost prohibitive if you do a lot of fishing. Normally buy 183's in the 50 packs and I do sharpen them until they are sticky sharp. 2/0's and up for salmon and 1/0's to 2's for steelhead depending on water conditions.

[meyersbilly]

Good topic! It's great to see that quality hooks are being used on both sides of the line. VMC, Gammi, Eagle Claw, Mustad, Tiemco and Daichii (sp?) are my favourite brands.

I've only seen the gammi jig hook once and I'd love to get a hold of a few... any links or addresses would be greatly appreciated.

Now if I could only get that anchor line untied I'd stop straightening those darn 9/0s.

[ 05-12-2001: Message edited by: meyersbilly ]

[DanS]

Billy,

You can get Gammy jig heads from Rainbow Jigs.
http://www.rainbowjigs.com/

[smilesforu]

steve
those 183's look like a heavy weight hook. Gotta love a hook you can get 1000 for 50 bucks. With gammies you can't even get 200 for that much...hand me that file images/icons/grin.gif. If I run out of my mustad stash I will get some of those to try. Might be decade or so..lol

[meyersbilly]

Thanks for the link Dan! Armed and dangerous is all I can say. You guys have some great ideas for jigs and I’ll have to give some of those new ideas a try (Yarn and Beady, awesome). No more just plain old chicken feather for me.

[Snagly]

Billy, if you are going to huff lead fumes and cast your own check out www.anglersarsenal.com, (http://www.anglersarsenal.com,) they claim to carry every Gamakatsu freshwater hook made or can order it for you. Also carry bulk Maxima line at a good price, but only in the lighter sizes -- too light in fact. (I've not used them.)

Now what's the latest in your Spring competition with Centerpin? Latest I read you were two up bar fishing with artificials over CP's bait rigs.

[First Bite]

meyersbilly
If you are looking for some extra strong jig hooks, I tie all my jigs using heavy wire Gamakatsu hooks. My Salmon jigs are tied on 4/0 hooks which are some of the strongest jig hooks available.
Mark


www.firstcastjigs.com (http://www.firstcastjigs.com)