A hook question

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jerry on February 15, 2011 at 10:29pm

Jay, you know my choice is always an EWG Gammy. I hook a lot..lose very few..and it just works for me. It's a confidence thing for me. Tho I know I know there are instances where something else might work better. A lot of guys have their preference and I'm looking forward to the responses. Good question.

Permalink Reply by Paul Harmon on February 16, 2011 at 5:38am

I agree with the gammy, seems to never let me down

Jerry said:

Jay, you know my choice is always an EWG Gammy. I hook a lot..lose very few..and it just works for me. It's a confidence thing for me. Tho I know I know there are instances where something else might work better. A lot of guys have their preference and I'm looking forward to the responses. Good question.

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on February 16, 2011 at 8:54am

It is my impression that the straight shank is a choice of many when pitching a Texas rig into heavy cover.  I know with that hook selection they often use a Snell knot.  The smaller profile of the hook when rigged weedless into a plastic bait allows it to punch the cover better than the traditional EWG.  I have never done this, but I have looked into it and am planning on trying it sometime in the future when I see a situation where the smaller profile would give me an access advantage.  I use a good old offset worm hook or an Gami EWG Skip Gap  most of the time, but I am getting into the Owner BEAST and other twist lock hooks as well.

Permalink Reply by Tag Watson on February 16, 2011 at 9:28am

Even more important than the low profile of the straight shank hook for flipping and pitching, a snelled straight shank flipping hook kicks into the meat of the jaw on the hookset, regardless of how the fish eats the bait.  For Texas Rigging, I prefer straight shank hooks for 95% of my flipping and pitching now, and reserve the EWG Superline for rigs I will be casting and therefore employing a pressure/reel set.

Permalink Reply by Josh Potter on February 16, 2011 at 9:54am

I have not used straight shanked hooks for this (plan to) but it also seems to me like a texas rigged palstic would hold in place longer with the snelled straight shanked hook. I could be completely wrong but having the line snelled around the top of the hook and then that being burried in the head of the plastic would serve as a grippier? surface. I realize this is not nearly important as the other benefits and grippier is not a word.

Permalink Reply by Taylor Smith on February 16, 2011 at 10:13am

I lost some big fish last year on the Trokar Flippin Hook and have talked to a few people who experienced the same but I have also heard a lot of people who love them.  I have also heard alot of good things about the Gambler KO but it looks very similar to the Trokar to me. I have had great luck with EWG Gammy and I kick myself for trying to get cute last year because I think it cost us a top 10 on Moses. Maybe those fish would have come unbuttoned with any hook I was using,  but I do know if it happens again it won't be because I was using a straight shank.

Permalink Reply by Tag Watson on February 16, 2011 at 10:18am

Hey Mr. Potter,

 

Snelled straight shank hooks by themselves actually do a pretty poor job of keeping Texas-rigged plastics held in place.  However, the Paycheck Punch Hook comes with heat shrink barbs included to help keep baits rigged securely.  Another trick which Ron and I used down at the Delta a couple years back was to attach an Owner Centering Pin to the eye of the hook to secure the head of the soft plastic.  This kept the bait held in place pitch after pitch, even in the thickest cover.  

 

Permalink Reply by Tag Watson on February 16, 2011 at 10:22am

Taylor, did you snell the hook or tie a knot to the eye?  Were you using braid, fluoro or mono?  What type of hookset did you execute and was the rod a fast or moderate action?  Just trying to troubleshoot to see where there may have been an issue.  Thanks for the info.

Taylor Smith said:

I lost some big fish last year on the Trokar Flippin Hook and have talked to a few people who experienced the same but I have also heard a lot of people who love them.  I have also heard alot of good things about the Gambler KO but it looks very similar to the Trokar to me. I have had great luck with EWG Gammy and I kick myself for trying to get cute last year because I think it cost us a top 10 on Moses. Maybe those fish would have come unbuttoned with any hook I was using,  but I do know if it happens again it won't be because I was using a straight shank.

Permalink Reply by Taylor Smith on February 16, 2011 at 10:57am

I used a polymar knot to the eye, using Flouro Halo P Line, with a 'come get ya some' hook set!  Not sure what the hookset types are called but I was reefing on them as normal when I'm flipping. 7'6'' Heavy Fast was the rod. On both occasions I was flipping under docks where my line angle to the water was not as steep as normal which I think plays a big part when you are using the straight shank hook but who wants to worry about line angle to the water? It seems to me if a guy was fishing mats, a straight shank would be beneficial. When you are flipping mats it is important to punch at a steep angle anyways to pull fish out of the top of the mat rather than pulling the mat with the fish so a straight shank would make sense to me.

 

This is a very interesting topic, curious to see other replys!

Permalink Reply by Jay Johnson on February 16, 2011 at 11:21am

Getting alot of great info off of my question.  Using the EWG Gammy has always been where I have built my confidence but with that I am always looking for techniques that may improve my success rate out on the water.  I have worked my way up to bigger hooks and bigger baits as I continue to search for the bigger fish.  I am going to look into Payback Punch Hook and give the straight shank a try.  It is all a learning process and thanks Tag and everyone for the great input. 

Permalink Reply by Josh Potter on February 16, 2011 at 11:23am

Thanks Tag. Despite almost taking down Vegas one weekend; I am practically a ratard. I was assuming that the snelling would create some sort of friction becuase of it's shape but you are probably using braid most of the time with this.

 

Taylor- maybe you just need to simmer down a little on that "come get some hookset". BTW- best description ever of a hookset.

Tag Watson said:

Hey Mr. Potter,

 

Snelled straight shank hooks by themselves actually do a pretty poor job of keeping Texas-rigged plastics held in place.  However, the Paycheck Punch Hook comes with heat shrink barbs included to help keep baits rigged securely.  Another trick which Ron and I used down at the Delta a couple years back was to attach an Owner Centering Pin to the eye of the hook to secure the head of the soft plastic.  This kept the bait held in place pitch after pitch, even in the thickest cover.  

 

Permalink Reply by Don Hogue on February 16, 2011 at 1:54pm

+1

Tag Watson said:

Even more important than the low profile of the straight shank hook for flipping and pitching, a snelled straight shank flipping hook kicks into the meat of the jaw on the hookset, regardless of how the fish eats the bait.  For Texas Rigging, I prefer straight shank hooks for 95% of my flipping and pitching now, and reserve the EWG Superline for rigs I will be casting and therefore employing a pressure/reel set.

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