[ilbass77]

Same on all plastics? Do you like to use red hooks on certain ones? Wide gap? Straight shank?

 

[Jared]

Lately when Texas Rigging I use wide gap XPoints. Usually 2/0 or 3/0. Before them I always used 2/0 and 3/0 Gamakastu Wipe Gaps. For smaller worms (4" and there abouts) I quite often use 1 to 1/0 Gamakatsu offset worm hooks.

However, several years back I used Tru-Turn hooks that I sharpened myself. Lately I have been considering going back to them for a while to see what the difference would be. I know Gamakatsus are sharp but with a stone and a good angle and technique, the tru-turns would get a point easily as sharp as the Gama's but the point seemed to last longer. Plus I carried a stone and any time I wished to I could give the hook a few passes over with the stone and it was sticky as could be and ready to fish again. Lately I wonder if I went back to tru-turns and sharpening myself how it woiuld affect my catch ratio.

 

[Guest]

I use Gamakatsu EWG Offset Shank hooks exclusively. The size of the plastic depends on the size hook I use. I use red exclusively.

 

[Jared]

I use Gamakatsu EWG Offset Shank hooks exclusively.  The size of the plastic depends on the size hook I use.  I use red exclusively.

I hate to say it but you are missing out on some good fish by exclusively using red hooks, especially in shallow and/or clear water and especially when the fish are in a very negative mood. Ive seen many times when the fish wanted baits that were as sedately colored as possible. Anything too bright or flashy would be completely ignored.

 

[fish4funinfl]

I use Gammy Hooks! 95 % of the time it will be a 3/0 ewg superline. A few of my plastics cant take a 3/0 , so I will usualy use a 2/0 ewg superline hook on them. I will also use a 5/0 ewg superline for larger plastics.

I pitch and flip alot, thats why I use the superline hooks.

 

[Guest]

I use Gamakatsu EWG Offset Shank hooks exclusively.  The size of the plastic depends on the size hook I use.  I use red exclusively.

I hate to say it but you are missing out on some good fish by exclusively using red hooks, especially in shallow and/or clear water and especially when the fish are in a very negative mood. Ive seen many times when the fish wanted baits that were as sedately colored as possible. Anything too bright or flashy would be completely ignored.

I have actually seen a higher percentage of bites with red hooks, compared to nickel or gold hooks.  I have fished Carters Lake, the Rocky Mountain PFA, and Sloppy Floyd, which are extremely clear waters, and I wouldn't use anything else for shallow water.

During summer, I also find that putting red treble hooks on the shallow jerkbaits that I use will garner more strikes than using the hooks that come with them.

 

[Jared]

Well obviously you can believe what youd like to believe and you may have confidence in red hooks, but trying to feed a fish red hooks 100% of the time is just the same as trying to feed a fish a specific bait 100% of the time - at times there are MUCH better choices. Ive fished lakes in NY, NH, PA, CT, NJ, MD, DE, ME, MA, GA, SC, NC, IN and CA and I can confidently assure you that there do exist times when red will repel fish. I say in shallow water because in deep water red looks the same as brown, black or blue... they all look dark, the same stands true for dirty water too. In water where color definition is much higher red can be a turn off to edgey negative mood fish. Now if you arent a tournament angler this info will matter little to you because you do not NEED to catch fish all the time, but if you are fishing tournaments and DO NEED to catch fish EVERYTIME then understanding how red can be ignored or even repell fish is important. I have investigated this a good bit on my own but studies by Doug Hannon are available that back up this theory as well.

 

[fish4funinfl]

Well, I will side with Jared on this one .

This March at our classic on Lake Istokpoga I was useing a ' RED ' hook while pitching / flipping . After my boater landed his 3rd bass, and me without a nibble, I replaced the hook and proceeded to go on and land about 7 bass that day. ( we both was useing a Junebug Senko / braid line.. just different colored hooks )

Now, I have caught numerous bass on a red hook, but on that particular day, in that particular area they didnt want anything to do with a red hook.

 

[Guest]

Out of all the bodies of water that I have fished, I have done my own experimenting with red hooks and nickel hooks. I did this over the course of a year, in various water and weather conditions, and I found that red hooks consistently catch more fish for me. Sure, the nickel hook caught fish, but day in and day out, the red hook caught more fish than the nickel hook.

I don't dispute what Doug Hannon has found in his studies. But, for the fishing that I do, which does include 2-man dogfights, I have consistently..............95% of the time, caught more fish off a red hook than with a nickel hook.

 

[Bergy]

A lot of times, i stick to a 2/0 to 5/0 hook obviously depending on the wide variety of sizes and shapes of baits. But i usually am throwing a 3 or 4/0 gammy or owner EWG hook. Gets the job done all the time for me. For fishing really thick cover, i'll throw a superline hook

 

[Ouachita]

Back when red hooks came out there were times when I was the only one catching bass using the same bait as a partner. I converted a ton of folks to it, some nearly impossibly skeptical even seeing the difference. However, there are times when a gold, black, or nickel colored hook works just as well, and I agree sometimes better than red. But in that case maybe gold beats black, or black beats nickel. You have to be willing to experiment. Sometimes those seemingly insignificant changes can mean the difference between a good day and getting skunked. But I will say red has been my best hook color overall. I start with red, but might end up with nickel.

I use EWGs ONLY when necessary now. I was using them mostly, but I do believe the hook-up ratio compared to the old style straigh shank is noticable lower. I have to use them for thick bodied baits like flukes, sure, but if I can rig it with straight or something like a Tru-Turn, all the better. Way less losses. Brand? I really haven't found enough difference between premium hook makers to care which I pick up while fishing. Cheap hooks are out, dulling quickly or starting off too dull, and spread open too easily. Cheap hooks rust too quickly, too.

Jim

 

[redranger188]

I use a wide gap off set #4 of #5 hook

 

[wormin_4_bass]

I use a 1/0 BPS wide gap.

 

[Guest]

For me it depends on the bulk of the plastic bait that I'm using. The thicker and bulker the bait then I will use a wide gap hook in a big size. I will use the straight shank hooks on my thinner plastic baits. I will use 1/0 to 5/0.

To answer the question about the red hook, I have just started to use them last year and have personally done better. Now is it because of the red color....I don't know. But what I do know is that the red hook is not hurting my fishing game. So I will stick with them as long as they produce.