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Posts: 1220
| I just gave a seminar Saturday and told the group something I’ve always said about sharpening hooks, and have always heard all the other guys say and read in every article and book too. It’s that the rookies tend to take a bait out of the package and just tie it on. They don’t take a file to the hooks and ruin (at least lessen) the chance for a good hook-up. It’s one of those commandments of musky fishing. So yesterday, wandering the aisles of Cabelas I spot packages of musky sized Gamakatsu trebles labeled “4XStrong” and just had to take several sizes home. The price will stop you dead (maybe 3 bucks or more each size depending) but IMHO, you can take this hook out of the box, attach it to your bait, skip the file, and you have a hook I believe can not be straightened out by any living musky and will puncture any jaw. I use Gamakatsu for all my bass fishing but, honestly, have not seen them in musky sized trebles before. |
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Posts: 143
| I as well have always used Gamakatsu hooks for all my fishing needs and have always wondered why bait manufactures choose soft hooks when these things catch hundreds of fish and bang against countless rocks without ever needing a sharpening. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | been using japanese shoes on some special baits for awhile ... glad to see they are expanding size ranges to our market. best hook product out there bar none ... |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | I guess I'm still old school.... I sharpen all hooks.
If hooks are "banging" off of Rocks, they will loose their sharpness...for sure.
Sharp hooks = more boated fish. |
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Posts: 1416
Location: oconomowoc, wi | cordless dremel tool works wonders.. |
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Posts: 1220
| I'm clearly not saying you won't have to re-sharpen....just saying what you start with is likely as good as I could make it. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | Back in the day when I attended several shows, I would take a Saturday morning and sit down and sharpen the hooks on the baits I bought while watching them fishing shows. One Monday morning the boss asked what I did over the weekend and I say I sharpened hooks. To which he says, if they get that bad I would buy new one, then I said these were new ones...... |
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Posts: 20218
Location: oswego, il | What junkmam said. There are some hooks you don't need to sharpen at all out of box. Usually nickel coated. The ones you don't have to sharpen seem to hook up the best too, to, two. |
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Posts: 1036
| I use Gami's on my sucker rigs. Never had to sharpen a one of them. And they stick the fish. |
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Posts: 33
| Expensive but worth it, I like them on my Bucktails, however they throw of the action and buoyancy on most glide baits ( specifically Hellhouds.) |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | BertLegend - 2/12/2015 1:28 PM
Expensive but worth it, I like them on my Bucktails, however they throw of the action and buoyancy on most glide baits ( specifically Hellhouds.)
Are these hooks that much more heaver than the "stock" hooks that they will change the "action" of some lures ?
My other ? is.. do these hooks have a protective coating on them .. and if so wouldn't you want to remove this coating right at the tips of said hooks ?
Just curious. |
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Posts: 1000
| I cut hooks in most cases, so filing the softer, less expensive hooks is more appealing. In all honesty, even if you could go straight from package to lure, would you? I had a super aggressive mid-40's hit my bucktail twice in the eight and failed to hookup. I'll never throw a bait without touching every point. |
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Posts: 455
| I use Magic eye and never sharpen. If you file the coating off they rust. When they do get dull I replace them. You almost never have to cut them because the barb is minimal unlike the fish hacking cheap hooks. I have to laugh at the people who scoff at hook prices. Lets see boat, tow vehicle, electronics, expensive rods, super magnum winch reels, countless lures, rubber net and I`m going to cheap out on the most important thing (The Hooks)? |
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Posts: 1283
| The new black Chaos hooks look pretty awesome also! |
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Posts: 540
Location: Leech Lake, Walker MN | All hooks need a touch now and then do it don't wait for he next cast you maybe sorry |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | The Gama's tend to break if you try to T them too.
I'm not sayin, i'm just sayin.. |
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Posts: 455
| Yes that's because they are hard and hold a sharp point. You can T your hooks because they are soft and don`t hold a point. Constantly sharpening cost time and fish. First thing Marc Thorpe told me 20 years ago. Stop playing with the hooks and get the bait in the water. We are going 5mph they will hook up. |
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Posts: 567
| Agree the new chaos hooks are NICE. Just like the gammys but bigger and stronger. I'm going to invest in more of them. |
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Posts: 1906
Location: Oconto Falls, WI | Sidejack - 2/12/2015 9:32 PM
The Gama's tend to break if you try to T them too.
I'm not sayin, i'm just sayin..
Yep. You can get away with it if you heat them up with a butane torch first though. Better make sure they are red hot, and bend them quick. Otherwise you end up with an expensive pile of hooks with two two tines on them.  |
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Posts: 617
Location: Clintonville, WI | I'm going to check out the Gamakatsus that Marty mentioned and try to keep an open mind toward them out of the box. I'm so used to VMC's and sharpening them well that it will be a hard paradigm to get over in the off season, let alone when a bait is in the water. I've had excellent hook performance and pretty good success keeping fish pinned over the years. I think I'll have a hard time not giving them at least a swipe or two with the file. We'll see.
Then again, if we recall Cady's "dull hook" manifesto, might we come to the realization that this thread is much ado about nothing?!  |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | if you have gamakatsu's around you'll learn quick to keep your dog, kids and anything else away from them ... they are sticky sharp, be careful. this comes from experience ... pretty good at hook removal now though. |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | Then again, if we recall Cady's "dull hook" manifesto, might we come to the realization that this thread is much ado about nothing?! ;) LOL!!!!!!!! That's the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread… Hooks can be too sharp. |
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Posts: 59
| When you say "musky sized hooks" are they making bigger than 5/0 in the 4x strong? I haven't checked since last year, but I even called the factory and they told me they don't go bigger than 5/0 on trebles because they are prone to failure. A typical cowgirl uses 7/0 hooks. Are they making them that big? I checked cabelas website and they only go to 5/0 on the 4x strong. I ended up buying saltwater mustad's that I had shipped in from a saltwater shop in Seattle to get 4x 7/0. I prefer the gama if they are available.
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Posts: 1220
| I bought 3's, 4's, and 5's the biggest they had, but I estimate them to be at least one size bigger than the number. Here's the #5 against the #7-0 from the Cowgirl. You tell me. Sort of like when the golf club makers put higher numbers on the irons so you thought you were hitting it further??
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Posts: 20218
Location: oswego, il | Good rule of thumb if they are bronze, they need sharpening, if not check them first. |
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Posts: 1220
| Not to open up more mystery (and Todd's right about the color) but many other hooks (not these Gammy's) are comming through with "chemically sharpened" hooks. These will appear very round until the tippy-top of the point. So, it doesn't look at all like a chiseled point...more like a sewing needle point. Now, IMHO this point is NO GOOD, it's plenty sharp but only for a hundreth of an inch. It will stick but not penetrate anything providing real resistance...at least some of the time. This is the hook you really have to spend time with to create a more penetrating stick. I start narrowing the circumfrence half way to the bend and create a really gently sloping chisel instead. As long as we are talking... |
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Posts: 1287
Location: WI | If they're not sticky, they need sharpening. The same people that skip that, probably skip doing a figure 8 to save time too. These critters are too hard to catch to not do something as simple as sharpen my hooks to increase the odds of putting one in the net.
If you have dull hooks, you might as well just stay home.
Edited by JKahler 2/13/2015 8:16 PM
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | Lets put it this way, if'n ya try to "sharpen" those big Gamma's right out of the package...you'll dull em! Yup, yup , yup!
I've been using the larger Gamma's for a handful of years already. Bought from Thornes which is nearby. It's no secret. And I prefer the style that are flattened on the top of the eye, makes 'em easier to get onto split rings.
I don't know anything about Chaos hooks but sounds like they might be worth a look-see too.
I'm a Gamma-guy for now though. And they don't dull/fold on ya.
Edited by Jeremy 2/13/2015 9:36 PM
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Been running Gamakatsu hooks on my crank baits for over ten years. I have learned that sharp thin hooks stick fish better than big thick hooks. Now you have to remember this when your fighting the fish also. No locked down drags and cranking them in like a winch.
Years and years ago people(some to this day) talked about going 3 for 5, 2 for 4, 6 for 9, etc...Well I can tell you that since I started using Gamakatsu hooks my catching percentage has increased big time on my crank baits and especially on my Extreme Rig Quick Strike Rigs.
Yes these are some great hooks and I do not sharpen them ever. I just replace them as they get beat up.
There is multiple sizes and strengths. When changing hooks on cranks be sure to keep the weight and/or sizes the same. Changing hooks will change the action of lures. Going heavy can reduce the action for sure. Sometimes u might need to down size or even upsize the hooks to get the action or suspended qualities of certain lures.
I have found by going with a lighter hook I can increase the hook size and have the same action on crank baits. Going to a lighter thin wire hook is dangerous to most heavy equipment fishing. I love them for trolling open water fish. On the other hand the 4x are heavy and solid as a rock. Great hooks and sharp as needles. Perfect for casting or speed trolling bigger baits. All in all these Gamakatsu hooks are the real deal.
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Posts: 4266
| What Mike said.I believe that a thin hook will penetrate better than a wide one no matter how sharp they are. I'll sharpen my hooks when I first use them and then once more, then they are coming off and going in the garbage. |
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Posts: 72
| Is anybody using the Owner st 66 for musky fishing? |
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