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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | I had a bad experience with extra strong hooks today and will not use them again. I had a fish on the tail hook of a glide bait and when I got it boatside it thrashed and front front treble went into the gill opening lodging all three trebles in the rakers. I had a very tough time cutting the barbs off the hook which would have come easy with a thinner wire round bend short shank mustad which I prefer using. The way the hook was positioned it made good leverage vry hard. It took a few minutes before the fish would swim off but I think it would not have had it been july. I also noticed these hooks cause more jaw damage to a fish also. I know people worry about a hook straightening out but I will lose a fish to know I can save many more of them from undue harm.
Edited by ToddM 12/7/2003 12:35 AM
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | Todd, what kind of hook cutters did you use? The Knipex cutters(both types, available through esox angler magazine..possibly can be found cheaper online) work pretty good, expensive but worth it. Snap-On tools has a pair of Diagonal cutters with long handles that with the long handles should help with leverage..maybe. Otherwise I reccomend regular diagonal cutters by Channellock or Klein tools. The Klein's are better with the 2000 series then the regular series. The Channellocks are much less expensive then the klein's and just as good. By the way, what lakes do you fish in Illinois? I had something similar happen to me with hooks getting the gillrakers. Only problem was the hooks ripped out during the fight injuring the fish more then if I had cut them out, I am sure your fish swam off in better shape then mine did. |
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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | Kevin, I was not in illinois but out in the area where you have a place. My hook cutters are good, it's just how the hook was in the fish, size of fish and the angles I have to work with made them more difficult to cut. I also think not being a round bend hook also made it harder to work the cutters too. If It had thin wire mustad hooks i would have released the fish in half the time. |
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Posts: 938
Location: NeverNever Lake | Todd, Eagle Claw Lasers have become my hook of choice. They are long shank and I rarely throw a bait that won't accommodate them. They cut easily,and with the semi circular hook design, you could probably lose the barbs. My hook-up ratio has been off the charts since I have switched exclusively to them. All my Dawgs wear lasers. |
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Posts: 240
| I think investing in good hook cutters is a better option. I lost a real big fish this year to a strieghtend hook right by my boat. This fish was huge!!!!!! At least mid 50's I am still crying about it. There is lots of World record potential on Lake of the woods and I will not lose a potential world record again. I switched all my hooks to extra strong. If you fish a lake where this is not a worry, then using weaker hooks to save a fish might work without lossing any fish.
Cory |
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Posts: 1046
| I am with Cory, everything has been switched to 4X strong.I also have a lost monster due to a Mustad 3551 bending out and over! With any hook if you catch enough fish you will end up getting a real tuff hooked fish sooner or later! That`s musky fishing,but with the knipex, no biggie!
Snip,Snip, just like the wife says!!!!!!!!!! |
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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | Guys, my problem was not with my cutters, it was getting good enough leverage on the hooks with the cutter on the heavier hooks. I also noticed the other fish I had caught, the hook really tore up the area of it's mouth it was in. |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | I figured I'd mention the different cutters in case it was a option. Kinda figured you probaly had good ones. Worst part with my fish is I saw it the next day(sunday), ruined the weekend for me. We worked on reviving it for almost 40 minutes(on saturday), it would take off about ten feet from the boat and then go sideways. Its gillrakers were bleeding pretty bad in addition to being ripped up real bad. Last time it took off we could not see it anywhere so thought it might be ok. Must have went under a dock or into a weed bed. Came through the next morning and there it was... Its gillrakers were bleeding pretty bad in addition to being ripped up real bad. The reason I asked about Ill. was because I was wondering if you have fished Otter. I never hear anything about that lake, only the fox, shelby, kinkaid and now evergreen. |
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Posts: 4266
| Ditto on the Eagle Claw Laser Sharps. They penetrate well and I've never had one bend open or had trouble cutting them. The also "T" very nicely. I agree that sometimes XXXXX-Strong is overkill. Give me a sharp hook that penetrates well and deeply and let me worry about the rest.
Beav |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Wow, that's twice today I agree completely with Beav. He started me on the Eagle Claws, and I haven't been disappointed! |
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X-strong hooks