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Posts: 36
| I lost a couple of Muskies over the weekend while using an 8" HR Shaker. Does any one have any modification suggestions to help increase hooking percentages? Or does this lure just not have a good hooking percentage. All input would be appreciated.
Jeff_J |
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Posts: 4266
| I "T" the hooks on my Shakers, and have seldom if ever missed a fish. I also go to a 5/0 Eagleclaw hook on the front, and a 4/0 round bend in the middle.
I also get most of my strikes while I'm pausing the lure. The older I get, the longer the pauses get. It seems when they hit the lure when it's hanging, they get a mouth full.
Besides that, make sure that the hooks are sharp.
I've never had trouble hooking fish with a Shaker, maybe it's just luck or a lack of it.
Beaver |
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Posts: 36
| You're probably right - it may just be lack of luck. What do you mean by "T" the hooks??
Thanks. |
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Posts: 7106
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | I am not NEARLY as old as Beav, but I too use long pauses. Simple suggestion, use a faster gear ratio reel....faster uptake of line and you can hit back at them quicker. Just a thought. |
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Posts: 4266
| "T"ing the hooks is turning the the two shanks of the hook that make it look like a "Y" so that the hook looks like a T instead of a Y. That way the barbs face away from, or lay flat against the body of the lure instead of rubbing against it and digging into it. The exposed tips have a better chance of sticking the fish and not scratching the hell out of the paint job of the lure.
When I do it, I use a pliers and grab the hook by the eye, with one shank facing directly perpendicular to the eye.
Then I take another pliers and grab the other two shanks and bend them one at a time into the shape of a "T".
Hard to explain, easy to do....and well worth the few minutes that it takes.
Beav
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Posts: 389
Location: Presque Isle Wisconsin | Very good suggestions for you in the answers above.The Shaker is a wide body and Teeing the hooks is a good thing to do. The Shaker has an excellent pause and a dynamite trigger move can be created by giving the lure a very sharp foot and a half fast pull followed by a long pause about two times during the retrieve.About 70% of my hits come on the pause after the fast pull.The sudden speed change and pause is too much for them to handle. As stated above your hooks have to be like razors on a lure this wide.Also if your rod is not made for a lure of this weight you will definately lose fish.Your reel should have a high gear ratio also to quickly pick up slack line. A Garcia C4 is a good choice. |
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Posts: 36
| Thanks to all for the information. The C4 reel I have will go onto my HR Lamiglas rod before my next trip. I'm still not sure if I understand the "T-ing" of the hooks yet but I think I got it and I'll be sure to give it a try.
Jeff_J |
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Better Hookups with 8" HR Shakers