|
|
| do you pro's use stinger hoosk on spinnerbaits and/or bucktails (single hooks) or are you against this? Do you feel this improves the hookingrate of fish attacking the spinnerbaits. A friend of mine claims he catches more with spinnerbaits that carry one single hook instead of two |
|
| |
|
| I build my own monster spinnerbaits for trolling, or use the custom ones built by friend George Taylor. My own model is 50% larger than a Fudally Hawg Spin, so it's immense... pushing 4 1/2 ounces total, using twin 9/0 saltwater hooks. George's is a little smaller than mine, but still a big bait. He uses twin 8/0 saltwater singles.
For trolling, DEFINITELY the stinger... and a dressed stinger at that. I find the stinger helps give the lower arm balance, and keeps the bait upright at faster speeds, besides giving more consistent hooksets. Muskies will tend to attack a faster running bait at a right angle, making the stinger of questionable value at higher speeds. But at slower speeds (under 3 mph), big muskies will often attack from the rear. This is when the stinger really becomes important.
In my opinion, the mistake many people make is opting to use a stinger that is too small. If you don't have a gap of at least 4/0 between the shaft and point, then the hook will not have enough breadth to contact flesh and sink in on bigger fish. Instead, the hook will lodge loosely in between teeth, or just catch some loose skin, and will pull free early in the fight.
I like BIG hooks!!! (On all of my baits, not just spinnerbaits.) Keep 'em razor sharp, and you'll lose A LOT less fish.
That being said, I think there is a place for single hook spinnerbaits if you like to cast; work them slow and flutter them. The Fudally Stump Hawg is one of the best for this kind of fishing. It offers good balance, and helicopters down nicely.
Steve Wickens |
|
| |
|
| I have thrown spinnerbaits for a lot a spieces besides Muskies. I can tell you that a stinger hook to me is as important as the main hook. I have caught many, many fish just on the stinger hook. These fish would not have been caught was I not using one. My answer to anyone that says that they catch more fish without a stinger hook, is that is because that is the way that they throw it. No way to tell howmany fish nipped at the back end and did not get hooked at all. Minimum of a 7/0 hook also.
Let Em Go...Let Em Grow.....Mike |
|
| |
|
| No pro here, but I too use the 7/0 VMC Permasteel hooks for spinnerbaits like muskie boss (I take off the treble and put on a single with a Kalin grub tail.)
My two cents.
Cory |
|
| |
|
| thanks!
Mike, a guy with whom I went fishing a year ago told me he always removes the stinger for trolling. I saw no need to do that either. I now added stingers to all my spinnerbaits.
Cory, howcome you change the treble to a single hook? |
|
| |
|
| In agreement with previous respondents, I also find the stinger hook to be of considerable importance when used on the "saftey pin" style of spinnerbaits, especially at the slower retreive speeds usually associated with a flip and flutter type presentation. A very recent case in point that illustrates thier ability to "stick" rear and top strikes came just this past week with the PMTT opener at Cave Run Lake, KY.
My partner and I were working the flooded timber and brush opposite the marina located in the normally "very hot" Scotts' Creek area. Water temps that had been in the mid 50s last week had risen to as high as 71 degrees in some areas within a seven day period on top of flooded, muddy, water conditions and the reservoir being lowered by 6-8 inches daily. Not exactly ideal fishing conditions by most standards, making it a bit difficult to predict either the activity level or location of these fish.
Locating the schools of shad, considered to be prime game fish forage by many anglers, is a major key unlocking the door to southern reservoir Musky success. Finding these scattered schools being blown into flooded timber in an area with slightly clearer water, a surface chop, 69.7 degree water and bright sun coming in and out from behind wind blown cloud cover is, to say the least, a very good time to be throwing a "classic" spinnerbait.(especialy if you detect any signs of feeding activity)
Using a 1/2 oz., white body w/tandem silver blades, Grim Reaper spinnerbait that I have switched out with a two sizes larger rear willow leaf blade, (to give more lift at slow retreive speeds and more flash when stalled and allowed to flutter down through an active baitfish school)I was able to move 6 fish, getting 4 strikes and 2 hook ups
that resulted in 30 & 361/2 inch fish, the larger of the two during the first hour and a half of the tourney!
Getting more to the point, I was able to actualy watch three of the four strikes as they occurred and noticed that these fish were hitting the blades first, from behind or at a slightly oblique top angle, and more importantly, both fish that came to the net were stuck with only the trailer hook! Without the "stinger", I would have been hitting 6-4 and zip. I much prefer 6-4 and TWO!
It is then my humble opinion, based upon my own personal experience and conversations with others on the Pro Trail, that if you are casting spinnerbaits to any form of cover or structure, you can exponentialy increase your hit-to- hook up ratio by simply adding a "stinger" or "trailer" hook to this already deadly bait. Blade combos, colors and plastic dressings make some of the choices more difficult when deciding when, where and how to use a spinnerbait, whether or not to use a "stinger", to me anyway, is almost a no brainer. (kind of like making that TOO LATE move to the HOT Lil' Ernie trolling bite around Zilpo Flats Sunday)
See ya on the Mad Chain in May,
Fin-Addict |
|
| |
|
| WEEDS WEEDS WEEDS!
I threw the original muskie boss on Lac Suel last year for about 5 minutes then switched to a prototype Grimreaper that had the 7/0 VMC trailer hook, never went back, significant improvement in keeping the weeds off.
Cory |
|
| |
|
| what about for grinding through the really thick stuff? Keep the stinger on, or in that application, will it not collect too many weeds? |
|
| |
|
| How are you attaching the stinger hook? Wire? Thanks. Dan |
|
| |
|
| I should have added to my previous post. Are you using a treble hook or single hook for your stinger? Thanks again. Dan |
|
| |
|
| I use a large single hook I got from muskyone which is added by slipping a piece of tubing over the large eye of the single hook and pinching the single hook of the spinnerbait through the eye of the second hook that has the tubing over it. Slide it until the added single hook is in one line with the hook on the spinnerbait. The tubing keeps it in place. I hope you understand some of what I try to explain. |
|
| |
|
| I can honestly say that I've never thrown a spinnerbait without a stinger hook. I also haven't known any musky or pike fishermen who don't use the stinger. Bass are another story. I sold a large amount of small spinnerbaits to a guy who fishes one of the pro bass circuts. He took all the trailer hooks off. I like the trailers for bass myself.
Brian |
|
| |
|
| brian, do you add these stingers with a piece of tubing or just loosely on the front hook and then add a piece of tubing to prevent the added stinger to slip over the front hook? I wonder whether the freely swinging hook won't cause you to miss more fish . |
|
| |
|
| I too keep the stinger hook on all of my spinnerbaits. I spend more time speed trolling spinners than casting them.
Similar subject - in the Spring time, I will add a stinger treble to my smaller bucktails - this really helps when the fish are just nipping at the bait in the Spring. |
|
| |
