|
|
Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Has anyone ever caught a fish on the top hook. What is the point of it? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 143
Location: La Crosse, WI | Nope, I cut mine off. It usually makes it a lot easier to unhook a fish if one inhales it. I'm sure its possible that I miss a fish or two because I cut it off but I don't know anyone that has caught one on the top hook. I think it is mostly there for looks and also just to include another hook. When these baits came out on the market they looked ridiculously huge. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Yes to the first question. Twice. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 618
Location: Michigan | I've caught a fish on the top hook, but I still cut them off these days. I feel it gets in the way and cutting it off allows for better hook-ups for the trebles. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | The biggest fish I caught last year was hooked on the top hook of a pounder... |
|
| |
|
| top that #*#*
you will saave some life and you will lost less fish |
|
| |
|
Posts: 62
| I've caught several perch on that top hook ripping it through weeds. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 962
| Several fish hooked only on top hook. in 2007 I caught a 49.5" that was only hooked with it. I would not think of cutting it off. I keep it sharp.
Jeff Hanson
madisonmuskyguide.com |
|
| |
|
Posts: 540
| caught multiple fish on the top hooks, I have never had problems losing fish on dawgs |
|
| |
|
Posts: 227
Location: Southeast Wisconsin | Have caught a few on the top hook. Im fully confident that if the top hook wasnt there the fish would of been hooked on one of the trebles.
IMO the top hook is pointless and only reduces your chances of landing each fish VS having the fish hooked on one of the trebles. Almsot every musky that Ive seen bite, usualy opens its mouth immediately after you set the hook, so whatever hook catches first is, in most cases, the hook that you will land the fish on. IMO, your chances of landing a fish on the top hook of a Dawg are 50% less than landing one on the treble. IMO if the top hook was on a split ring and able to move, your chances would now be 50% greater of landing a fish on the top hook than on a treble.
From what i hear the new Dawgs are not going to have the top hook anymore, so I guess only time will tell.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 619
| Top hook is pointless. It will only get in the way if a fish takes a plastic deep and it will make the unhooking part that much more difficult. Have never caught a fish on just the top hook and i cut all top hooks off. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 245
| I cut the top hook of and rig the back treble with a wire and the front treble directly to the "line tie"
It makes it possible to fish them anywere without worrying about getting stuck, also, the bulldawg is usually out of the mouth of the fish which makes it easier to unhook and saves the plastic. |
|
| |
|
| do you have a picture? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 305
| I'd also like to see pics, Swede. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 245
| Delete please |
|
| |
|
Posts: 245
| Heres a pic, that's 40lb 49-Strand Surflon (you will never put 40lb pressure on a fish and the rigging wire will never be pressured during casting).
Owner 3/0 hooks, when the wire gets kinked/hooks get rusty or just used i will swap to VMC 8650BZ 5/0...
Pretty much everyone rigs them like this here in Sweden, i only use shallow dawgs and swap the weight on the belly depending on how deep i want to fish (10-50grams).
http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/104/dscn2068p.jpg |
|
| |
|
Posts: 538
Location: northern indiana | Swede I like the looks of that setup alot. Looks very similar to a live bait quick strick rig. Gonna have to give that a try. Thumbs up to ya buddy!!! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 245
| wallydiven - 11/14/2011 9:52 PM
Swede I like the looks of that setup alot. Looks very similar to a live bait quick strick rig. Gonna have to give that a try. Thumbs up to ya buddy!!!
Good luck, unfortunately, it makes the dawg ride upside down in the water if you use to little weight (you may need as much as 5/8 oz on a normal sink Magdawg).
That's why i use shallow dawgs, they work very well with both alot and a little lead. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 294
Location: Bloomer, Wi | cut the top hook off every mag dawg i get. it just doesnt have enough gap like the pounder top hook does to really increase chances of a good hook up. plus it just is another thing for the leader to get caught on, as if the front treble hangin up isnt enough i dont need the top hook doing it too. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 167
| cutt it off |
|
| |
|
Posts: 531
Location: Hugo, MN | The top hook is rigid. It's easy for the fish to get leverage and throw the bait. You'll land more fish on trebles with split rings. Cut the top hook off and the bait will be easier to pull through the musky's mouth, which allows you to sink the trebles properly.
Ask anyone who cuts the hook off, they'll tell you at the very least they catch just as many fish without it as they do with it. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 754
| I got to cast some of the Proto's pounders for 2012 and for what its worth the pounders did not have top hooks. Great looking baits; big eyes , UV in them and they wiegh a couple ounces less.. |
|
| |
|
Location: SE Wisconsin | I cut them off right out of the box religiously. You have a lot to consider here, and some points were already made but here are some other factors to consider... When a fish t-bones big rubber, the initial feel of the spike or top hook could prompt that fish to open her mouth much quicker than she would if she could sink her teeth into that soft rubber before you rip into her. Second, the top hook is stationary while the bottom hooks have play to them with the split rings swiveling around. When she comes up and shakes those white jaws, there's less ripping and tearing involved with a hook that will stay pinned yet give a little mobility versus a stationary hook.
... just a couple thoughts to consider. |
|
| |
|
| If theres no top hook i will stop buying them.I have caught a few which thats all they were hooked by. |
|
| |
