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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | What does everybody think about the stock hooks on Bulldawgs? It seems like I have a hit, get the fish 1/2 way back to the boat, and then they open their mouth and the bait comes out like they weren't hooked.
It looks to me like they might need to be bent out a little bit to increase the gap but I'm not sure if that would take care of the issue.
I've been replacing them with 7/0 Mustad 3551's (Mag Dawgs) and I have a good hooking/landing percentage with those.
Are most people replacing the hooks, or modifying the stock hooks to work better? Maybe I've just had a few unlucky coincidences?
Tucker |
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Posts: 611
Location: Michigan | It depends on which year of bulldawgs you are using as they all seem to have different hooks. The new (2011-2012) dawgs seem to have really good hooks and split rings, but dawgs from a couple years ago didn't have the best ones. I don't like the short shank hooks which came on a lot of them, especially pounders, as I felt the fish would never get a hook point in its mouth as the rubber was blocking the hook. I also use Mustad 3551s as the longer shank gets the hook points away from the body and seems to up the hooking percentage. |
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Posts: 624
Location: S.W. WI | I usually replace them with VMC's. I just don't think (some of them) sharpen well for me. I don't like how long some of them are either, they tangle sometimes on me.
-Jon |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | So far neither of you mentioned losing fish on them like I have. Maybe it was just bad luck on a few fish.
I didn't buy any Dawgs until they improved them a couple years ago so almost all of mine are probably 2011 or newer. For the most part they seem to sharpen up pretty well for me though I think I had a couple Pounder hooks that turned to nubs pretty quickly before they got sharp. On the Pounders I have just been replacing those with 8/0 3551's as the stock hooks seemed kind of stubby on them.
Tucker |
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Posts: 150
Location: Central Minnesota | One thing to think about when using big rubber baits is muskies sink their teeth into that soft rubber and it takes a good hard hook set to sink those hooks into their hard mouth. Not sure what rods you are using for dawgs but make sure it has enough back bone to deliver the bone jaring hook set that is needed with those baits. Super sharp hooks are imperative also. Good luck! |
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Posts: 624
Location: S.W. WI | I think probably bad luck. You will lose some (as you likely know) just from all the leverage from such a heavy lure shaking around, and also how they hit sometimes, (just overtaking the lure) you just never get a solid hook-up. I know some of the hooks from just a few yrs back were a softer steel and just wouldn't hold an edge for me. Also agree as joe stated above about the teeth sinking into the plastic.....
.....just my $.02
-Jon
curleytail - 1/22/2013 8:12 PM
So far neither of you mentioned losing fish on them like I have. Maybe it was just bad luck on a few
Tucker |
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Posts: 2318
Location: Chisholm, MN | I've lost fish like that on pounders. Lots of times they are clamped on so hard on that bait that you can not set the hook hard enough to break it free....no mater which rod you have. That's where a high speed reel and long rod comes in. You need to keep an enormous amount of pressure on them so when they do spit the bait, you may hook them as its coming out of their mouth. |
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Posts: 833
| I replace all of mine, I usually upsize as well. 8/0 3551 on Mag size and 9/0 3551 on Pounders. I use 3551 on almost all my baits (unless I want wide gaps, like on Phantoms) I also find that taking the time to "T" the hooks on really big bodied baits is a good idea. Less snags, less hook rash, less dog bawls, plus more hook outside of the bait on the hit. This is based on advice from anglers with far more expertise than myself, so I can't say I've had negative experience with the MI hooks, I just listen to guys who I believe know more than I do.
A good friend of mine had a fish completely remove a hook and split ring on a 2012 UV Mag Dawg last year. Not sure if that was bad product or just a massive monster. I know he was contemplating Wolverines after that hit though. |
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