Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[KarateKick]

At places like Canadian Tire or Army and Navy, it seems like all the lures come with either a treble hook (illegal) or large hook (too big for trout).  I've bought a small box of hooks from a dollar store and I'm about to put them on a few lures.

Questions:
1. Do I need to be careful about the distance between (the eye or point of) the hook and the lure?
2. Is it okay to use fishing line to tie the two together, or should I always use a metal wire?

[Geff_t]

If you bought hooks with the eye of the hook open then just cut the treble hook off and attach the hook in the same place where the treble hook was but if your  hooks dont come with the eye open then it is always best to use a split ring to attach the hook.
As for the size of the hook just make sure that it is long enough that when you hold your spinner straight up and down that there is plenty of room between the end of the blade and the point of the hook for the fish to grab the hook.

[KarateKick]

One problem I have is that the original split ring is too thick to go through the eye of the smaller hook.  That was why I wondered about using a fishing line to tie it.

[leapin' tyee]

One problem I have is that the original split ring is too thick to go through the eye of the smaller hook.  That was why I wondered about using a fishing line to tie it.

Then use a thinner gauge split ring. They come with different sizes too.

[rootbeer]

I live near a lake that has a single, barbless, no bait restriction.  What I did was cut off the treble hook, and bought some split rings and siwash hooks to make the lures compliant.  Blue Fox spinners often come with both a treble and a single hook.  There are some tutorials on youtube on how to replace a treble hook with a single.

[KarateKick]

I am looking at some split rings on eBay.  You can get a package of 300 for just a just dollars, but your can also get a package of 10 for about the same price.  Are the expensive ones worth the money?

[Every Day]

DON'T cheap out on the split rings.
I have bought both cheap split rings and cheap duo-locks... both are terrible. They will always bend out.

Honestly, don't cheap out on lure components period, everything is important. Swivels (especially on spinners) prevent line twist, and the split rings hold everything in place, and will bend out really easily if you cheap out.

Even the spinners and spoons themselves are important. Cheap spinners and spoons won't have good shape (won't have as good as action), and won't have good reflectivity. If you're going to go cheap, order each component off a reputable website, don't get dollar store stuff.

As for your hook attachment.

If you're running spoons, do my trailer hook method. A spool of 30 pound dacron is 6 bucks, and a pack of 100 size 1 matzou's is 9 bucks. Super fast to tie up, and works super well. No having to go out and buy open eye hooks, split rings, etc.

Spinners... the trailer hook doesn't work super well. It does work, I use it sometimes when I'm lazy. It tends to get spun up after a few dozen casts and kinks up fairly high under the spinner. If you pull on it, it will un-kink and hang again, just can be a pain.

Btw...

After a year and a half... the best combo for hook-ups and landing ratio's I've found is a size 1 hook on a braid loop around 2.5cm long. Works awesome for trout, steel and salmon. I'm batting around an 80% landing average on all species this year on metal, which seems to be about as high as it can get from my experience and other metal chuckers I've talked to. Should also mention this set up seems to hook fish on the outside of the mouth/under the mouth/right in the nose most of the time. I've only had 1 bleeder this year, and it wasn't severe (stopped bleeding once hook was removed and fish was held ~10 seconds).

[KarateKick]

A pair of split ring pliers is $16+ at Michaels. Where can I get a pair for a better price?

[leadbelly]

Ive never even seen a pair of split ring pliers, though if you have difficulty working with rings that may help allot.

[Fish Assassin]

I got a split ring plier. Unfortunately I've forgotten where I purchased it.

[leapin' tyee]

Wallmart