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[Every Day]

Hey guys! It's been a long time since this thread has been bumped. This is the best time of year for chucking  metal, and it's really been heating up lately! I figured now would be the perfect time to release the new Trailing Hook article.

Today I finished writing/inserting pictures for "The Trailing Hook Method - FAQ." In that article, you'll most likely see pictures and descriptions that will answer any questions or concerns people have had with the method.

I want to keep it as an open discussion. I'm still learning too! If any of you have been using it regularly, and have something to add that isn't on the new article, please feel free to message me!


https://outdooraddictions.wordpress.com/2018/03/09/the-trailing-hook-method-faq/

Cheers,
Dan

[wildmanyeah]

I was fishing Chinook with a guide on the ocean.  We kept on getting very light taps on the spoon, You could see teeth marks on the back end of the spoon,

The guide added a hook 2 inches back off the spoons split rings and the hookups went to 100%.  Not sure if it applies in this case but it seemed to be the ticket in capturing the light bites.

Ill experiment this year freshwater coho fishing.

[Knnn]

I have tried the trailing hook method for approximately 6 months now.  Originally I used to replace my hooks with three split rings in descending sizes (6, 5, 4) to space out a smaller hook the same distance as the larger hook that was being replaced and to keep the hook in the same orientation as the original. 

The primary reason for me replacing the hooks, was the large size of the standard hooks on my favorite spoons.   This is not an issue limited to one supplier, most suppliers of salmon spoons seam to use size 3/0 hooks on their spoons and I have witnessed first hand the damage they can cause to small and medium sized fish.  I guess if you are always using the spoons for retention of large species of salmon this size of hook is OK, but I also like to fish big rivers for bulls (C&R) and steelhead and you need a decent sized and weight of spoon to fish bigger water, but the hooks were just too big for the intended target or potential caused bleeding. 

I have now given up sacrificing my fingernails to the gods and have converted to the method Dan has developed.  It my earlier trials I use 20 lbs Dacron and had a few breakages and I also struggled with the knot.  Now I use 30 lbs and a triple surgeon for the knot and have not had a failure in 4 months. 

I use Owner barbless No Escape Hooks in a No. 2 or 4, depending on my target and retention has been very good.  In the past 2 outings I am over 90% of hooked fish.  A month ago I was down to approximately 60% and could not figure out why, until I checked the point on my hook.  Replacing the hooks with fresh, which is a piece of cake to do even on the river bank, solved all my problems immediately. 

I have also noticed that more than 50% of my hook-sets are in the corner of the mouth, either inside to out or outside to in.  I can't recall when I last hooked a fish in the tongue or upper mouth or had a bleeder, which has been very reassuring.

Some examples:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd9B0pGBC8W/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgK6PsMnA7B/

In summary:

PRO's
Less harm to fish
Improved numbers of fish to hand
Easy to replace hooks at any time
I seem to lose less spoons (could be me, but just seems that way)
You can customize your spoons with funky colours...

CON's
Occasional hook wrap around the line if loop too long
Extra cost of hooks, Dacron and time to replace

[bigsnag]

People invent all kinds of stuff to catch more fish.  Dan invented the Trailing Hook method for the benefit of the fish first, and not to loose them second.
Hats off and great to see you back.

[psd1179]

hook is large enough to harm the fish.

[Knnn]

hook is large enough to harm the fish.

?  Which and what hook?

Dan, please update us on the circle hook, I'm very interested in hearing more.  What is the main advantage of this type of hook?  Obviously swinging through thick numbers of salmon like chum (if that's what you wanted to do) they would reduce the number of foul hooks.  Do you feel that once the fish is on, it is difficult to lose?

Regarding hook size, did you give No. 2 hooks as much of a try as No. 1?  Do you feel the smaller hook is not as good as the larger hook for fish like steelhead, even though many big steelhead are caught on intruders with size 4 trailing hooks?

Regarding spinners and like your Colorado blades have you thought to replace the steel wire in the spinner with Dacron, so the Dacron passes through the body of the spinner to a split ring?  I guess the spinning blade may wear the Dacron, just curious.

Lastly have you tried the Owner, Barbless, No escape Hooks, which incorporate a slight v bend.  The v is not as pronounced as the Matzou, but it is there in a slightly different position and I have recently experience hook up and retention levels in the 90%+ region with the owners but in a size 2 (generally for smaller fish admittedly).

Lastly and completely off-topic, do you submerge your reel often?  I have a Battle II, which looks like what you have.  If I submerge it, a few minutes later it can (not always) become quite stiff and almost feels like it is vapour locking.  After a couple of days it's ok.  I have stripped it a couple of times and replaced the grease with a good quality replacement, which has had no affect. 

   

[Every Day]

Dan, please update us on the circle hook, I'm very interested in hearing more.  What is the main advantage of this type of hook?  Obviously swinging through thick numbers of salmon like chum (if that's what you wanted to do) they would reduce the number of foul hooks.  Do you feel that once the fish is on, it is difficult to lose?

The circle hooks are still an ongoing "study." At first, I had some great retention on steelhead with them, like lost one fish out of 12 hooked. Then I had one day where I went 2/7. Kitty went 0/1 the other day as well. So it started out great, but may have been a fluke. I love how the hook points never get dull or damaged though (common problem with spoons), and I snag way less (they don't hit sticks or wood as much).

The one thing I will say about circles is they are UNREAL at keeping brown trout on. Browns have always been my kryptonite, I lose almost every single one I hook on metal. Since going to circles, I've only lose 1 or 2 out of a good 20 or more hooked. Always hooked extremely well. Not sure the reason, but they'll always be on now when targeting browns.

Regarding hook size, did you give No. 2 hooks as much of a try as No. 1?  Do you feel the smaller hook is not as good as the larger hook for fish like steelhead, even though many big steelhead are caught on intruders with size 4 trailing hooks?

I tried all sorts of sizes of hooks. Number 1's seemed to hold well. For bait and beads I use 4's all the time - pretty much all I use. I have a lot of faith in small hooks getting good purchase and never coming out. That being said, they didn't seem to work as well for the spoons. They just don't seem to connect the same way in my experience. I think anything in the size range of #2 up to 1/0 will work just fine to get a good connection.

Regarding spinners and like your Colorado blades have you thought to replace the steel wire in the spinner with Dacron, so the Dacron passes through the body of the spinner to a split ring?  I guess the spinning blade may wear the Dacron, just curious.

Not sure what you mean? Do you mean have the blade running right on the Dacron, as in get rid of the middle wire, and have all of the components on the dacron chunk?

In all honesty, I've never really had much of a problem getting good hook-ups or landing rates on spinners. Fish rarely fall off of them. They are a totally different animal than spoons. As said above by bigsnag, I did this whole method to primarily reduce spoon mortality. I literally have never deep hooked a fish on a spinner (I believe it's due to the spinning blade being too big of a radius to take it "deep"). Spinner hooks are typically a pretty appropriate size for the fishing I do. I just leave them as is. More of a hassle to change them than a help.

Lastly have you tried the Owner, Barbless, No escape Hooks, which incorporate a slight v bend.  The v is not as pronounced as the Matzou, but it is there in a slightly different position and I have recently experience hook up and retention levels in the 90%+ region with the owners but in a size 2 (generally for smaller fish admittedly).

I just started using no escape hooks. They seem to work fairly well gear fishing worms/beads/bait. I haven't yet tried them on spoons, but will give them a go for sure after reading your IG post and this one. I'll let ya know how I do with them too!

Lastly and completely off-topic, do you submerge your reel often?  I have a Battle II, which looks like what you have.  If I submerge it, a few minutes later it can (not always) become quite stiff and almost feels like it is vapour locking.  After a couple of days it's ok.  I have stripped it a couple of times and replaced the grease with a good quality replacement, which has had no affect. 

Penns are actually pretty bad for that. I'm not sure what it is. They say they are sealed bearings, but it is almost like water gets in the bearings and wrecks them a bit. I've had them seize right up before on me to the point where you couldn't do anything with them. After you dry them out though, you're right, they are fine. I just try to never get it wet anymore. They seem to have corrected the issue with the Penn Fierce II (used it for 8 months without any issues). Currently I'm using a Cabela's Verano reel and absolutely love it so far!

[Every Day]

People invent all kinds of stuff to catch more fish.  Dan invented the Trailing Hook method for the benefit of the fish first, and not to loose them second.
Hats off and great to see you back.

I'm not quite sure I "invented" it. Just an idea I had never seen someone use, and tried it out. It worked, so I wrote something that people could try out. I'm sure others have used it before me! That being said though, yes, I did try and get people on board with it from a fish-first perspective. The landing rates were just a positive side effect.

Glad to see people realising that point.

Thanks, and hopefully I'll be back with a bit more soon!

[skaha]

I'm not quite sure I "invented" it. Just an idea I had never seen someone use, and tried it out. It worked, so I wrote something that people could try out. I'm sure others have used it before me! That being said though, yes, I did try and get people on board with it from a fish-first perspective. The landing rates were just a positive side effect.

Glad to see people realising that point.

Thanks, and hopefully I'll be back with a bit more soon!

--you have definitely fine-tuned the method and demonstrated the benefits. I recall using this in the 60's with cuttyhunk line...the reason was not necessarily for better hook up or release but because we couldn't afford swivels or split rings.The same line we used for making nets and on our reels was plentiful and cheap. Washington state has some local common name, slang for this method but can't remember it. Was common onircle hooks even those not used with bait. Also popularized for use with a fly.. Moffatt method. fly tied muchlike a tube fly with trailing circle hook...intended to catch on the outside of the mouth for ease of release...some states even adjusted their regulations to specifically allow this...without allowing longer trail hook which could be used for flossing.
--great job

[Fish Assassin]

Seen old timers at the mouth of the Capilano using the trailing hook method years ago.

[bigsnag]

Seen old timers at the mouth of the Capilano using the trailing hook method years ago.

Okay.
People invent all kinds of stuff to catch more fish.  Dan popularized the Trailing Hook method for the benefit of the fish first, and not to loose them second.
Hats off to Dan.
Is that better?

[bigsnag]

Regarding spinners and like your Colorado blades have you thought to replace the steel wire in the spinner with Dacron, so the Dacron passes through the body of the spinner to a split ring?  I guess the spinning blade may wear the Dacron, just curious.

I don't think it will work.  Personally, I like the shaft on my spinner nice and stiff.  I don't think the blade will spin properly on something soft as a Darcon.  Also what happens when you have a weighted body put on?  It'd tangle with the blade before it starts revolving.  My 2 cents.