do you hook your baits on the reel?

[Hobious]

trebles mostly.

I find most rod manufactures put the bait keeper tab in a horrible location.  say a crank bait.  you hook it on the reel?  my bud thinks it damages something.  me, not so much.

[cadman]

I will hook a jig on the rod keeper. I do not hook any crankbaits on the rod keeper or the reel. I do believe it could damage the reel. As far as hooking a crankbait on the rod keeper, it does scratch up the blank with all the treble hooks. I'm just anal about my equipment.

[Capt. BassinLou]

I don't hook anything on my reels. Hook keepers 100% of the time.

[Princeton_Man]

I don't hook anything on my reels. Hook keepers 100% of the time.

This.^

I do sometimes use the aftermarket hook keepers that attach to the rod with rubber bands for some rods to prevent the hooks from damaging my rods. I use these mostly with 5/0 hooks and up. Those large heavy Trokar hooks will cut into the finish of a rod sometimes. I've also put a couple wraps of electrical tape around the area if I don't have an aftermarket hook keeper for it.  

[J.W.]

I don't hook anything on my reels. Hook keepers 100% of the time.

Same. I don't know that it would cause any problems to hook it on the reel, but I just use the hook keeper.

[FlatsNBay]

Using a hook keeper on a rod can easily scratch the rod with treble hooked baits. No way for me, treble hooks on the reel instead. Soft plastic baits go on the hook keeper on the rod.

I hate having a hook keeper below the reel.

[Pferox]

I sometimes use the reel for Treble hooks.

Most of my old, cheap rods didn't come with hook keepers on em so I ty-wrapped a Duo Lock fishing clip to the rod.  It works pretty well and I haven't noticed any scratches on the rod, although I will admit that I haven't looked very closely.

I use a lot of drop shot like rigs and a circle hook, these take a little wrapping of the dropper line, but work great with both my home made and "with the rod" keepers IMO.

I actually did this to keep from hooking them on the grip cork or foam, or a guide post, which to me is the worst thing to do.

[Hobious]

I need to buy some of those Fuji bait keeper things.  my rods mostly are not coming with them, or they are in the wrong position for my liking. 

[Donald Garner]

I use the Hook Keeper that build into the Rod.

[ike8120]

I use the hook keeper on the rod, if the rod doesn't have a hook keeper I make one using two 4" tie wraps.

[Capt. BassinLou]

I use the hook keeper on the rod, if the rod doesn't have a hook keeper I make one using two 4" tie wraps.

I like that!

[D.W. Verts]

I very rarely use anything but the reel. Occasionally on a spinning rod (yeas, I use a spinning rod. Occasionally). I'm old school- we didn't have keepers back IN THE DAY.

Dale

[Capt. BassinLou]

I like using treble bait covers on my rods.

[Pat Dilling]

I use the keepers on the rods, or very occasionally will hook on to a line guide FRAME, never on the guide itself. I don't hook on the reel. I think the rod makers moved the bait keeper below the reel because of the popularity of rod sleeves. Reduces the chance of snagging the sleeve.

[SteveTX]

I don't hook to my nice reels at all. Used reels I bought that were already scratched up etc. I might hook to once in a while provided there is not a keeper. Those reels get drug through the woods and ride in the back of my truck so I know they are doomed.

I don't think it damages the reel mechanically but it can ruin the appearance. I see pros who get new stuff often usually sponsor supplied basically free doing it. And guys who don't plan to resell their equipment it wont matter if the reel is scratched up.

All my treble baits go in the The Bait Sack from Cal Coast Fishing. The small size does great for my 1.5 and 2" square bill size lures. So far I've not seen any issues with the plastic clip messing up my rods either. I really like how fast you can go from fishing to put away safely not worrying about the hooks getting into the boat carpet or another rod sleeve. 

[fishingram24]

If its got a hook keeper, I use that, if not on the reel. Been doing this for most of my 69 years and never noticed any scratch on either that could be attributed to a hook. Besides both are just tools of the trade and although I take care of all my gear they are built to use.

[SenkoSam]

Zip ties for attaching skirts to bass jigs or spinnerbaits saves me a lot of time vs tying with thread! The other innovation is to use them as hook holders on my rod.

Some of my rods don't have hook holders and wrapping a small-width zip tie around the blank near the reel, with another placed under it to form a loop has worked great for years. The loop can be rotated around the blank for best lure position.

The other is to cut packing foam into small flat disks with a cut made from one side to the middle. The shaft of the hook goes into the center with all points pushed into the foam. I also use it in my jig box to keep jigs seperated by weight and hook size. No more stuck fingers or in cloth or caught on line of other rods - especially lures with more than one treble hooks!