Switching out trebles

[elswagado]

I'm a bit of a cheapskate by nature and I don't fish tournaments, so I never thought I'd find myself buying trebles and replacing 'perfectly good' new hooks that came with a crankbait.  However I've got one new crank recently that has been getting bit at a high rate but my hookups seem to be less on it than on others, and I have to admit that the hooks on it look flat-out cheap.

So - is this worth it?  Obviously if you've got unlimited funds you 'd do it, but for a casual angler on a budget, is the difference significant enough to warrant it on a few of your favorite cranks that could use an upgrade... or is this a luxury being pushed along by good marketing with marginal improvement?

[kidd]

I think its worth it to a certain extent.  Nobody wants to lose a fish due to cheap equipment but I'm not replacing all the hooks on my cranks because I only fish for fun mostly.  I do have some crankbaits I love though that had terrible hooks that I changed.  There's a definite quality difference with some.

[saint romain]

I've had the same problem...I buy 2 different size trebles (size 3 and 4 I believe) and I'll change a hook if I feel I need to, but I keep them as backups for straightened out hooks mostly. Its pretty inexpensive if you do it when you "need" to. I don't fish cranks as much as other types of baits, though.

[Dan1962]

I change all the trebles on all my baits  except the ones that come with Gamakatsu or Owner Hooks  already installed  the others get replaced with The Gamakatsu trebles  The worst are the hooks that come on Rat-L-Trap lures

The way i test a hook to see if its Super sharp is slide the point at a  45degree angle on my fingernail if it sticks instantly it's sharp If it just slides off  my fingernail its DULL DULL  & Needs Sharping if its a Quality Hook But if its Cheap Hooks replace it with a High quality hook like Gamakatsu !

[poloaman]

This maybe stupid but why not just sharpen them


Polo
Outdoor Hub mobile

[kidd]

This maybe stupid but why not just sharpen them


Polo
Outdoor Hub mobile

Sometimes its not that they're not sharp but they're weak.  They'll actually straighten out.

[Dan1962]

This maybe stupid but why not just sharpen them


Polo
Outdoor Hub mobile

Well because Most Cheap hooks want sharpen as  Super Sharp as High Quality Hooks its all about the Point  Cheap hooks has a Very short Bunt point (A) where Quality Hooks have a Long slender Point that will have a much sharper Point (B). Plus High quality Hooks are harden to help keep them sharp

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[pawpaw]

I think most crankbaits today come with pretty good hooks, BUT I always check a new crankbait and the used ones I am going to use before I go fishing. I check just like Dan1962 said. If they are dull or bent I replace them with a new hook. I would hate to lose the fish of a lifetime because I didn't want to spend the money for a new hook.

[Stump bumper]

I go through my baits every year about this time and replace worn and rusty hooks on all my baits. I have found the VMC hooks at Academy sports to be good hooks at a good price when you buy the larger packs and 3 different sizes covers about all my cranks and jerkbaits. Owners are my favorite for strength and sharpness but are a little more expensive.

I buy most of my jerk baits with out hooks at Jane's Net Craft and some cranks there also but I have bought cranks that I have switched rings and hooks right out of the box. I like the Cotton Cordial baits like the redfin, but their choice in hooks have a lot to be desired and have never seen a good hook on a pencil popper out of the box unless you are going to throw it in salt water then I would still file them down. Rattle traps are another bait that is just not worth throwing until you change the hooks and just about anybody's jigging spoons except for War Eagle.

I am the KING of CHEAP but hooks and line are two places I do have to spend some money.Don't forget split rings also when doing maintenance, there are a lot of cheap split rings on lures that bend and rust and nothing will break you heart like a 8lb bass tail walking to the boat then nothing, then you inspect the lure to find no hook or split ring. One I didn't get to land the fish, second I let the fish go with three hooks in his mouth and he will more than likely die from not being able to open his mouth.

[poloaman]

Well because Most Cheap hooks want sharpen as  Super Sharp as High Quality Hooks its all about the Point  Cheap hooks has a Very short Bunt point (A) where Quality Hooks have a Long slender Point that will have a much sharper Point (B). Plus High quality Hooks are harden to help keep them sharp

Thank you I guess I have never really lost much fish on cranks I do switch out some hooks but like somebody already said I think most quality cranks already come with good hooks but that dad answer my question so again thanks


Polo
Outdoor Hub mobile

[bluebasser86]

Get some VMC's. They're sharp, quality hooks and pretty inexpensive. The Cabela's here has 25 packs for $6.99. Most baits have pretty decent hooks but once they get dulled out, rusted, whatever, changing them is a good idea.

[TNDiver]

I always wondered about this, but also wondered, which hook do bass tend to hit on a crank, the front or back??  TO follow up, would it save money to change the hook that gets hit most???

[Dan1962]

I always wondered about this, but also wondered, which hook do bass tend to hit on a crank, the front or back??  TO follow up, would it save money to change the hook that gets hit most???

I say 90% on front hook   on Cranks and Stick baits  I use a #6 F #6 R on the Smaller cranks  & #4F 6R on med cranks  #4F #4R on med large
IF i could only change just one of the hooks it definitely be the front one .

When i do get the chance to fish for money all my baits i be using will have OWNER Stinger Trebles they are SUPER SUPER Sharp & Very strong

[bigjim5589]

Well because Most Cheap hooks want sharpen as  Super Sharp as High Quality Hooks its all about the Point  Cheap hooks has a Very short Bunt point (A) where Quality Hooks have a Long slender Point that will have a much sharper Point

Actually, this is not entirely true. Some hooks with those long slender points will roll the point too easily, so you cannot depend that it's a better quality hook. Too slender and it can be a problem. Hooks made properly will have a good balance of strength & sharpness. I bought some cranks that had trebles that at first appeared to be good quality. They were sticky sharp at first, but once that point struck anything solid, there would be a burr on the point where it had rolled, leaving it very dull. I have no idea what brand they were, as they were the factory hooks, but they certainly needed to be changed.

I also change many of the trebles on my crankbaits & hard jerkbaits. If you buy a good brand, such as Owner, Gamakatsu, VMC or Mustad Ultra Points, you will usually get a very good, high quality hook. Unfortunately, you will sometimes even find some of these will be dull straight from the package, just because of the high volumes produced in manufacturing, so not all will be perfect.

I always wondered about this, but also wondered, which hook do bass tend to hit on a crank, the front or back??  TO follow up, would it save money to change the hook that gets hit most???

I have a bunch of big saltwater lures that only have a single hook at the tail end, and catch plenty of fish with them, and have even caught LM bass on them. LM Bass mostly inhale a crankbait, or just hit at it to stun it, not trying to grab it in their mouths. So, it depends on how they react to it which hook is more likely to get stuck.

If a hook is dull, it should be changed regardless of where it is. IMO, If a bass, or other fish strikes a lure & does strike a dull hook, and does not get hooked solid, you're chances of losing it are greater, and it may not be inclined to strike again at the same lure, at least not right away. You would probably be better off removing a dull hook completely, which, should the bass strike the lure & miss the sharp hook, it's more likely to strike again.

[buzzfrog]

i luv the bill lewis rattles but it seems all there hooks suck, always change them but the rapala ones seem to be good, expecially the ones that have the one extended slanted hook(cant think of proper name) at moment

[bigjim5589]

Sure Sets! 

[buzzfrog]

yea what he said

[pawpaw]

I always wondered about this, but also wondered, which hook do bass tend to hit on a crank, the front or back??  TO follow up, would it save money to change the hook that gets hit most???

That is the reason for putting red trebles on the front of a crankbait, to give them a target. Does it work ? I think it does-- most of the time.

[California Kid]

I change out the trebles on all my Strike King cranks and traps with Gammies. I've never had to change Lucky Craft or Rapalas if they have VMCs. Its worth the investment to change em out if they are cheap. You can buy a 10-12 pack of Gammy round bend trebles for $7.00 and that's not bad when you break it down and also figure that your going to loose less fish. To me that's the most important thing because even when I'm fishing for fun I want to catch as many as possible. Also, you never know when the fish of lifetime is going to bite and you would be brokenhearted if it was from a cheap dull hook.

[Diggy_]

I just had to because a turtle broke the back hook on my 1.5

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[bassincali]

i learned the hard way hooked into a 20+ lb stripper i had changed the hooks to gamies so i thought i was good but after one run the hook straighted out so now i use 4x hooks gamie or owner wrote a letter and got a free hat stickers and the advise to go with the 4x hooks

[Camden]

I always wondered about this, but also wondered, which hook do bass tend to hit on a crank, the front or back??  TO follow up, would it save money to change the hook that gets hit most???

here is the one thing that I dont think enough people pay enough attention to when fishing cranks. it is vital in my opinion when trying to increase hookups.
here is the way i play it.
1st if its dull or weak...change it.
2nd and most important in my eyes. is where are they hitting the crank. if I catch 2 back to back and both have barely been hooked on the back hook that tells me something. Mainly that I am probably fishing it a little to fast or the color might be slightly off.
If they are on the front hook then I know to duplicate exactly what I had just done. A fish witha front treble in his mouth is a fish that committed to the bait.

[TNDiver]

here is the one thing that I dont think enough people pay enough attention to when fishing cranks. it is vital in my opinion when trying to increase hookups.
here is the way i play it.
1st if its dull or weak...change it.
2nd and most important in my eyes. is where are they hitting the crank. if I catch 2 back to back and both have barely been hooked on the back hook that tells me something. Mainly that I am probably fishing it a little to fast or the color might be slightly off.
If they are on the front hook then I know to duplicate exactly what I had just done. A fish witha front treble in his mouth is a fish that committed to the bait.

Good advice and it makes sense

[bigjim5589]

Camden, great point! That's what I was trying to say when I said they'll sometimes just try to stun it. They may not always be striking out of hunger. Bass will sometimes strike out of annoyance or to protect their territory, so they'll often hit a lure, as if to try to drive off the intruder. You'll see this a lot more during the spawn, but they will do it at other times as well. I feel if you get a lot of hook ups on the outside of their mouth, up on the side of their head, that could be an indication they're not feeding, but striking at the lure for other reasons. Also, depending on the lure type, and what kind of wiggle it has, wide as opposed to tight, you may get the front or the rear hooks hit more often, again depending on how they're striking at it.

[Camden]

exactly Jim we both saying same thing just different ways