Favourite Hooks For Each Setup?

[Stoisy]

Hey all,

What are everyone's favourite hook setups for the gear that you are using? If you have specific brands or styles/shapes I'd be happy to hear the specifics.

Hoochies? Single siwash? or tandem gammys/owners?
Plugs? I've started trying to use some smaller gammys, have tried both single and tandem. What is everyone's usual plug choice? Any smaller hook setups?
Spoons? Pretty simple, but curious what size hooks most are using? 3/0? 4/0? 5/0? Any brand recommendations?
Bait? Tandem singles? Single treble? Anyone have a good single hook setup?

I know this has been asked a few times in the past, but I don't think I've seen all the setups in one place before.

Let's hear it!

 

[Rain City]

Hey all,

What are everyone's favourite hook setups for the gear that you are using? If you have specific brands or styles/shapes I'd be happy to hear the specifics.

Hoochies? Single siwash? or tandem gammys/owners?
Plugs? I've started trying to use some smaller gammys, have tried both single and tandem. What is everyone's usual plug choice? Any smaller hook setups?
Spoons? Pretty simple, but curious what size hooks most are using? 3/0? 4/0? 5/0? Any brand recommendations?
Bait? Tandem singles? Single treble? Anyone have a good single hook setup?

I know this has been asked a few times in the past, but I don't think I've seen all the setups in one place before.

Let's hear it!

Great thread. Following.

 

[scott craven]

I fish spoons for the most part.
I like the Gamakatsu Big River open eye 3/0. Strong and sharp

 

[bryce]

For chovies and herring in teasers vmc or mustad treble with a 3 or 4/0 trailer size depends on bait im using
Cut plug 2 x 5/0 gammys
Hootchies 2x 4/0 gammys

 

[CBsqrd]

Bait: Owner STX-45 for trebles is my favorite. Hard to find, but sharp, strong and don't rust. Also have a deeper curve like a Gamakatsu Big River / VMC Techset / Owner No Escape hook. #2 for anchovies and small herring, #1 for med/large herring and extra large anchovies. 4/0 Owner No Escape for a stinger.

Spoons / plugs: Gamakatsu Big River Open eye or VMC Techset (purchased on sale from Harbour Chandler last year and have been happy so far). Size matched to spoon or plug size. i.e. 3.0 spoon = 3/0 hook; 5.0 spoon or 5" plug = 5/0 hook.

Hoochies: 3/0 or 4/0 tandem Owner No Escape or 5/0 open eye Big River or Techset if single.

 

[acrowe]

So this is an interesting question.
I was mostly jigging this year, but the question for me remains similar. Since a very large percentage of fish I bring to the boat must be released I end up trying to figure out a compromise between hook mortality and effectiveness.
In the past i have mostly gone with a not too big siwash for hoochies as it seemed to damage fish's eyes much less often than a two hook set up.
For jigs I used a combination of single siwash and the assist hook set ups on Shimano jigs. I found the shimano jigs' assist hook rig tended to result in more fish staying on to the boat (although there were times when I lost a large percentage of fish close to the boat with both rigs). The effectiveness of the assist hook setup was quite noticeable to me. On the other hand, I think its effective because fish get one in the jaw and then stay on because the other latches on outside the jaw. I had fish injured seriously from this but it actually seemed about the same rate as siwash hooks poking into eyes or similar.
It seemed worthwhile to me to convert some jigs that I purchased with trebles to assist style hook rigs. I tied up several, they seemed to work as well as the Shimano ones.
Of course this isn't scientific research, its just what I noticed in my boat this summer, subject to bias and poor experiment design obviously.




The glow and chartreuse caught my largest chinook this summer - not a tyee, but too large to keep, at the time, but easily released with a finger on the bend of the hook

 

[Bugs]

I think having a couple of hook sizes available to adjust for mortality risk is an ethical thing to do. I fish the gammy big rivers on everything now (except jigging) spoons, plugs and hoochies (the latter two set back on bead chains when needed). I may go as big as 7/0... but when lots of juvenile fish are around going down to at least 3/0 will dramatically reduce your eye hooks.

 

[Ryan A]

Switched to Mustad stainless this last year for everything....hoochies, plugs, spoons....love the Gammies but just wanted to try something different.

 

[Derby]

Mustad has started moved a lot of there hooks back to Norway..quality is sooo much better... Switcting back to them agian..look for the Norway flag on the right side

 

[Reeltime]

Mustad has started moved a lot of there hooks back to Norway..quality is sooo much better... Switcting back to them agian..look for the Norway flag on the right side

wicked hooks, i've got only 2 left of those hooks.. was in pnt Richmond and didn't see those, let me know if you have those in stock same size, ill grab a pack

 

[Derby]

I'll check and get back to u ..we had them in Parksville last time i was in

 

[ChilliSpoons]

Mustad has started moved a lot of there hooks back to Norway..quality is sooo much better... Switcting back to them agian..look for the Norway flag on the right side

Still my favorite hooks except the barbs can not be pinched flat. I grind each hook to eliminate the barb. Too bad they’re not available in barbless.

 

[Brett83]

Still my favorite hooks except the barbs can not be pinched flat. I grind each hook to eliminate the barb. Too bad they’re not available in barbless.

When the barbs can't be pinched flat it leaves a little bump. The bump can help if the hook sets well, but some people say it hurts the set. Is that why you grind them?

 

[ChilliSpoons]

When the barbs can't be pinched flat it leaves a little bump. The bump can help if the hook sets well, but some people say it hurts the set. Is that why you grind them?

After doing a few hundred hooks I’ve found that the stiffness of the stainless doesn’t allow the barbs to be pinched perfectly flat. In fact some of the barbs will snap leaving a barb that is “unpinchable”.

I also like to give the tip of the hook a very slight upward bend. I have yet to see a hook break.

 

[eroyd]

"Good" stainless hooks aren't going to rot away on you and break at the least appropriate time. They also sharpen up with a stone or file w/o exposing the marshmellow insides. Unlike the gimmicky coated, chemically sharpen ones.

 

[Derby]

PNT has a North Pacific Siwash Tinned Barbless hook in a 4/0 to a 7/0 that is pretty outstanding hook that holds up well...that is all I use if a 4/0 or bigger is needed..
this is the 4/0 & 5/0 hook

 

[Doug]

Here are the hooks and swivel knots and hook sets I use. All hooks get barbs removed before use (except Hali).

Halibut : 2X 10/0 or 9/0 Mustads, 140lb tuna line and Snell knot. With bait.
Springs : 1/0 triple Gammy, trailer 3/0 Gammy, 40 lb Maxima line and Snell knot. With bait.
Coho : 2 X 3/0 or 2/0 Gammys, 40 lb Maxima line and Snell knot. With plastics.
- All spider wire, halibut main line and swivel, I only use Palamor knots.
- If fishing catch and release, I only use single hook set ups with a Snell knot or a Palamor.
The Snell knot takes a little longer to tie, specially with 140 lb test line. But they never have failed me.

If anyone is looking for Mustad 9/0 halibut hooks ($1) or pre rigged halibut hook set ups ($5) as show in the photo PM me. I live in Victoria area (View Royal) .

 

[wildthing]

still looking for a stainless downturn eye circle hook and barbless .....lol

 

[Doug]

I don’t use any S/S hooks and no circle hooks for salmon fishing and just for halibut fishing.
I only use circle hooks when using salmon belly for bait.

On all my circle hooks set ups, I attach a 225lb bead swivels attached to the hook eye to keep the hook set spinning while in use.
I use 140 lb test tuna line and use Palamor knots for the bottom hook, while the top hooks swivel slides on the line.