Texas Rigged worms?

[InEccess]

Mainly, this question is about the hook used on a texas rigged worm. Do you guys suggest an EWG hook, or a straight shank worm hook?

In the past, I've been using the EWG hooks so I could quickly change from the Power Bait worm, to a tube or a fluke. Am I losing action because I'm not using a straight worm hook? What do you suggest?

[zooker]

you lose action only if the hook is like a 3/0 in a drop shot worm. but in general a 3/0 pretty much will handle any worm over 4" long..

zooker

[InEccess]

3/0 Off set wide gap, or 3/0 straight shank worm hook?

[lunker-lander]

Offset, EWG. Straight's seems to be a pain...

-Lunk-

[Raul]

If you use a straight shank worm what´s going to happen is that your bait is going to slide and slide and slide and slide ............... until you go ----> )(&&%!!!!!!!!!!. Straight shank worm hooks have a couple of slices which in theory are supposed to hold the bait, everything is fine until the sinker hits something and pushes the sinker back which makes the bait to slide a little bit then that´s when the fun begins.

That don´t happen with a offset hook.

[InEccess]

So I guess the straight shank worm hook with the keeper barbs are antiquated? I guess I'm just talking to old timers, then. 3/0 Offest for a 4 1/2" power worm... got it.

[Raul]

Antiquated not really, impractical, you bet they are !

Back then during the age of the dinosaurs when I began bass fishing there wasn´t much selection in hooks from where to choose so you had to use what was available and those hooks were the ones available.

Offset vs EWG depends a lot on what you are rigging, I prefer EWG for beefy baits, offset light ( thin wire ) for slender baits like worms. The problem here is that you don´t find many thin wire EWGs as you do with offset hooks, thin worms like Zoom´s SS U-tale or Finesse Worm are quite thin and when you rig them with a heavy wire hook the bait gets torn appart easily, won´t slip from the hook but will hang up everywhere because it tore appart.

[links_man2]

If you can find them, I have gone to the Gamakatsu Skip-Gap hooks. I really like the way they hold the bait and don't seem to tear the bait as bad on hookups.

[BigBassin144]

I agree, for worms 4"+ I use a 3/0 or 4/0 EWG, for smaller than 4", I use a 2/0. For craws and stuff on the bottom, I use a 4/0 or 5/0. All EWG hooks.

BB

[3dkicker]

Plenty of the pros still use straight shank for specific applications. I moved away from offset to mostly ewg but have gone back (worm fishing specifically). I was missing too many fish on the hookset for some reason.

[Bob Smith]

Day in and day out my favorite T-rig worm hook is the Gamakatsu J-bend worm hook in 2/0, 3/0, and 4/0. I use EWG hooks but not very often, I find that I get a better hook up ratio with the J-bend hooks for most bait sizes. Only when I have a very thick bait do I use the EWGs.