favorite t-rig hooks.....

[boloson]

what are your favorite t-rig hooks/ sizes that are easy on soft baits? currently using 3/0 gami wide gap worm hook with the zoom horny frogs & they rip easily after the 5th cast or so, not to mention after catching fish.

would the screw in type hooks keep the bait intact better?

ps: those zoom baits swims awesome & catches fish

[BigBassin144]

I've found the spring keepers to make plastics last longer. I've actually been favoring hooks with spring keepers lately, or more specifically Owner Twist Lock hooks. I've slowly been replacing my EWG hooks with the Owner TL hooks. When it come to the size of the Owner TL's I like to use a size bigger than I would for regular EWG.

3/0 - small 4-5" worms
4/0 - 7" worms
5/0 - Senkos and Horny Toads.

The only thing that would make them better would be Owner's Cutting Point. Which is why my next choice in the Owner EWG with the Cutting Point.

BB

[boloson]

i could always count on u for a response bb. never actually used owners since they are actually more money then gami's but will give em a shot.

[Tavery5]

I use the owner twist lock hooks some and they are very good, I also use the Gammy Skip Gap EWG for my Senkos. I use a variety of sizes from 3/0 to 8/0 depending on what I am throwing.

[Fish30114]

Try the Gam 'G' Lock hooks. I have found they make a big difference in staying put on my soft baits--haven't used any on frogs though, alll the frogs I use come with a hook already.... I use some of the swim bait hooks sometimes as well, with the screw on wire at the eye--also better than a regular offset shank EWG, but I really like the 'G' lock, I have kept count as well, and my hook up percentage is higher with them also.

[Jrob78]

I use Gammy EWG's, Skip Gaps and Owner Twistlock hooks for my soft plastic fishing. I like the Twistlocks in a 4/0 or 5/0 for things like flukes, senkos and toads. I use Skip Gaps in 3/0 for beavers and craws and I use EWG's from 1/0 to 5/0 for most standard, weighted t-rigs.

I do think the Twistlocks keep baits usuable for a longer period of time but I don't like using them with weights, they are great for Horny Toads.

[IowaBasser]

I like the 5/0 EWG hooks for the Zoom Horny Toads - with the screw locks.

Though I used a 5/0 EWG hook with an offset shank and no screw-lock on a Stanley Ribbit Frog earlier this year and fished small-mouth for 7 hours and only missed one strike. Further I used the same frog all day and it's got a lot of teeth marks, but the nose and where the hook slides through are still in very good condition. I caught 9 smallies including one each 15, 16, 17, and 18 inches.

I just started using 3/0 offset EWG for texas-rigged worms this year. It's been a love/hate relationship!

Previously I used a standard offset worm hook. (something like this) With those hooks I would leave the point of the hook imbedded in the worm. That worked pretty well.

With an EWG offset hook (like this) I like to thread the point of hook all the way through the worm and rest the exposed point against the outside of the worm. It's not quite as weedless, but more weedless than I expected it to be. I feel I get just a little better hook-up percentage with the hook exposed on the EWG hooks compared to the standard hooks, though I wasn't missing many fish with the standard hook imbedded in the worm. Because the EWG hooks have that bend near the point of the hook and the last half inch is straight rather than curved, I don't get as good of hook-set if the point of the EWG hook is embedded in the worm.

Here's the hate part of the relationship: The EWG hooks are a bleepity-bleep-bleep to take out of a fish's mouth. There's something about the bend and the point of the hook being in-line with the eye of the hook... when you push on the hook, it doesn't just pop free like the standard hooks. About half the time I need to get the needle-nose pliers out to remove the EWG hooks.

Over-all I like the offset EWG hooks. If I was fishing heavy cover where I felt I absolutely needed to bury the hook-point in the worm I would use the standard hook.

[Bassboss]

Yes, using a screw lock type hook would definitely make them last longer. I personally use the biggest EWG hook I get away with on toads like that, 4/0, or 5/0 usually. IMO they give you better hook ups and you can cast them further. I try to use screw lock hooks when ever I use a weightless texas rig. I don't like for the when I have a bullet weight because it can knock into the knot thus weakening it.

[boloson]

thanks guys. will try those screw in hooks & go bigger to 4/0 & 5/0.

on a side note i have a cool way to mend plastic baits. instead of using super glue or "mend it" i use that berkely hotwire line cutter. it melts the baits & fuses it together, a much stronger bond then gluing it together. i had a senko that ripped completely in half & fused it back together. it's as good as new just not as pretty plus i get a sick satisfaction from burning stuff

save a lot of $$ this way

[IowaBasser]

Originally Posted by boloson

...plus i get a sick satisfaction from burning stuff

I'm right there with ya my pyro-bro