Cheap hooks?

[GF.]

I bought a few rattletraps and a few cheap, holographic, rattletrap wannabes a while back, thinking maybe I could save a few bucks and catch just as many fish.

The other night I went out and hooked a good striper. I let him tow me around in the rowboat for a minute or so, and suddenly the line went slack....

Two out of three hooks on the forward treble were mangled - one straightened out, one bent in tight. Switched to a rattletrap and within a few minutes I picked up another striper, pretty close to the keeper size of 28". Hooks did fine.

So was it a cheap-arse hook that did me in, or is there something about the way I was pressuring the fish? I was definitely trying to steer it clear of a nearby boat in the mooring field right next to where I was casting for 'em, but I've never had a hook go noodly on me like that before....:confused:

[Bill Gunn]

Setting the drag a little lighter, and wearing the fish down, rather than bringing it in "Green" and full of fight, will usually get more fish in the boat.
The saying used when fishing for big walleyes is: "If your not loosing line from your drag, your gonna loose fish."

Here is the hooks I had to change from ONE fishing trip where I caught a limit (5) of big walleyes...

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/2652330/368512441.jpg

These are (were :o ) all #4 Mustad "Triple Grip" hooks. Not a cheap hook at all, I was just running with the drag way to tight.

I've had a walleye (about 12#) break 2 hooks right off, and bend another perfectly straight on a Mepps #2 Black Fury because the drag was tight, and the hooks a little to hard (IMHO).

I have tried changing out the hooks on some Reef Runners I use to the Gamakatsu 2X Round Bend Treble Hooks and the Mustad Round Bend Extra Strong Treble Hooks, and they have worked out OK so far.

It's not always the hooks fault. It's just that sometimes there's a point where you either have to give up on something on the thickness and malleability of a hook, or it will break instead of bend, or not penetrate as easy as you need for a particular fish.

I would change out the lure hooks you are using. The hooks on there are designed for a bass, and a good size striper is a lot tougher fish than a large mouth.

I'd rather catch a striper any day !! :) :)

[GF.]

Yup... looser drag wasn't too good an option with the mooring field right there, so I was happier losing the fish than the fish and the lure and the stainless leader.... Yes, I know I can catch bass without the wire, but there are plenty of blues afoot as well....

Afoot? Afin?

Either way..... :D

Got out again last night and it was really windy. Did manage two little schoolies, but they were of the size for which I purchased a salt-ready large-arbor reel for the 4-weight. Too bad it was so windy. Might've done better...