Whopper Plopper Madness Dam Area

[Smalliebigs]

6 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

All of this immediate hook and split ring upgrading on every bait y'all buy is crazy.  If it just gives you something to do and you enjoy doing it then that's cool, but making up gay excuses for doing it, and encouraging others (especially new POOR anglers) to do it religiously is kinda lame.  

I like bronze hooks, so if a bait comes with shiny nickle plated hooks I swap them out, but otherwise I think the stock hooks on today's quality baits are perfectly fine. (With recent exception to WAR EAGLE....but you can't swap those).  ?

Hahahaha Mitch fing bastard.....encouraging  the poor to swap out terminal  tackle.....you evil SOB hahahahahahaha 

I had three fish straightened hooks this last week, all three were Smallies and all three were about 17 to 18 inch fish...Two of them straightened Dave's Ned head so easy it was a joke and one was and Aaron  Martens Gamakatsu #2....I will say this though I would put a Black River Smallmouth in the 18 inch range up against  a lot of fish....they make a lake fish feel like they are quite weak IMO.

 

[Hughesy]

With everybody straightening hooks and split rings, maybe we loosen up our drags a little. 

[fishinwrench]

If it straightened the hook out then apparently it was sharp enough to bite him in the mouth.  

It's good that they'll straighten out before your line breaks, you can recover your high dollar baits from a snag easier.    Then you'll have a REAL reason to change your hook(s).  

[abkeenan]

I'll say this, I've seen were swapping out hooks FOR SURE matters. I think it's the most important on topwater baits myself. For instance, if you are fishing the silver hooks on a zara spook and not swapping them out you are doing yourself a disservice by not doing so. Fish at times swipe at a bait either because they just flat out miss or because they aren't intending to eat it. If you have substandard hooks you aren't going to get those fish. You swap out to a death trap, owner stinger or gammy's and those fish are going to make it to the boat. They might be hooked in the side or get a face full but they are coming aboard. I will gladly pay an extra 2, 3 or 4 bucks to upgrade hooks and rings to up my chance to land more fish and perhaps a fish of a lifetime. I don't do this on all baits just some. Another thing to consider when purchasing a bait that is 5 bucks to a bait that is 8-10 is the hardware that comes stock on them. A reason I like Spro baits a lot as they come with the best components and no need to swap anything out. Someone said they swap out Lucky Craft hooks which I wouldn't do as they have nice hooks and rings. Strike King, although they make nice baits and I like them, their hooks leave something to be desired.

[fishinwrench]

 

 Strike King, although they make nice baits and I like them, their hooks leave something to be desired.

Is it because they aren't sharp enough, or are we going to dive into a discussion about the tensile strength and tempering methods of common steel wire, and why some manufacturers do it one way....and some do it other ways.   

C'mon, let's learn something here.

All that SHOULD matter is that the point is sharp enough to bite into a fishes mouth right away, and  that the wire is stiff enough to not bend/flex easily.... but WILL bend before it breaks.  And that the barb is not so outrageously big that it takes excessive pressure to get past it.  

I'm examining a SK hook right now, and IMO it seems perfectly acceptable.   If I miss/loose a fish on this KVD square bill I can't in any degree of honesty blame it on the hook.

[Quillback]

I change out the hook on Wiggle Warts, I won't fish one with those lousy hooks they come with.  When I did fish them using the stock hooks, I bet I lost 50% of the bass I hooked on them.  Now I use those Mustad short shank KVD hooks on Warts and I boat probably 80% of the fish that grab the Wart.

[moguy1973]

I didn't think this split ring thing was that big of a deal on the WP and that it was only happening with big fish.  I had a little 8" dink on this past weekend, swung it up on the bank and it came off.  As it flopped back down into the water I noticed something in it's mouth still.  It was my freakin hook!  Flopped into the water before I could grab it and get the hook out of it's mouth.  Sure enough, the split ring had let loose.  I went to BPS and all they had there was their XPS branded split rings, and they don't look that great so I'm going to have to order some.  Also the split ring pliers I got from BPS were harder than heck to get to work with the rings I bought.  First time I've had a ring open on any lure I've ever owned.

[Quillback]

I had one of those Plopper hooks break at the shank on a 2 lb. bass.

[dtrs5kprs]

12 hours ago, Smalliebigs said:

Hahahaha Mitch fing bastard.....encouraging  the poor to swap out terminal  tackle.....you evil SOB hahahahahahaha 

I had three fish straightened hooks this last week, all three were Smallies and all three were about 17 to 18 inch fish...Two of them straightened Dave's Ned head so easy it was a joke and one was and Aaron  Martens Gamakatsu #2....I will say this though I would put a Black River Smallmouth in the 18 inch range up against  a lot of fish....they make a lake fish feel like they are quite weak IMO.

 

Must have been the Gamakatsu hooks in the jigs. All Mustads now because they are a better hook all around.

[Smalliebigs]

4 hours ago, dtrs5kprs said:

Must have been the Gamakatsu hooks in the jigs. All Mustads now because they are a better hook all around.

Dave two things I failed to mention 1) Your jig heads rock brother.....I did land three Smallies in the 18 inch class with your heads last week and a friend I made a Ned for with your head caught an 18+ Smallie as well, which seems to be better than most I see coming out of the "Rock" and all were pulled out of thick current.......I was more than impressed with your jig heads trust me on that. I was just trying to make the point that hooks do straighten  and o rings get trashed......river fish will bust up tackle.....you should see what 5 to 10lb Hybrids do to your stuff in current.

  and 2) I am about to email Dave to buy a shiot load more of his heads....fish tearing up my tackle is best show money can buy for me......poo poo on me for keeping my drag a little tight but, I only want to see the fish and not play them to the point of exhaustion

I love Dave's heads and honestly after the way they performed this last week in regards to how little they snag up in current.....his will be the only I ever buy so Dave be prepared for a massive baitwhore order shortly my friend.