Is “Bleeding” here to stay?

Yes I have jumped on the bleeding bait idea with my red hooks and baits.
My question is do you feel this will stay? Is this based on science or some dude/sales pitch thinking that this should work and if enough guys are using red they will get bit?
If this is to stay do any of you know where a person could pick up red in the spray-on can? I know this was avaliable in chartruse not to many years ago.

I think to some extent it is here to stay. I like red flake in some of my plastics. But some of the stuff on the market will never see a spot in my tackle box. I can deal with red hooks, because I know at one time or another for whatever reason the fish are going to prefer a crank with red hooks or a texas rigged worm with a red gammy hook.

I tried the same bait using red and normal hooks and I got fish on the red hooks but could not get them on the plain, so I am an advocate of red. I also agree that some of the new lures are going overboard on the bleeding.

I tried it last year using flukes and red of normal Gamagatsu hooks and didn’t notice a difference. I don’t know though, it does make some sense that they may work. I agree with Blue, as I have noticed days where red flake plastics far outfished non-red flake of the same color.

Red is a very visible color to fish, but is also the first color wavlength to be absorbed in the water, so it likely would have bigger impact on shallow lures as opposed to deep baits.

I also have been able to catch crappie and panfish by just using a red hook, with no bait. When I was a lot younger we used to use the red pull they had on gum and cigarette packs for bait and it had the same effect.

Will it stick around? Well, it will stay around as long as there is a market for it and people buy it…

Is red more effective? Well, I’m guessing you will get a mixed response from those who “poo-poo” the idea to guys who swear by it… Its my opinion that whatever improves your confidence will catch more fish, so if Red Hooks help YOU, then by all means, use them.

I, for one, find that Red helps in clear, shallow water presentations, especially with flukes (as Moss Boss has poited out). But, for fishing worms and tubes at depths greater than 3 feet… forget about it. That, is just my humble opinion!

Remember 15-20 years ago when all anybody would was scents? When is the last time you saw a post on here about scents? I think things go in and out of style, and red hooks may fall into the same category.

I think the biggest factor is confidence. There are some baits I feel really good about and others that I’ve always struggled with. I know I’ll catch more fish with my confidence baits this summer.

Rootski

I still think scents work, especially as a taste factor that fish will hold a bait longer.

I love Kick-n-bass.

Also, with many of the new baits (powerbait, yum, etc.) incorporating scent and taste elements, it doesn’t need to be used as much.

Use what you are comfortable with. I rarely use Red hooks, but I can think one instance that it did make a difference. I know of many where other color hooks outfished Red. I consider Red hooks as an option when I am fishing, but rarely do I start with Red Hooks.

There are times that red hooks on crankbaits help also.

I ALWAYS WRAP THE NECK ON MY BUCKTAIL JIGS WITH RED THREAD. MY MENTOR WHO TAUGHT ME HOW TO TIE JIGS SAID THE RED THREAD REPRESENTED EITHER GILLS OR BLEEDING. AFTER 45 YEARS OF USING THESE THINGS I FOUND THAT ALITTLE RED DOES HELP MOST OF THE TIME. I USE IT VERY SPARINGLY JUST ENOUGH TO REPRESENT A WOUND. MY 2 CENTS WORTH

GUNDY

I don’t think there’s any question that sometimes scents help and that under some circumstances red hooks would help. On the other hand I once won a $20.00 bet when I out fished a guy (using Dr. Juice) after dunking my rubber worm in the gas tank! All I’m saying is that there’s no magic bullet that is always going to work so you can’t get hung up on one bait or one presentation.

I hadn’t thought about how scents are incorporated right into a lot of baits now, that’s a good point. And I liked the post about using red thread when tying up jigs. I frequently tie something red into the Bass bugs I tie.

Rootski

I think that the red thing is going to be one of those personel go to tricks that people who have had success with it will go to again and again.

Will it continue to be a big thing in the market….No. It will just stick around till the next big thing. Then it’s the sales bin at Wally world.

I bought a bunch of red hooks. Not because they were red but because they were cheaper than the same hook in Black…..

That being said.

If those 4 or 5 strands of red in your custom swimjig make you more confidant go for it.

I believe that by the end of this year the big bass are going to be tired of all the bloody baits they’re seeing and switch to feeding on nice, healthy looking ones!

I am a huge advocate for red hooks! I have seen it too many times where the vast majority of the bass I will catch the red hook will be in the mouth (on crankbaits and jerkbaits, baits where there is only one hook the fish don’t have much of a choice which one is in the mouth).

I have seen on my Slender Pointers (they have three sets of trebles), I can put a red hook on the front and that is where most of the bass will be hooked, I then moved the red one to the end of the bait, and I began catching most of my fish on the last hook. Finally, I put the red hook in the middle and believe it or not, I started catching most of my fish on that middle hook.

I think there is more science to red hooks than most people believe. There are people who think it is just a marketing ploy, others have tried it and caught fish on red hooks but don’t really think it makes that big of a difference while others, myself included, think there is more to this red hook trend and truely believe it helps them catch more fish.

I’m not sure I believe the argument about red being the first wavelength to be absorbed by the water, so in deep water it doesn’t matter what color your hooks are. I hear red is the first wavelength of light to be absrobed by water to OUR eyes, but not necessarily to the fish’s eyes. I have not seen any literature about what colors bass see best, but I have seen literature about what colors walleyes see best. Walleyes eyes are very sensitive to red and orange light and I have had very good success catching walleyes on red hooks also.

Until there is some research and someone publishes their research either on what colors bass see, or on the effectiveness of red hooks specifically I guess we, as anglers, can only speculate. Just keep fishing what you are most confident in.

Adam, I don’t think it is really an argument on red being the first wavelength absorbed, it is more of a scientific fact. Not so much as to what human eyes, or fish eyes, or mechanical instruments can see, but more that the light energy in those long wavelengths is physically absorbed or dissipated. I think Red can penetrate up to about 15 feet in crystal clear water, but light is also absorbed by turbidity, so it would be less in Mississippi water I would think.

I think bass also see the red-orange spectrum very well, along with green, read that somewhere a few years back. So they can likely pick it out well. How deep, I guess you would have to ask a bass in a given body of water!

I guess one point someone brought up earlier is, how much red is too much? Is a little red better than an all red bait?

My 2 cents:

I’ve always thrown red trailers on spinnerbaits and have done well.

I’ve definitely had more bites on Pop-Rs w/ feather trailers containing red strands. That really does work.

Therefore, I’ll throw red hooks!