This past week on Mille Lacs I ran a couple of experiments with replacement treble hooks to see what brands worked the best for me trolling stickbaits for the walleye.
The standard hooks on a husky jerk boated in excess of 90% of all walleye hooked.
VMC Round Bend replacements faired slightly better at right around 95%.
Mustad Triple Grips performed poorly. Less than 70% of fish hooked saw the net.
All hooks were the stock replacement hook size: #6
The VMC hooks were a finer wire than the standard hooks and quickly needed to be re-replaced after 15-20 fish. They did hook very well though.
The mustad triple grips just look to have such a small hooh gap with those tipped in hook points. Perhaps the way to go with these hooks is to upsize to a #4 to compensate. Irregardless, in a #6 size, they didn’t fair well and I was quite surprised as I’ve read many instances were these hooks were given rave reviews. The wire diameter is so fine these hooks are easily smashed and bent into some crazy shapes by a big walleye in a net. Given the very sturdy nature of the stock hooks, I could typically catch 30-40 fish on a new plug before the hooks were shot and the lighter wire and higher re-replacement rates on the VMC’s or Mustads, I’m gonna’ go buy me a big box of the stock hooks and keep using my diamond hone to keep ’em razor sharp!
Anyone know who makes hooks for rapala? Its probably Mustad!
James Holst
Moving Waters Guide Service
http://www.movingwaters.net
