EWG treble hooks

[dinkman]

i've been fishing with lipless cranks alot in the past couple weeks but lose a few fish due to the hooks pulling out of there mouths.  i use a little stiffer rod for lipless cranks (kistler 7'3" small swimbait rod), i like it because i can really feel them but i feel that at the boat the rod puts a little too much pressure on their lips and rips them free.  will going to ewg trebles on the hooks help or hurt this.... they are getting the bait pretty good so it's not like they are slapping at it.

[Grey Wolf]

It's probably not your hooks. What type of line are you using ? How do you set your drag ?

[J Francho]

Use a good nylon mono, and loosen the drag.  Don't whale on the hookset.

[Tin]

The problem is your rod.

[OnthePotomac]

Round bend treble hooks and a medium soft tip rod.

[dinkman]

i had a feeling the rod is a little too stiff, it has a soft tip but maybe not soft enough.  i usually use big game but i just recently respooled with flouro so that might have something to do with it.   i'll try going back to big game for this rod/reel, been fishing these things all year but really started using it as an all day pattern have lost more fish since i switched to flouro than i did on mono.  thanks for the tips, should have thought about that earlier, just went and figured the hooks instead of the line. 

[Mike 12345]

I lost a big fish last year this same way, using a medium action rod - it was a good hookset, and I played it well- but I lost it once it got to the boat and dove hard.

Drag too tight. Lesson learned for me.

[Gone_Phishin]

Like everyone said, it's probably the rod.  On a related note, go for the EWG trebles on your lipless cranks.  The hook is turned in a bit, and this will help deter your bait from getting snarled in the grass.

[Wayne P.]

Gone_Phishin, the EWG trebles will also help deter your bait from getting snarled in the bass as compared to round bends.

[Stringjam]

EWG's stick and hold more bass for me than any other treble I've used...period.  And that includes Owner Stingers. 

I keep hearing these "theories" about how their design doesn't stick fish as well as a round bend.   

Real-world is experience is the only basis for my recommendation....give them a try.  Just don't get your hand anywhere near them when the fish is floppin' around by the boat, or you'll find out how "inferior" their hooking ability really is.   ;D 

[Wayne P.]

I've used lots of cranks with EWG and Triple Grip hooks. That is why I now replace them on every lure that comes with either as soon as I open the package. No theory, just practical experience over many years.

As far as a fish flopping beside the boat, you are less likely to get hooked with the EWG or Triple Grip than with a round bend.

[Paul Roberts]

I've always considered losing a few as part of the game with lipless cranks.

I play them extra-vigilantly -snubbing down jumps, and going easy when they are close to hand. I keep them in the water and lead them. If you are used to trying to handle 'em green, or swinging 'em aboard, STOP IT!

I've not experimented with hooks except for upsizing and quality, and I use round bends. Don't know about the EWG type -I've heard both sides of the argument, but haven't tried them.

One thing that I would expect would make a difference is shank length. This can make a HUGE difference in how well a single hook holds. As a fly tyer/designer I discovered this the hard way. So I began to pay close attention to the angle of the hook point in relation to the direction of pull on the shank from the line. I would expect that a short-shanked treble is going to give away more fish than a longer one. And, I had the biggest trouble with round bends. I haven't applied this to my crankbaits though, but I probably should consider it.

The one new thing I've read regarding hooks on lipless came through Doug Stange while fishing with a guide on Stickmarsh. They claimed that going to a 4xtra strong hook (that's a chunk of steel) did not allow bass the added leverage to throw a lipless that a flexible hook could. The drawback was it did not allow them to bow-and-arrow "twang" the plugs free when hung in wood. Interesting, I thought. Maybe George Welcome has heard of this on Stickmarsh. BTW, where is George anyway?

Just some thoughts.

[dinkman]

thanks for the tips Paul, I've think I've got some 4x trebles I picked up that I'll put on a couple of lipless cranks and see how they work.  Appreciate it.

[Randall]

My advice is keep the rod you have and change to a single larger 2x Owner (4X is a little over kill and doesn't penatrate as well for me) on just the front treble. Just leave the rear treble off. EWG's miss way more fish but hold better. Round bend hook more fish but lose a few more in the smaller sizes. Upsizing to a size 1 or 2 hook on the front takes care of this problem. Since you have what many people use for a swimbait hook on the trap you can reel the fish in like a swimbait fish with a swimbait rod.

As for my feelings on long and short shanks short shanks have an advantage in the way I see them. The longer shanks on long shanks can be used as a longer lever with more power to pry lose in some situations where a fish turns away, rolls, etc. Just think of your line and hook eye just out side the mouth of the fish with a point of the hook set into the jaw bone area as you pull your line behind the fish as it pulls away. The longer hook acts as a lever to free the point that is in the fish when pulled in this direction. I always use the shortest shank possible for this reason.