What is an offset hook??

[The Rooster]

Looking at the bass pro catalog I am seeing that the word "offset" is a term that is used loosely.  Several of them say they are offset or non-offset but look identical by the picture.  From what I'm seeing I think that it could refer to several things.  The hookeye being offset from the main shank (with a Z bend), or the hook point being out of line with the main shank (left or right), either one.  Do I have the right idea or not?? 

[Gangley]

look at the two hooks on the right to get the best idea of the differences between a straight shank and an offset shank.

[Gangley]

the offset shank should just be the "z" bend in the shank close to the eye.  the location of the hook point in relation to the eyelet is more of the hook style such as wide gap, extra wide gap, etc.  The offset hook (z bend) was originally to be used as a "keeper" of sorts for plastics to help keep them from sliding down the shank.  Though the "z" does alter the primary direction of force applied by the hook tip during the hookset, it is minimal.

[The Rooster]

Most of the reason I'm confused is the ad in bass pro for the new Lazer Trokar hooks. Shows several hooks in it, two of which look just like the first two pictured above here in this thread, and then clearly states they are "non offset" even though they obviously have the Z bend in them. One of the two even claims to have the Z bend, but still states that it is non offset as well (reads as follows.......Extra-Wide Gap Worm, Z Bend, Non-Offset). So what are they talking about?? The hook point compared to the shank??

Then a couple pages over there is an ad for MiHatchii flip hooks that have what they call an "offset hook point". Shows it out of line with the main shank. So based on these two ads, I'd conclude that the word offset means the direction of the hookpoint in relation to the main shank.

The rest of the ads for hooks such as Gamakatsu and BPS brand XPS hooks just state the word "offset" in the description and before I ran into those other two I was thinking it just meant the Z bend in the hook. No mention was made one way or another for it though. That's why I was asking here, seems the word offset is used to describe either the hook eye Z bend AND/OR the hook point direction, depending on how they wrote the description. Sort of makes it hard to tell what you are buying when just ordering a hook. Mostly I assume it means the Z bend, but obviously not in the Lazer Trokar ad.

[NateFollmer]

I'm glad I'm not the only one confused. It seems like it depends on the company as to what offset means. I always thought offset was talking about the hook in relation to the shank. I'm so used to buying hooks with the z bend that its almost a standard for me and I don't call it anything haha.

If we are speaking of the hook point in relation to the shank, what is the benefit of an offset hook point? I know it "increases hook ups" but wouldn't it keep the bait from running straight?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I'm glad I'm not the only one confused. It seems like it depends on the company as to what offset means. I always thought offset was talking about the hook in relation to the shank. I'm so used to buying hooks with the z bend that its almost a standard for me and I don't call it anything haha.

If we are speaking of the hook point in relation to the shank, what is the benefit of an offset hook point? I know it "increases hook ups" but wouldn't it keep the bait from running straight?

I find that the bait will run straight as long as you bring the hook through the plastic on it's natural path. In other words, the point doesn't come out the center of the plastic.

[The Rooster]

I'm glad I'm not the only one confused. It seems like it depends on the company as to what offset means. I always thought offset was talking about the hook in relation to the shank. I'm so used to buying hooks with the z bend that its almost a standard for me and I don't call it anything haha.

If we are speaking of the hook point in relation to the shank, what is the benefit of an offset hook point? I know it "increases hook ups" but wouldn't it keep the bait from running straight?

I find that the bait will run straight as long as you bring the hook through the plastic on it's natural path. In other words, the point doesn't come out the center of the plastic.

I could see that working on a bait such as a Zoom Super Fluke where you have a lot of plastic to hit (thanks for the idea, never would have thought of it on my own). What about a narrower bait such as a worm?? I think even if you did run it through on it's natural path the worm would still be in an S shape somewhat.......wouldn't it (I'll have to try it to see)?? If it was, this would twist line on the retrieve.

[NateFollmer]

Ah, thanks for the tip DVT. Never would have thought of doing that.

@The Rooster - That's another good point. I'd think that it wouldn't really matter because a lot of the time, you aren't swimming those thin baits anyway. I have noticed (because I was putting my offset hook point hooks on normally) that it makes the fall more erratic. It's kind of like either texas rigging a tube or using a hook with a tube weight. The tube weighted hook will make the tube spiral down, and so does the offset hooked worm.

I've never tried an offset hook point hook on anything else like a swimbait or senko, but I will now since DVT cleared that part up