Getting Over The Color Barrier W/ Red Hooks Lets Talk

[bigbill]

I think a few years ago when the red hook craze hit most of us jumped on it. Probably anything that could increase our catch we would welcome it. Do you think there is

an advantage in using red hooks as a trailer hook on spinnerbaits, worm hooks and crankbaits?

What are your real thoughts on this? I think the tornie guys can answer this too?

Advantage using red hooks YES or NO ????

[derekxec]

i would rather have the hook match the bait so it blends in...that and after so many feet red disappears in the spectrum anyway(turns grey or so)

[Mike L]

Yes, red is the first color in the spectrum to "disolve" but only in deeper water.

If you're fishing shallow in say 2-6 ft the prevailing thought is it supposed to look like a bleeding bait.

 

I don't necissarily buy that but hey, I'm not a fish so I really can't say.

 

I do know there are many, including here who swear by useing red hook's. I've never done it so i really can't say

..Give it some time, they'll be along.

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Cgrinder]

I haven't found a red hook that keeps its color for very long. Red hooks are good. Bright, shiny gold hooks aren't.

[aqualkinbush]

I like them, I have no proof that they work other than I had two spinnerbaits this spring that were exactly the same color, size, blades, etc... only difference was the hook color. I caught three times as many fish on the one with the red hook as the one without. I also caught all of the bigger bass on it. Don't take this as proof however. I only had one decent rod at the time and fished them at different time of the day sometimes on different days all together. So honestly, like many people will probably come by and say, It really just comes down to your confidence. If a red hook makes you more confident you will most likely catch more fish.

[Mccallister25]

I cant really say whether they give you an advantage or not, although i use the red Gamakatsu hooks exclusively for my worms, etc. Iv caught plenty of fish on them, so Ill continue to use them.

It seems to me the red would resemble a bleeding bait.. But who knows.

[roadwarrior]

No

[tomustang]

I haven't seen the advantage, seems like the two answers cancel themselves out really. It looks like blood and disappears? More like a marketing ploy most likely.

Why not just start off darker on the pallette and go with a black hook?

As for blood look, I would think there would be a substantial amount to grab any fish's attention to lure them in.

[derekxec]

i have found that erratic movement signals injured fish more than a little blood...also why not gold hooks? we use gold spoons for catching redfish and trout and snook and they look like shining scales  

[Jrob78]

I think it's strictly a confidence thing.  If you believe red hooks catch more fish, you are going to fish more confidently with red hooks.  Personally, I won't use any hook that isn't black nickel, that's what I have confidence in.  

[MichBassMan]

In my opinion, NO.

In fact in my experience not only no advantage, but actually I see them as a disadvantage. In order for the red to stick to the metal they are first plated with a gold colored plating. Then they are colored red. This process yields a hook point with two layers over the point. To me the red hooks seem considerably less sharp than a regular hook of the same brand.

[MrSwimJig]

No I don't feel red hooks make any difference at all.

[BobP]

No.  And as for "bleeding" - have you seen a baitfish actually bleed red blood?  It dissolves too quickly to see.  If you want to push red, you might say it represents the red gill flash of a fleeing baitfish, which is why crankbaits have red gills painted on them.  But I never perceived a better catch rate using red hooks in plastic baits.

[pbizzle]

I think they do help with a clear spook jr just so that they have something to aim at.

[Bluebasser86]

I have confidence in them and the hooks I buy are the same price in red or black nickel so I buy the red ones. As for them losing the red paint, I use that to judge when I need to change my hooks. If the hooks have caught enough fish to lose all the paint off them then I change them out. 

[Felix77]

I love red hooks. They go on sale more often.

[Sam]

I have some but have not used them in years.

 

I did not see any advantage or increase in strikes with the red hooks.

 

Now put a dot of bright orange on the bottom of a crankbait or some lime or chartreuse dye on the tails of plastics and you got something good.

[PABASS]

I use them on jerkbaits and believe they provide more flash, some people put red hooks as the first hook on hardbaits and report more fish hit that area, IE eating the bait from the head.  I have seen it work against me when fishing clear water and the fish didn't want the extra flash, so yes I think it can help or hurt depending on the conditions and fish.

[tholmes]

No

X2^ I have a few baits with red hooks but I don't see any advantage to using them. Same thing with worm hooks. I've bought red hooks, but only because that was the only color available at the time in the size and style I wanted.

 

Tom

[rboat]

I am not sure they really help, but I like them. I also take any new baits I buy that have inferior hooks and put new red quality hooks on them. Now when I look in a box I can tell if the bait has new sharp hooks before casting it out. Seems to work well and I still catch as many or more than I used to. I think it is just up to the fisherman if he feels it helps out.

[.ghoti.]

I used to have a page from a magazone taped to my office wall. It was the center page of that particular mag.

On one side was a half page ad saying you will catch more fish with red hooks because the fish see what they think is bleeding or injured prey, and the red gives them a target to stike.

On the next page was another half page ad for red line, saying you will catch more fish because the red line disappears in the water, and fish can't see it.

Believe what you want.

[J Francho]

Any red hooks I tried had the finish wear off quickly and then oxidized.  Nickel works fine for me.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

I use both nickel is has produced more for me with all soft plastics except for a white/ green senko at one of my spot a red hook wacky rigged with a white/green yum 6 inch dinger catches my biggest bass there over all other baits consistently

[Jake Coucoules]

I like red hooks because they imitate the gill flash that stressed baitfish do when they gills become full of blood.

[BassinLou]

I used red Gami's for years until I noticed using black nickel the strikes were the same. So  as I used up the reds I replaced with black.