Cranks- Why trebles??

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

In relation to Ghost's recent post about changing out the hooks on your cranks, why do cranks always come with trebles??

In the saltwater world, we ALWAYS change the rear hook to a single hook, not a treble.  The hookup ratio with the harder fighting fish (i.e.- bluefish, tuna, bonita) increases quite a bit when the rear hook is one big single hook.  Sometimes adding a hook with a feather bunch or skirt is a huge plus also.  I am primarily speaking about lipless cranks like a rat-l-trap.  The ones we use are 3.5 ounce and up, could it be because of the size of the baits and the quarry, make the trebles ineffective?

So I was just wondering if any of you freshwater folk switch out trebles for singles?

[TrickyVT1887]

I know someone that replaced his rear trebles on his jitterbug with single hooks and says he gets better hook ups with it.

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Id like to know also i mean maybe once or twice i can remember ever seeing more then one treble actully in the fishes mouth 9 out of 10 times when u take a fish off its caught by 1 hook on the treble  and by just one treble!!!!????

[Handy]

I have done just this a couple of times to make a crank more "weedless". I also remove the front treble on my cranks. I have found no difference in hookup ratio(at least for me). I seem to remember an article in a bass mag that talked about some pros adding single hooks to their cranks but I can't recall what mag or if I am just imagining it(LOL). At least for catch and release purposes it would make sense. I still think about doing this to more of my cranks.

Paul

[Bluecraw]

I read somewhere that the difference between using a single hook and a treble hook isn't so much the hook-up ratio, but the mortality rate of the fish.  Believe it or not, fish caught with a treble hook have a greater chance of survival that those hooked with a single hook.  Aparently, this is due to the fact that the treble hook will only produce superficial wounds around the mouth of the fish BEFORE it can get to the vital organs of the fish.

The arguement is that a single hook has more of a chance to be completely swallowed and puncture a vital organ, thus killing the fish.  The reason our weedless rigs work so well is because when we set the hook, the tip does not become exposed from the plastic until the eyelet gets to the closed mouth of the fish giving the resistance to expose the tip and hook the fish in the lip.

And yes, if all of this is true, the wacky rig would be the most dangerous for the fish.  I'm no scientist, just some food for thought that I read somewhere.

[Chris at Tech]

Thought about this today...

Supposedly the Spro Aruka Shad lipless crank is designed to look like a feeding baitfish at when rest.  Let me explain...If you let it sink and stop on the bottom, it supposedly has the head down at the bottom, with the rest of the body angled upward, like the fish is pecking on something at the bottom.

Now I'm thinking about tossing a bluegill pattern Spro onto spawning beds.  My only concern is the trebles getting caught on the vegetation around beds.  So I bought 2 weedess 3/0 Owners and I'm thinking about removing the trebles and putting these on.

Thoughts?

[Guest avid]

Cast the lure as is.

If you catch bass, it's fine.

If it gets hung up switch to a tube, or other weedless bait.

[ghost]

Thanks for mentioning me LBH.

My thoughts on using single hooks on crankbaits....

It should work for freshwater fishing, especially bass. However, I would think that you would need to go w/ a next size hook for hook up ratios. Lets say that the trebles on a crankbait are size 4 trebles. You would need to replace w/ size 2(bigger than 4) single hooks.

Also, I am thinking about why not use single hooks w/ weedguards? I know that Gamakatsu has some single hooks w/ wire weedguards. This would definately keep the lure weedless, now you just have to worry about weeds getting caught on a crankbaits lip. Obviously not a worry if you're using a rattle trap lure. Also, the single hook has to be long enough for the hook point to be past the body, if not when a fish hits the lure, the chance of the hook point hitting the lure first would be great & the fish would realize that it's not real(just guessing) & spit the lure out, before the hook has a chance to move to the side of the body. Look at the pic that LBH has posted, the single hooks used are slightly longer & the hook point is past the body. I guess if the single hook is in front, the lure swaying side to side, the hook will move away from the body, so a fish can still get hooked. Just theorizing...

The front hook would have to not face away from the body while in use for freshwater fishing, as shown on the pic. That would for sure snag up more weeds, the hook point would need to face up, under the body for weedless fishing.

Also, I think w/ using single hooks on saltwater lures, these guys aren't casting to areas w/ weeds like freshwater fishermen do.  The lures that LBH shows, those are for trolling in open water, where hardly any weeds would affect the lure.

I may have to try idea out sometimes.

Chris, I think changing out to single hooks on the Aruku will solve the weed issues. But I think that w/ a single hook, the Aruku may not sit up w/ its nose down. Think about how the treble hook on the front is positioned. When the lure rests on the bottom, I would think that it would sit on the treble hook, like it was on a bi-pod. You kinda picture what I mean?

[Cephkiller]

The only problem I see is that when using a deep diver, we usually use a really long cast and light, stretchy line.  This would make hooksets with a single hook difficult.  For shallow divers it might be useful or it might actually increase snags because the longer shank of the hook would extend the point to the rear where it would not be as protected by the body of the lure.  May be worth a try.