Replacing Trebles With Singles

[Crestliner2008]

Has anyone done this with success? If so, what size difference (if any) compared to the treble and what style? I just think that trebles have too many negatives surrounding the design. Something that's not talked about much. I fish blade baits a lot in deep water for smallmouth and lake trout. I've successfully removed the front treble and all my trebles I crimp down the barbs. However, they still hook bottom a lot and, being a CPR fisherman, they tend to tear up the fish more than a single would. Just not sure if the singles would "hook-up" as well as the trebles do.

 

I am considering replacing say a #4 treble with a #1 Siwash style hook. This seems like a decent compromise, but I could be wrong. Your thoughts please.

[SirSnookalot]

A year or 2 ago Yozuri came out with single hook lures, SW fishermen have been changing them on their own for quite some time.  I've done it myself but not for freshwater.  I much prefer a single hook on my spoons where ever I fish.

[Dwight Hottle]

Owner just brought out some new hooks at I-cast this year for that exact purpose. Can't find the link for it. I have used the siwash style hooks before as a substitute.

[gulfcaptain]

If you use the siwash hooks, bend them in some.  Saltwater fisherman who used to swap trebles for singles.  But siwash hooks have a habit of opening up so we would bend them in just a bit. I would  look at the Owner Aki hooks  or you could also go with a spinnerbait trailer hook as well.  But siwash hooks will work if that's what you wanted to use.

[hatrix]

I read somewhere that you can change out trebles for singles on anything and it wouldn't really make much difference. I don't know how true it is but I think for any lure that is constantly moving you should be fine. Eerie dearies only have a single hook and they are basically a rooster tail.

[georgeyew]

I use the o'shaughnessy's hook #2 from Eagle Claw. I think that they are pretty much identical to the siwash hook. I have changed them out on some of my crankbaits and inline spinnerbaits.

[tcbass]

Here's an interesting article on doing just that:

 

 

http://www.***.com/a-weedless-approach-to-prop-bait-fishing/

[kikstand454]

I've done it with fair success.

Another thing you can do is cut the front facing hooks off the front set of hooks. This makes all the difference in the world to me in terms of hanging up. I have noticed 0 change in bite conversions.

[J Francho]

I do this for my trout and salmon baits. Makes release easier, and I can really swing on them when the attack. It also helps when putting the screws to a 15# plus fish without bending the trebles. With bass, it doesn't seem to be necessary. The hooks come out easily and the fish are more resilient than trout. If you try it, I recommend using two split rings instead of one. It helps with twisting leverage a fish can put on the bait to get free.

[SirSnookalot]

Haven't used them myself only seen them used on a tv show but may be worth a try sometime.

http://yo-zuri.com/Products/Sashimi_Circle_Hook_Series/details/Sashimi_Circle_Hook_Jerkbait_Suspending.html

[Pinoy_Basser]

Yup they work.  Much less chances of injury to fish and fisherman.

 

Usually I buy the next size up based on the original trebles to compensate for the weight balance of the lure.

Also, try double hooks much easier to install on lures and usually does not need additional split rings.

[Crestliner2008]

I've tried the double hook route, but both bass and lake trout destroy them! They don't make them out of very good (tempered) steel.

[Pinoy_Basser]

I've tried the double hook route, but both bass and lake trout destroy them! They don't make them out of very good (tempered) steel.

 

Whoa ! those are monsters.

Another option is cutting the 3rd hook on normal treble hooks.

[SirSnookalot]

If you feel certain hooks aren't strong enough try using 3x & 4x, which is what I use even in fresh water.  

[hatrix]

I've done it with fair success.

Another thing you can do is cut the front facing hooks off the front set of hooks. This makes all the difference in the world to me in terms of hanging up. I have noticed 0 change in bite conversions.

I actually messed a around a while back trying to figure out a way to really work a trap in some pretty thick weeds without getting fouled every time. I even tried replacing the trebles with some crappy Eagle Claw weedless single hooks I grabbed at Wal-Mart really quick. That might of worked but those hooks just sucked and so did the weed guard. What actually worked the best even though it made no sense was to remove the back treble hook. I don't know why but I was getting way less weeds with no back hook and just removing the front one seemed to make no real difference. Another thing that worked pretty great now that I think of it and should do again sometime was to rubber band the trebles together. I was flipping the back one up top and the front one under the nose so the points are facing away and hooking them with rubber bands. You miss some fish sometimes but you get bites that you would of never gotten because you can really get in there so I guess it doesn't matter since you were not going to get that fish any ways.