Replacing Treble Hooks

[Mattfrom_NJ]

If you were to replace treble hooks on hard baits i.e. cranks, jerkbaits, etc with single hooks would that negate (best word choice I could think of) the reason to own a moderate action crankbait specific rod?

[A-Jay]

Perhaps - however your hook up ratio may also take a significant dip as well.

 

Might be a push.

 

A-Jay

[ABW]

Like A-Jay said, good luck with trying to hook any fish.. 

 

No one ever said you HAVE to throw treble hooked lures on moderate action rods. I have thrown squarebills on an extra fast tipped rod and it has worked.

[Mattfrom_NJ]

I know you don't "have" to do anything I just thought that was the reason why, moderate to keep the trebles from pulling, fast action to drive single hooKS in.

[J Francho]

It has more to do with the leverage a fish can put on a big bodied bait than tearing out hooks, and I even doubt this fact as well. The reason I use a moderate action rod is the for the action of the bait when it deflects off something.

I use single hooks in place of trebles on spoons and minnow baits for steelhead, salmon, and big brown trout. These are usually fish ranging from 5 lb. to 20+. I still use a rod with a slower action, but a single hook allows you to swing hard on them. I don't have any troubles hooking them, but they aren't bass. The reason I do this is that it's easier to release a big fish, as well as the baits don't get hung on zebe encrusted rock - big problem with spoons.

I've never really tried with bass baits, because it doen't really solve any problem. If you're not ready for a dedicated cranking rod, use a medium fast rated rod, and make sure your drag is set properly. There are many out there using this - myself included. In fact, I prefer a faster action for traps and square bills over weed tops. For topwaters and jerkbaits, I even ramp it up to an Extra Fast rating because I get better control of the bait with that kind of rod.

Like everything in fishing, there's no hard set rules, and there's a ton of opinoin centered around myths.

[Mattfrom_NJ]

Hey thanks for the insight J Francho!

[bassinyea]

Most of the reason for using a moderate action rod for crankbaits and fast action for worms and jigs isn't a treble vs. single hook thing.  Its about how they are getting hooked and how big the hook is.  When you get a bite on a worm you need a stiff responsive rod to drive a bigger thicker hook through its mouth.  When fishing a crankbait the fish basically hooks itself.  

[SirSnookalot]

I use pretty much the same rod actions for every fish species and every lure type I use.  The only difference on rod selection is having the right rod to handle the lure weight.  Reacting to a strike should be built into ones own muscle memory, over thinking it is just complicating it.  

[Ozark_Basser]

The moderate action would still help with letting the fish grab more of the bait. Which is why I use moderate fast action rods for single hook moving baits.

[smalljaw67]

I asked the same question to a rod designer and he said that lure action isn't a concern, if anything certain lures get designed to work with a certain action rod but when it comes to the rod, lures are the last thought if any. The reason for a moderate or slow action rod has nothing to do with single or treble hooks, it has to do with the size of the hook and it is why fly rods have such a step bend, not only to make casting better but also fish control and leverage. The purpose for the moderate action is to keep pressure with out pulling a hook free when the hook isn't large enough for full penetration, and by full penetration it means that the hook point and barb comes through the fish skin to the opposite side. Most baits use small trebles so unless the fish is hooked in front part of the lip, it rarely is large enough to go all the way through so it is basically imbedded with only the barb holding it in place so a rod with a lot of bend will keep enough pressure on the fish to keep it hooked without so much pressure as to pull it out. On the new super deep and super big cranks that use 1/0 and 2/0 trebles, you see guys having success with flipping sticks, the reason is now the treble hooks are large enough that they fully penetrate which eliminates the need for a moderate action. The only time where you would need that with larger hooks is when using a no stretch line, then the rod action is more about absorbing shock than it is about keeping pressure on a fish. So if you replace the trebles on a crankbait with single hooks, if they are large enough to fully penetrate, then you no longer need the moderate action but if they are still small to the point they don't go all the way through, then a moderate action will still benefit you for the same reason it does with a treble hook. It is true that crankbaits have better action and deflection capabilities with a moderate action rod, but it is more a product of lure design and luck as the action of the lure has very little to do with a rods design,  the fact that most crankbait have small trebles makes for rod designers to incorporate the moderate action into rods that are designed for that technique, the hooks are the focus, not how the bait runs, so if you replace the crankbaits hooks with single hooks, you'll still need the moderate action rod unless the hooks can fully penetrate, the magic number is 1/0 but they would be large in most cranks that are 1oz and less.

[Catch and Grease]

With my traps and squarebills I use a fast action because I fish around a lot of grass and it helps me rip the baits free a lot easier...

[Mattfrom_NJ]

Sweet. Thanks again to those who took time to respond to my question