Tube Jigs With Sickle Hooks

[Bass2124]

Looking for a good tube jig hook.   I do alot of river fishing and fished this year with 3/8 oz jig hooks that I bought a few years ago. Not sure what brand they were as I threw away the packaging.  The river I fish is quite large with pretty heavy current and am wondering if heavier jigs would work better.   I had never done much tube fishing before this year.  I see lots of 25-100 jigs with sickle hooks for $7-$15 on ebay.  Just wondering if the sickle hooks work well??  One of the issues I have catching smalllies on tubes is they swallow it up to their ar$# as I am still learning the bite and I have to cut off often so I am guessing any hook will work.  Just looking for opinions. 

[Bluebasser86]

I use sickle hooks on a lot of my jigheads, Eagle Claw Lil' Nasty hooks to be exact. They're like the name says, nasty. Sticky sharp, strong, and it seems like the fish have a harder time throwing them than round bends for some reason. Most of my tube fishing is in shallow water with a 1/8oz head and it does perfect for smallies. 

[Tim Kelly]

I expect it depend on the sickle hooks. If you can find out what make the hooks are they might be good, Bluebasser likes them, but I had some (Diaitchi ?) ones which I found weak and snapped at the sharp bend regularly. They hooked fish well enough, just weren't strong.

[Bluebasser86]

I expect it depend on the sickle hooks. If you can find out what make the hooks are they might be good, Bluebasser likes them, but I had some (Diaitchi ?) ones which I found weak and snapped at the sharp bend regularly. They hooked fish well enough, just weren't strong.

Haven't ever fished any Daiichi sickles, but their other hooks are good quality. I've had issues with the Matzuo sickle hooks breaking and getting quite a few bad ones in my bulk hook orders though. I've gone through over 3k of the Eagle Claws and so far have broken one, and that was one that had been rigged for over a month in a Zman Zinker and was obviously rusted from the salt in the bait, so not really the hooks fault. I haven't heard from anyone that's used any of my jigheads that's broken one either. 

[desmobob]

I expect it depend on the sickle hooks. If you can find out what make the hooks are they might be good, Bluebasser likes them, but I had some (Diaitchi ?) ones which I found weak and snapped at the sharp bend regularly. They hooked fish well enough, just weren't strong.

 

My first exposure to sickle hooks was on my annual Cape Cod fly fishing trip last spring.  One of my striper fly fishing buddies who makes the trip every year is an excellent angler.  On a particularly windy day, we were using spinning gear.  He was casting a hair jig w/grub and I noticed the funny shape of the hook.

"It's a sickle hook," he said, "once they're on, they don't get off!"   Almost as soon as he finished saying it, he hooked a nice striper.  After a short fight, the fish was off.  The hook broke at the bend.  

 

Tight lines,

Bob

[Tim Kelly]

Agreed, those Matzuo hooks are particularly poor. I won't use any of them now, but it was the daiichi ones I had trouble with. Eagle Claw hooks are so much better now than they used to be, I dare say their sickle hooks would be fine, as you've found, but the OP might want to find out what brand hooks are being used in the jigs he's looking to buy.

[smalljaw67]

I just got back from tube fishing my river yesterday and the heads I pour for them all have an Eagle Claw 500BP Lil Nasty which is a sickle hook. If you do a direct comparison of the Matzuo and the Eagle Claw, you'll find the wire on the Eagle claw is stronger and just like the Matzuo, maybe even more so, the points are wicked sharp. I have lost 2 light biters since I started using these with tubes, and that is out of a lot of fish. The problem you seem to be having isn't a hook problem, it is knowing what the bite feels like and with tubes it can be just pressure to a good thump, but most of the time, especially this time of year it feels like the bait caught a leaf, it won't feel like much, just different.

[Bluebasser86]

Agreed, those Matzuo hooks are particularly poor. I won't use any of them now, but it was the daiichi ones I had trouble with. Eagle Claw hooks are so much better now than they used to be, I dare say their sickle hooks would be fine, as you've found, but the OP might want to find out what brand hooks are being used in the jigs he's looking to buy.

Agreed, make sure you're buying quality before you buy. Bad thing is, there's no way to be sure that the person you're buying from isn't just telling you they're using a good hook when they're actually using a cheap hook. 

 

Eagle Claw's entire lineup has been revamped and I've been thoroughly impressed with them after years of refusing to use them for anything other than crappie or catfish. A 1/4oz head poured on a 2/0 lil nasty (same size I use for tubes) had no problems handling this dude. 

 

If they'll handle that, they'll handle any bass you're going to hook. 

[Bass2124]

Agreed, those Matzuo hooks are particularly poor. I won't use any of them now, but it was the daiichi ones I had trouble with. Eagle Claw hooks are so much better now than they used to be, I dare say their sickle hooks would be fine, as you've found, but the OP might want to find out what brand hooks are being used in the jigs he's looking to buy.

Good idea.  I'll check out brand the seller is using.  Thanks for the info!

[bassguytom]

I use the ones off of eBay without issue up to 1/2 oz. I like the Seckel hook better then round bend. The only time I lose them is on rocks in a river and it seems even they come out better then round bend.

[gardnerjigman]

I use sickle hooks on a lot of my jigheads, Eagle Claw Lil' Nasty hooks to be exact. They're like the name says, nasty. Sticky sharp, strong, and it seems like the fish have a harder time throwing them than round bends for some reason. Most of my tube fishing is in shallow water with a 1/8oz head and it does perfect for smallies.

These dudes are MEAN!!!! The stick and don't let go. Super impressed with them.

[Tim Kelly]

On Bluebasser's recommendation I ordered a couple of sizes of Lil' Nasty hooks. Had a few weeks with them so far, mainly size 2  for ned rig jigs. Have to say, I'm impressed. The inward curving points give them a degree of protection frpm the rocks, so they are less prone to getting the hook point dulled, and they've been strong so far. So much better than the Matzuo versions.