Treble Hook Questions

[PhatBass]

My step father gave me about 30 of his old crank/jerk baits. Most are in really good condition except for the hooks which are all rusted. A couple are hand painted & might be 30-40 yo. I was wondering if there were any rules of thumb when swapping out the treble hooks? When to go larger/same/smaller. When would you want to go wide gap vs round bend. Should I increase the ring when up-ing the hook size or does it really matter?

 

thanks

 

dave

[MickD]

Nothing absolute about the issue, use common sense. When I replace trebles I  try to stay with the same size, otherwise it might affect the action.  I  use a 4x strength hook, a good quality sharp hook.  If mulitples are on a lure make sure they don't reach each other, otherwise they may tangle.  I think that's where shank length may be an issue, otherwise, I don't think it is.

If the lures are collectors' items, it may be wise to find out what you're dealing with before replacing hooks.  It may be that it would diminish their value.  There are ways to get rid of rust.

[primetime]

For different lures the treble hook can change the action so one way to do it is to keep it simple at first...

Visit the website to find out what size treble hooks they use and keep the hooks the same size. For making sure you don't mess anything up (Of course you can fix anything) I would use stanard Inline Treble Hooks like the VMC trebles which are inexpensive and good. VMC also makes a #3 and #5 if you want to go a bit bigger or smaller...Also find out if they use a saltwater 3x strong or 1x strong etc. since that also can change a bait. 

keep in mind that using a thicker treble hook may change the action of a lure, but if you throw everything on heavy braid, then you may benefit from a 3x strong Treble, but I would buy them in bulk from a company online in the popular sizes since most cranks and Jerkbaits are usually #4-#6. It is good to change them out as they get dull so having extra treble hooks comes in handy...It seems everyone has opinions on what hooks are best etc...I just try to keep them sharp and I buy quality rings, don't go cheap on rings or replacement line ties...I have made that mistake...