VMC Weedless Wacky Hooks

[imagine29028]

Big, big, big fan!!!! Got some on the cheap from Walmart ($3 for 4) and I used them for the first time yesterday. Hooks are sticky sharp...and the metal weedguard stays in place! They also made the weedguard so it can do a full 360 on the hook and not slide or fall like some other brands. 

 

Will def make these VMC ones my go to for wacky style. 

[Darren.]

Wow, good luck with those!

Sticky sharp, yes, but I for one absolutely
hated the metal weed guard. Way too stiff.
Perhaps they are using a less stiff metal
now?

Regardless, I now make my own weed guards
and am having a blast doing it with a cheap
fly tying kit and some 40# Ande mono leader.

[imagine29028]

13 minutes ago, Darren. said:

Wow, good luck with those!

Sticky sharp, yes, but I for one absolutely
hated the metal weed guard. Way too stiff.
Perhaps they are using a less stiff metal
now?

 

Well they are stiff yes...but I was using Owners (I think) and they had a plastic guard, that never stayed on and became useless. Was always getting snagged on wood and bringing in a ton of vegetation. 

[Darren.]

54 minutes ago, imagine29028 said:

Well they are stiff yes...but I was using Owners (I think) and they had a plastic guard, that never stayed on and became useless. Was always getting snagged on wood and bringing in a ton of vegetation. 

I lost so many fish on those metal guards.

There's an old thread in which we discussed 
this, too.

The Owner hooks, if you're referring to the green
wacky models, definitely have a "weak" guard.

I buy 25 packs of Gamakatsu Finesse Wide-Gap
hooks and have used both 50# and 40# mono
leader which comes thru vegetation way better
than the Owner weed guards. 50# is a tad stiff
for smaller hooks, but still works, I find 40# to be
a good mix of stiffness and flex. Still testing, though.

Anyhow, this is, for me, the most price-effective 
way to get weedless hooks. Plus it's fun to tie them.

[loudcherokee]

1 hour ago, Darren. said:

I lost so many fish on those metal guards.

There's an old thread in which we discussed 
this, too.

The Owner hooks, if you're referring to the green
wacky models, definitely have a "weak" guard.

I buy 25 packs of Gamakatsu Finesse Wide-Gap
hooks and have used both 50# and 40# mono
leader which comes thru vegetation way better
than the Owner weed guards. 50# is a tad stiff
for smaller hooks, but still works, I find 40# to be
a good mix of stiffness and flex. Still testing, though.

Anyhow, this is, for me, the most price-effective 
way to get weedless hooks. Plus it's fun to tie them.

Darren can you post a pic of how you rig this up? I use the same hooks for wacky rigging but have never attempted to make it weedless.

LC

[Darren.]

1 hour ago, loudcherokee said:

Darren can you post a pic of how you rig this up? I use the same hooks for wacky rigging but have never attempted to make it weedless.

LC

Yes, it'll be a few before i can do so, though.

[Darren.]

2 hours ago, loudcherokee said:

Darren can you post a pic of how you rig this up? I use the same hooks for wacky rigging but have never attempted to make it weedless.

LC

Here's one I tied last night, happens to be a 3/0
hook, but I've tied down to #2 size, too.

 

[the reel ess]

I just use a bare hook. I tried making them more weedless and was disappointed. Most places I fish, I can just go get the worm if the hook gets hung up.

Or you can buy this and use offset worm hooks, rigged weedless.

https://kickerfishbait.com/shop/the-original-texas-weedless-wacky-worm%C2%AE-6-14-copy/

[loudcherokee]

That looks awesome. So you're just tying an overhand knot around the shank below the eye, and looks like maybe a dab of superglue or something?

Color me amazed lol.

LC

[punch]

The VMC Wacky Weedless hooks do look awesome and appear to be designed well BUT i've lost a lot of fish on them! I used the hook several times last fall in a weedy lake, and I had a hell of a time getting a proper hook set. The fish would grab it and when I went to drive the hook, it would blow out of their mouths. I was getting so ticked off that I just swapped it for regular octopus hook and boom, hooked more fish. 

That weed guard is way too stiff. I'd rather snag some vegetation once and a while but hookup with a higher percentage. 

[Darren.]

1 minute ago, loudcherokee said:

That looks awesome. So you're just tying an overhand knot around the shank below the eye, and looks like maybe a dab of superglue or something?

Color me amazed lol.

LC

I don't want to hijack the OP's thread. I may have
to start another one or go offline with you.

But no, actually laying down a layer of thread, then
tying the guard, then whip-finishing, then applying
two coats of Sally Hansen hard as nails nail polish
to it. Sometimes a dab of super glue.

There's an awesome guy who teaches how to tie
weed guards. This is a modification of his double
tie with the guard on the front instead of back of
the hook (done both).

http://intheriffle.com/the-riffle/fly-tying-weed-guards/

[Fishes in trees]

When it comes to weedless wacky style hooks, I've found that the Falcon K Wacky ones work best for me.   The weighted ones with a 1/16 ounce weight molded to the shank of the hook have worked better for me than the unweighted ones.  I like the slightly faster drop speed.