Straightening out hooks with 20# braid

[primetime]

I fish Bass Pro Magna Super Lock Hooks, Academy Hooks, Offset straight shanks, Gammy's, Owner, anything buy Matzuo as I have seen them bend when they were on the right line and drag.

Finesse guage hooks will bend if too much pressure is applied, the larger the gap, the more easier they bend, but you will not bend a superline gammy, or Flipping hook unless you really apply pressure.

Fluoro stretches more than Mono, Or Nylon  since both are monofilament one Fluorine, one Nylon, but I have bent hooks when I have had my drag locked when I forgot and switched rigs after flipping. I have bent VMC Vanadium hooks in standard guage (15 per pack 5/0 EWG, Gammy regular guage, and EC lazer, but I have bent them because of user error. 

I find BPS brand hooks to be some of the best hooks for the money. Sharp and strong? I like Trokar hooks and Owner hooks as well, but love the Magna superlocks for heavy braid. You can haul in a tree if needed.

EWG will bend before a straight shank of similar guage and each brand has different guage hooks for a "Standard hook". I only use EWG when using wide baits and big swimbaits, frogs etc...I fish a Zoom Horny toad hook 5/0 on 50lb braid and not sure who makes the Zoom hooks, but they are not too thick and I have never bent one. I have seen guys bend out strong hooks on big fish, Visit any hook companies facebook page and you will see bent hooks since people are usually upset when a TK 130 Bends on a Bass at the Price of Trokars. Braid can bend any hook if everything goes wrong. However, you should not be bending hooks often, One possiblility is if you buy your Gammy's online in bulk. Fake Power Pro and Gammy Hooks are made in China and end up sold as real, manny times you can't tell until you take a closer look. 

[beardown34]

thanks primetime. i was just wondering, is it possible i just got crappy gama hooks? i dunno, i bought them off the shelf at walmart (closer to me than BPS). for now i'm going to try dialing back the drag, and trying to get to the shore and lip the fish closer to water level. i do tend to feel more confident in keeping a fish buttoned up by keeping the barb on my hooks, but clearly that makes it difficult to easily remove the hooks sometimes. maybe i'm causing some damage to the hooks during removal. 

i've tried the straight shank hooks. it's very difficult for me to keep the hook point weedless after even just 1 fish. these residential ponds i fish have scum galore so staying weedless is necessary.

[beardown34]

sigh, this is my red gama 2/0 hook after 7 fish, all under 2 #. i loosened up the drag on my pflueger supreme (max drag 10lb) about 4 to 5 clicks, and the drag is clearly slipping on hooksets. i either quickly lipped the fish in the water or very low close to the ground. maybe gama hooks just aren't for me. i just fish for fun and will never be a tourney fisher. i'd love to find an alternative closer to the BPS price range, and not the superline price range.

is it possible that the direction of the hookset swing is causing the hook to bend out? like if i just set the hook straight up, as opposed to swinging across my body?

 

[beardown34]

Gama SuperLine Offset EWG 3/0 25pkQty: 1$17.99 ea.

 

ah forget it. just put on my big boy pants and buy superline

edit: actually i didn't notice BPS has a "Magna" line of their hooks. at that price point i'll give those a try first. really what i'd love to find is a hook that lasts close to as long as these z-man plastics have been lasting me.