Old Worm Hooks (Who made them?)

[Ray H]

I have these old worm hooks that I love to fish with. I've had tons stored up over the years but I'm running out and can't find them any longer. An old friend that I fished with when I was a kid got me started on them. I could get them from a little bait shop up in Pinson, AL and at the Worm Shack in Tuscaloosa, but never thought to look elsewhere for them. That was a couple decades ago and I have lost track of my friend so I can't ask him. The bait shop in Pinson is no longer there and the gal that I talked with at the Worm Shack had no idea. Can anyone help me identify these hooks and maybe where I can find more of them? Thanks in advance for the help!

 

Ray

[Team9nine]

Lew’s made a version called the Speed Sticker. Lindy also had a version, but the name escapes me at the moment.

[Ray H]

Thanks. That gives me a starting point. I've checked with a couple other companies that didn't know anything about them.

[Team9nine]

Found it - Lindy’s version was the Shur-Lok, but it was slightly different in bend and formation, and not what you have pictured. Yours is the Lew’s version or a real close facsimile. Not certain how many companies made a version.

[Ray H]

I got to digging and found an old discussion on the hook from a couple years ago. You posted an ad from a magazine in the feed. It was the Lew's hook. Now all I have to do is find some out there! I have always loved them and never had any issues what so ever. Thank you so much for your help.

[detroit1]

I have an uncontrollable urge.....

[Fishes in trees]

Those are real old - early 80's, maybe later 70's?   I remember I had a pack.  I remember that I got bit, got the fish in and as I was working to get the hook out ( using my fingers, not my pliers, my bad )  the fish flopped and I got stuck pretty good in the thumb with the little point on the top of the shank.   I didn't use them any more after that.

 

As I recall the experience soured me on tx rigging with slip weights and for the next few years I went down the rabbit hole of throwing Brewer Sliders 80% of the time, and one of the reasons was that I was less likely to get stung removing hooks.  Of course these days I've changed my attitude and I find it necessary to have a tx rig 10" worm rig

a tx rig stick bait, and alternative soft plastic tx rig - all right next to the Brewer Slider Rig. 

[Catt]

Last time I saw any of those what at Toledo Tackle, having problems accessing their website.

[fishwizzard]

3 hours ago, Fishes in trees said:

Those are real old - early 80's, maybe later 70's?   I remember I had a pack.  I remember that I got bit, got the fish in and as I was working to get the hook out ( using my fingers, not my pliers, my bad )  the fish flopped and I got stuck pretty good in the thumb with the little point on the top of the shank.   I didn't use them any more after that.

 

Z-man made some swimbait hooks with double barbs like that.  I found some on-sale but when I googled around I found way way too many pics of them jammed into thumb to ever think of using them.  

[fin]

Best shot would probably be eBay, or the market here on BR. I doubt they're being manufactured anywhere, but if they are, it's probably Chinese. It wouldn't surprise me if someone still has some of the originals. There might be somebody out there that bought a bunch and never used them, or a retailer that never sold them. 

 

I've still got two of them left that I bought back in the late 70's.

[Ray H]

I have a distributor down in Alabama checking around for me. I got hold of them yesterday after finding out who made the hooks and turned out they had a few left laying around, so I bought them. Now they are going to check with their customers and see what they might be able to find for me. Most of what they sold me yesterday were a lot bigger than I normal use, but I'm not going to pass them up. I will keep beating the bushes and see just what falls out!

 

 

Catt, 

Are you talking about Toledo Tackle down in West Monroe?

[BASS302]

This topic looks very familiar.  I did a search:

Mystery hook

By iahick23, March 21, 2017 in Fishing Tackle

 

I'm not sure how to link the topic, so you'll have to do a manual search.

 

[schplurg]

What is the purpose of the upper barb and the open loop?

[Team9nine]

32 minutes ago, schplurg said:

What is the purpose of the upper barb and the open loop?

 

Upper barb holds the worm head in place which they say allows the worm as a whole to completely slide off (vs. sliding down the hook shank) on a hookset so the worm doesn't ball up in the fishes mouth. Also a very quick way to Texas rig. The open loop becomes/replaces the hook eye.