Treble Hook Replacement For Lipless Crank Baits ?

[ChrisD46]

Looking for good treble hooks to replace stock hooks on a variety of lipless crank baits : Rapala Ripin Raps , SK Red Eye Shads , Rat-L-Traps etc. 

*Many say round bend treble hooks are preferred while still others like the inward facing barbs of the Mustad KVD Triple Grips ... What are your experiences and preferences ?

[roadwarrior]

https://www.fishusa.com/Megabass-Katsuage-Hooks

[DitchPanda]

I use the bill Lewis trebles...get them on tackle warehouse...pretty much the same as the triple grips

 

[islandbass]

My experience has been no discernible difference in catching and both are good. One does look cooler and meaner and hence catch anglers that way. 
 

Same experience has led me to believe that all of the reputable companies, gammies, Vmc, mustad, owner are good. Excellent actually. So I get what most economical at the time. 
 

As you probably know, it boils down to personal preference. I’ve tried them all and they’re all great from cranks to my homemade inline spinners. 

[KayakJimW]

Anecdotally I feel like the hookup ratio is the same, too.  I just look for hooks where the eye is in line with one of the tines so I can have the rear with a hook pointing straight up, and the front so it hugs the belly.

 

It would seem like the inward facing would be less likely to hook yourself with, but the only time I ever barbed myself was with an inward facing one.  Go figure...

[Captain Phil]

Rattle Traps were an integral part of my tournament tool bag for years.  For a while, it seemed if you weren't throwing a Rattle Trap on the Harris Chain, you weren't fishing. Not all Rattle Traps are the same. I keep the lures that catch fish even when the paint is totally gone.    I've tried every hook that is made in an attempt to keep big fish from throwing heavy crankbaits.   Unfortunately, nothing is 100%. 

 

The majority of my lipless crankbait fishing is done with 1/2 oz. Rattle Traps.  I've had the best luck by swapping out the stock hooks with 4/0 round bend Gamagatsu trebles.  No matter what hooks you use, you should set the hook hard and get the fish in the boat as quick as you can.  Sometimes you can keep the fish from jumping by putting your rod tip under the water.  I've lost huge bass on Rattle Traps that have cost me a lot of money.  I hate them and will throw a spinnerbait unless I have no choice.  Unfortunately, bass don't share my dislike.  They love them. 

[looking45]

I replace the trebles on most of my baits with inline hooks. There are guides online to show you the replacement sizes. The inline hooks will look big, but that's because the gap between the trebles and the inline are the same but it's a single hook, so appears bigger. The single hook keeps the bass from tossing the bait and it's a lot easier to get the fish out of the net. 

[roadwarrior]

Although I use to have pretty good luck with the Rattle Trap, The Red Eye Shad has replaced 

them for me. 

[ChrisD46]

Thanks for the replies - I only have experience with the Owner Stinger treble hooks - but if there is no real discernable difference in hookup ratios between the round bend treble and inward facing "meaner" looking trebles (like on the Mustad KV's then I will take a look . I have had good luck on the Owner Stinger treble hooks though .

 

*Bass are eating tiny 1" to 2" shad born this year in my reservoir now , so I picked up the -05 size 5/16th oz.  Rapala Rippin Rap to match the hatch with . The front treble is a VMC #8 size and the back treble is a #10 size (lol !) I am considering upsizing the hook sizes  on this -05 Rapala Rippin Rap if it becomes a problem but who knows -  may catch a PB with it !

[The Bassman]

I use #5 Rippin Raps a lot. I swap out my hooks with #8 Triple Grips (modified barbless). Works great. I caught (foul hooked?) a big carp on one a couple of weeks ago and they held fine.

[roadwarrior]

That's a buffalo

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=buffalo+fish&rlz=1CAWPBA_enUS802&oq=buffalo+fish&aqs=chrome..69i57j46j0l6.6427j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[The Bassman]

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

That's a buffalo

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=buffalo+fish&rlz=1CAWPBA_enUS802&oq=buffalo+fish&aqs=chrome..69i57j46j0l6.6427j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

You'd see it was a carp if you could look closer. Chin barbels, underslung mouth. I caught it in an HOA lake. Buffalo are primarily in rivers and stream fed impoundments.

[ww2farmer]

Owner ST-35's are the bee's knee's on lipless and square bills.

[BlakeMolone]

8 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

Rattle Traps were an integral part of my tournament tool bag for years.  For a while, it seemed if you weren't throwing a Rattle Trap on the Harris Chain, you weren't fishing. Not all Rattle Traps are the same. I keep the lures that catch fish even when the paint is totally gone.    I've tried every hook that is made in an attempt to keep big fish from throwing heavy crankbaits.   Unfortunately, nothing is 100%. 

 

The majority of my lipless crankbait fishing is done with 1/2 oz. Rattle Traps.  I've had the best luck by swapping out the stock hooks with 4/0 round bend Gamagatsu trebles.  No matter what hooks you use, you should set the hook hard and get the fish in the boat as quick as you can.  Sometimes you can keep the fish from jumping by putting your rod tip under the water.  I've lost huge bass on Rattle Traps that have cost me a lot of money.  I hate them and will throw a spinnerbait unless I have no choice.  Unfortunately, bass don't share my dislike.  They love them. 

What are your favorite lipless cranks?

[soflabasser]

3 hours ago, The Bassman said:

I use #5 Rippin Raps a lot. I swap out my hooks with #8 Triple Grips (modified barbless). Works great. I caught (foul hooked?) a big carp on one a couple of weeks ago and they held fine.

The fish in the photo is a common carp.

21 minutes ago, ww2farmer said:

Owner ST-35's are the bee's knee's on lipless and square bills.

Owner makes very good hooks.

[Captain Phil]

10 hours ago, BlakeMolone said:

What are your favorite lipless cranks?

Rattle Traps.  I have been blessed to fish with some great Rattle Trap fisherman.  Many of them are gone now. The Rattle Trap is a reaction bait. It will catch fish when nothing else will.  You have to experiment with your retrieve.  Sometimes you have to rip the lure to trigger a strike.  Other times they want it slow and lazy.  I have seen times when fishing a Rattle Trap on the bottom like a jigging spoon worked. Jerking your rod on the retrieve makes the lure deflect. Any time the lure touches cover or deflects for any reason can trigger a strike. I fish Rattle Traps with a 7/1 casting reel and 20 pound mono.

 

The half ounce Rattle Trap is my favorite.  The Red Eye Shad is a close second.  I prefer both silver and gold flash. I have some black and gray Rattle Traps that I only use on dark rainy days.  At this time, gold with a black back is working well. I start out with chrome with a green or blue back .  The old System One chrome with a blue back and orange belly works well.   I carry a red magic marker and paint slashes on the sides of my chrome traps. Some days, the silver flash is what they want, other days it's the gold flash. Not all Rattle Traps are the same.  There is something about the manufacturing process that makes them different. It may be the number of beads or how many of them are free to rattle.  Whatever the reason, keep the lures that catch fish even if the paint is gone. 

 

The Rattle Trap is a murky water lure.  I have not had as much luck with them in clear water.  Years ago when the Harris Chain water was turbid, Rattle Traps were the only game in town. I have caught some huge fish on Rattle Traps.  One bass in particular was so long I couldn't get it in the live well of my Skeeter.  I probably own at least 20-30 Rattle Traps.  I have a box of old ones in my garage with at least 50 more.

  

[Captain Phil]

I went out this morning with my wife.  A huge bass tournament was going on.  Boats were running all over the place.  No bites until about 10 AM, so I headed for a cove in Little Lake Harris where we won the Ranger Owners tournament back in 2002. The water is still hot and fishing is tough. This post got me thinking about Rattle Traps, so I tied on a System One (chrome, blue back, orange belly).  I immediately started catching fish.  I caught a limit up to 4 pounds in about 20 minutes.  I also had a two-on-one cast.  My wife snapped this photo.  Rattle Traps catch fish when nothing else works.

 

 

 

[swhit140]

I usually buy mine in bulk of a 100 pack. I mainly use #4 & #6 depending on lure. I usually buy from the link below or on Ebay.

 

https://www.fishkds.com/apps/webstore/products/category/1440601

[ChrisD46]

21 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

I went out this morning with my wife.  A huge bass tournament was going on.  Boats were running all over the place.  No bites until about 10 AM, so I headed for a cove in Little Lake Harris where we won the Ranger Owners tournament back in 2002. The water is still hot and fishing is tough. This post got me thinking about Rattle Traps, so I tied on a System One (chrome, blue back, orange belly).  I immediately started catching fish.  I caught a limit up to 4 pounds in about 20 minutes.  I also had a two-on-one cast.  My wife snapped this photo.  Rattle Traps catch fish when nothing else works.

 

 

 

*Way to go Captain !! ... Glad I could start a thread to help you get motivated to throw a lipless crank bait !! Your success shows it doesn't have to be late Fall or Winter either to get bit on a lipless crank bait (lol !)

[Sphynx]

I have found no magic bullet for crankbaits of any kind, I am landing something like 75-80% of the fish I hook since I started fishing one this fall transition, and those are on round bend, stock hooks on a KVD 1.5, and a Red Eye Shad, rod is a MHF Mojo Bass, best days have been those where I can swing on them hard to bury the hooks and then lock down the reel and horse them in with the rod tip in the water, nearly every fish has jumped and most that come off come off then, I imagine a MF or a MHM rod may help improve the ratio, but I doubt another hook would play an appreciable role past making my baits more expensive and "cool looking" or whatever it is folks think, when a set of stock hooks goes dull or bends out I'll swap them out with some Owner ST-36 Stingers and use this rod to see if I notice any real difference...for science. 

[Captain Phil]

1 hour ago, ChrisD46 said:

*Way to go Captain !! ... Glad I could start a thread to help you get motivated to throw a lipless crank bait !! Your success shows it doesn't have to be late Fall or Winter either to get bit on a lipless crank bait (lol !)

I haven't found a time of the year when a lipless crankbait won't work.  I have caught fish on all colors of the rainbow from all chrome to bright orange.  Vibration is what makes these lures work.  They work great on heavy braided line.  I have been experimenting with 50 pound Power Pro.  With this line you can feel the vibrations through the rod.  The lure is moving fast, so you don't have to worry about the visability of the line. I lose less fish with this line as well.  Once I have a fish on, I set the hook hard a few extra times. Changing the hooks and using this line with the extra hook sets lessens the chance of a big fish throwing the lure.  The bonus is I have the confidence to throw the lure into heavier cover.  I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks after all?  ?

[Bluebasser86]

I like the EWG hooks with traps. They hook and hold fish and don't seem to hang up quite as much when I'm ripping them off the bottom in the winter.

[Mr. Aquarium]

On 9/18/2020 at 11:57 AM, looking45 said:

I replace the trebles on most of my baits with inline hooks. There are guides online to show you the replacement sizes. The inline hooks will look big, but that's because the gap between the trebles and the inline are the same but it's a single hook, so appears bigger. The single hook keeps the bass from tossing the bait and it's a lot easier to get the fish out of the net. 

We do this with big saltwater plugs 

[ChrisD46]

5 hours ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

We do this with big saltwater plugs 

*Reminds me of a saltwater inshore set up ! ... Still , I get what you are saying .