Swapping out trebles

[Jonas Staggs]

Are there any benefits to swapping out trebles for singles other than less harm to the fish?

 

The singles look like it might get a more deeper hookset than the trebles. 

[michaelb]

Safety to you and others on your boat would be the other reason. I'm mostly on a kayak, and hook up with pike both intentionally and unintentionally, and having a mouth full of teeth and trebles swinging around wildly between my legs is something I avoid. It is way easier to release a fish on single hook, particularly if there is at most one other single hook outside the fishes mouth. This is less true with bass (which are easy to release), but still true.

 

I bought a bunch of inline singles in various sizes and so one of my winter projects will be to decide which trebles I am going to replace with singles and which I am going to remove entirely. I will probably leave the front treble on some lures (like a jerk bait) and replace the tail treble with a single.

 

I hate lures with 3 trebles. I am not convinced that the middle treble does anything useful. I would love to see a statistically significant study that shows fish hooked up on a middle treble that wouldn't have been caught on the front or rear hook.

[TnRiver46]

Less hang ups 

[jimmyjoe]

1 hour ago, michaelb said:

. I am not convinced that the middle treble does anything useful. I would love to see a statistically significant study that shows fish hooked up on a middle treble that wouldn't have been caught on the front or rear hook.

 

   I couldn't agree more!                              jj

[NHBull]

9 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

 

   I couldn't agree more!                              jj

I think the middle treble stops the fish from getting the mechanical advantage especially on a 110 JB.  

[Michigander]

Inline singles let you use stouter gear as you don't run the risk of pulling them out like a treble. Additionally, a bait with inline singles is more resistant to fouling when it comes to contact with vegetation. I can work a hard jerkbait with inline singles through sparse weeds successfully which was mostly impossible with trebles.

 

The inline singles also don't get caught in everything in the boat. I hate trebles, lol. ?

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I started using singles for surf plugs and tins because that rear treble is really good at finding eyes or gill rakes.  You can also unhook a fish much faster which is a big advantage when a school is moving through.  I havent noticed a big difference between the hook up ratios after going over to singles, but once you get a single pegged the land ratio is better compared to trebles.  Singles are also less prone to grass and snags, however if you bury one into wood or a lily root its not going to bend out.  Ive tried to go singles for my freshwater JBs with some success.  JBs that are sensitive to weight changes like some of the Duos can be a pain to balance.

[diehardbassfishing]

2 hours ago, michaelb said:

I am not convinced that the middle treble does anything useful.

 

It's the only one I use! No problem here.

 

Karl

 

[Jonas Staggs]

13 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I started using singles for surf plugs and tins because that rear treble is really good at finding eyes or gill rakes.  You can also unhook a fish much faster which is a big advantage when a school is moving through.  I havent noticed a big difference between the hook up ratios after going over to singles, but once you get a single pegged the land ratio is better compared to trebles.  Singles are also less prone to grass and snags, however if you bury one into wood or a lily root its not going to bend out.  Ive tried to go singles for my freshwater JBs with some success.  JBs that are sensitive to weight changes like some of the Duos can be a pain to balance.

 

That's what I was looking for in regards to hook up and land ratio. It seems to me that the single hook is going to give you a better land ratio. I have a lipless crankbait I have been doing really well with. I lost few fish on it and was trying to find a way to get a better hookup. Part of the problem may have been a 1/4 oz. Crankbait on a Light action rod. I hooked into a bigger fish maybe around 5 lbs, same fish twice and he shook loose twice. I figure it was the trebles and the rod was too light. I couldn't dig into him. I caught 12 that day and lost 4.

 

 

 

So it sounds like benefits are 

 

Less damage to fish 

Easier to unhook

Less snaggy/weedless 

Better hookup/land ratio

 

So with all these benefits what is the point of even having trebles? Seems like I should swap out all my trebles. 

 

Hook size suggestion for 1/4 oz lipless crankbait?

 

[Bluebasser86]

I don't know about the hookup ratio being similar with fish like bass that have a tendency to slap or nip at baits. A lot of inline single hooks are used in saltwater where fish typically engulf or T-bone their prey. Not saying it isn't possible, but I'm skeptical to say the least.

[A-Jay]

5 hours ago, Jonas Staggs said:

So with all these benefits what is the point of even having trebles? Seems like I should swap out all my trebles. 

 

Here's at least two reasons right here ~ 

I would never do anything that would reduce my chances of putting fatties in the net.

Single hooks, IMO do that.

Carnage will happen.

Comes with the sport.

A-Jay

[Jonas Staggs]

8 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I don't know about the hookup ratio being similar with fish like bass that have a tendency to slap or nip at baits. A lot of inline single hooks are used in saltwater where fish typically engulf or T-bone their prey. Not saying it isn't possible, but I'm skeptical to say the least.

 

From what I read, trebles give a better hookup ratio, which makes sense. But from this thread it seems like singles might have a lower hookup ratio, but a better/deeper hookup connection when you do. That fish I lost twice would have been my PB. Trying to prevent that from happening next outing. I had like 4 shake loose that day. So the plan is heavier rod and possibly swapping out the trebles 

3 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

Here's at least two reasons right here ~ 

I would never do anything that would reduce my chances of putting fatties in the net.

Single hooks, IMO do that.

Carnage will happen.

Comes with the sport.

A-Jay

 

Ok so your pro treble I think I'll just keep the trebles in and try a heavier rod next trip

 

 

[A-Jay]

13 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

Ok so your pro treble I think I'll just keep the trebles in and try a heavier rod next trip

 

I am Very PRO - towards not losing giant fish.

Clearly quality treble hooks (and the right set up) don't guarantee anything, but they certainly don't hurt my chances any either. 

And while I've released a good many fish in my days, virtually all swimming off strong,

I would be naïve to think that a few might not have made it.

I do what I can and am willing to live with the results.

Besides, the eagles & the turtles might benefit from that.

#stuartofthesea

A-Jay

[N.Y. Yankee]

Well, you got your guys who put their whole life into fishing and fishing IS their whole life. The only reason they are out there is to take the lunkers. They are not going to do anything to jeopardize that, I get it. It's a free country. Many guys are not that way. You got their reasons already and I agree with them. We get to do what we want for the most part, like I said, it's a free country. Listen to everybody and do as you mind to.

[JustJames]

It depends on how much risk you wanna take. You work in this type of business anyway so you should know. A lot of guys here fish from boat with net and boga grip ready at hand with about a foot reach to the water.

You should ask yourself.

Yes I fish treble hooks sometimes (barbs been crushed most of it) but that when I either on my boat with net ready or when I can just pull the fish up to the beach (easy landing type structure). It is your choice, I made mine which is work and my body is more important than the fish. It might be hard to compare me with others since I can fish everyday and catch fish most of the time.

Im sorry @A-JayI don’t wanna be in contrast with you. I’m still respect and envy all your catches but this is my honest opinion, especially for OP since I know where he fish.

[A-Jay]

9 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

It depends on how much risk you wanna take. You work in this type of business anyway so you should know. A lot of guys here fish from boat with net and boga grip ready at hand with about a foot reach to the water.

You should ask yourself.

Yes I fish treble hooks sometimes (barbs been crushed most of it) but that when I either on my boat with net ready or when I can just pull the fish up to the beach (easy landing type structure). It is your choice, I made mine which is work and my body is more important than the fish. It might be hard to compare me with others since I can fish everyday and catch fish most of the time.

Im sorry @A-JayI don’t wanna be in contrast with you. I’m still respect and envy all your catches but this is my honest opinion, especially for OP since I know where he fish.

Clearly there's no apology needed. 

I get it too.

Trebles -  no trebles, it's all good.

A-Jay

 

 

[J Francho]

Treble, treble, treble, treble, treble, treble, treble.

 

 

I've switched trebles on some baits for trout and salmon, but not for bass.  The reason was to reduce hang ups in the pebble rocks that are crusted up with zebra mussels.  I wouldn't think of doing for any of my bass lures, though I have caught smallmouth while trout fishing.  I don't think it's going to affect hookup positively.

[Jonas Staggs]

 

So what can I do to prevent losing crankbait fish?

3 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

It depends on how much risk you wanna take. You work in this type of business anyway so you should know. A lot of guys here fish from boat with net and boga grip ready at hand with about a foot reach to the water.

You should ask yourself.

Yes I fish treble hooks sometimes (barbs been crushed most of it) but that when I either on my boat with net ready or when I can just pull the fish up to the beach (easy landing type structure). It is your choice, I made mine which is work and my body is more important than the fish. It might be hard to compare me with others since I can fish everyday and catch fish most of the time.

Im sorry @A-JayI don’t wanna be in contrast with you. I’m still respect and envy all your catches but this is my honest opinion, especially for OP since I know where he fish.

 

 

I actually have not been to that spot in like six months or so after getting skunked like 7 times in a row but It definitely Beats the river bottom and canals, washes, and drainage ditches and what not 

[Michigander]

7 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

So what can I do to prevent losing crankbait fish?

Slower rod and quality, sharp hooks.

[J Francho]

33 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

So what can I do to prevent losing crankbait fish?

Play them gently, do not horse them in.  Use an appropriate power rod, not usually anything more than a MH.  Don't just swing on them and high stick them.  Holding the rod to a 90* angle to them, but horizontally to apply what I call "side pressure" usually helps a lot.  All bets are off if the can get to the surface.  They have an advantage on you in shaking the bait free, and they try, so don't encourage them to do so, by pulling them up to the surface.  Use sharp hooks.  I don't have an issue with round bends, but many here use gripper style KVD hooks.  For line, I like some stretch, so I don't use braid.  I'm currently using 10 or 12# Tatsu on my crankers.  I personally like moderate taper rods, but that's debatable.  I think rod taper has more to do with how the bait reacts after a deflection than actually playing a fish back to shore/boat.  If tearing hooks out was an issue, why don't we hear about losing fish on other baits more frequently?  I think we often go too heavy a power.  I think losing crank fish has to do with bad hooks, poor fish playing skills, wrong power rod, and no stretch line.  A bit of bad luck plays into it as well.