Braid vs fluoro vs mono/copolymer for wacky rigs

[BrianMDTX]

I’ve done a bit of reading on recommended line for wacky rigs but...I had been using 8 lb YZH with a 1/0 octopus circle hook and recently switched to 20 lb Sufix 832 with a 6 lb YZH leader. 

 

What I’ve noticed lately is that I’ve missed a few fish. What I do is when a bass takes the bait is raise the rod tip and reel the line in tight and the hook sets. With 8 lb YZH it was very rare to miss a bass. My best guess is that braid, with no stretch, is pulling the bait out of the bass’s mouth before a good hookset. Maybe. 

 

Before I respool with YZH or hybrid, who uses braid w/leader for wacky rigs, and if so, do you have any issues with hooksets? 

[Deephaven]

A good portion of the time last year I used just straight braid without a problem.

[RDB]

I use braid to leader on all my spinning rods (typically 20# to 8#) and don’t have any issues.  The only difference is I use a #1 Neko Hook.  I have tried most of them and feel I get much better hookups with Neko’s.  I also use an o-ring.

[Bluebasser86]

I use braid with a leader but I never use circle hooks with my wacky rigs. I've watched so many fish get missed on circle hooks with wacky rigs, including a money fish that got missed 3 times on the same cast at Truman Lake, MO, no way I'd ever trust them.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

3 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

I’ve done a bit of reading on recommended line for wacky rigs but...I had been using 8 lb YZH with a 1/0 octopus circle hook and recently switched to 20 lb Sufix 832 with a 6 lb YZH leader. 

 

What I’ve noticed lately is that I’ve missed a few fish. What I do is when a bass takes the bait is raise the rod tip and reel the line in tight and the hook sets. With 8 lb YZH it was very rare to miss a bass. My best guess is that braid, with no stretch, is pulling the bait out of the bass’s mouth before a good hookset. Maybe. 

 

Before I respool with YZH or hybrid, who uses braid w/leader for wacky rigs, and if so, do you have any issues with hooksets? 

Ive been using braid to leader with wacky rigs for years.  The only time I ever had issues with setting the hook was when I tried the Ike approved VMC wacky hooks because they were on sale.  I couldn't keep a fish hooked to save my life.  I went to a smaller worm with a smaller Gami wide gap and I came to the conclusion it was the VMC hooks that just didnt work for me.  

About 20 years ago a law was passed that you were only aloud to use circle hooks for the stripers when they run up the Del river to spawn.  At first I hated them, I lost more then half the fish I hooked.  Eventually I figured out if you waited for the fish to move and hook itself the land ratio was close to 100%. 

Personally I found a size 1 or 2 neko hook to stick em in the roof everytime.  If I want a weedguard the Owner Jungle hooks with the titanium guards have been awesome.  I found this out by accident but the 2/0 and 3/0 Owner Mosquito hooks work really well with a reel set or sweeping the rod. 

[Oldskool67]

Use 1/0 or sometimes 2/0 Gamakatsu weedless wacky hooks and VMC weedless Neko hooks with braid to leader. No issues with hooking or staying hooked. I used to use YZH with same results.  I think you are right with the circle hooks you are pulling it out of their mouth with the braid

[BrianMDTX]

5 hours ago, Oldskool67 said:

I think you are right with the circle hooks you are pulling it out of their mouth with the braid

As I had no issues when I had copolymer spooled on the reel, I’m confident it’s not the hook. Unless octopus circle hooks are great with YZH or mono but not the best choice for braid. I know I don’t want to wait too long to reel in the line to set the hook as I don’t want the bass to swallow the bait. 

[FryDog62]

I’ve used straight fluoro, YZH, braid + leader, etc. However, once I switched to a #2 Neko hook the hooking/landing percentage has been near 100%.  The hook can make a big difference ?

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

Unless octopus circle hooks are great with YZH or mono but not the best choice for braid.

This is the problem, not the line.  You do not use a hook set with circle hooks.  They're meant for live bait, and you let the take the bait deep, then add pressure and the hook will catch in the corner of the mouth.  All of this is counter-intuitive to fishing a plastic bait for bass, where the the bass sucks the bait in, you feel the tick, and sweep set the hook.  Use something like a Finesse Wide Gap hook from Gamakatsu or Owner Wacky Hook that is the right size for the plastic bait you pick.  I keep plenty of 1/0 and 2/0 from Gamakatsu when I'm fishing wacky rigs. 

[Team9nine]

Another braid/leader guy here. You always miss a few with enough bites, but never enough to be concerned about - but I don’t use circle hooks either. Scientifically proven to be half as efficient as non-circle hooks with only minimal conservation benefits and near equal mortality rates. In your case, it seems plausible the lack of stretch might be decreasing the hooking efficiency further by moving the hook through the mouth too fast to develop the proper bite and rotation, but that's just speculation. Either ditch the hooks or go back to straight YZH.

[FryDog62]

2 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

 I don’t want to wait too long to reel in the line to set the hook as I don’t want the bass to swallow the bait. 

That's another reason I like the VMC Neko hook - I don't know if its the hook bend or longer shank but I can't remember ever gut-hooking a fish with them... almost always hook them in the roof of the mouth. Traditional wacky hooks, I was doing "surgery" too often on fish to remove deep hooking.

[BrianMDTX]

39 minutes ago, J Francho said:

They're meant for live bait, and you let the take the bait deep, then add pressure and the hook will catch in the corner of the mouth.

That’s how I’ve fished a WR since I started. With mono or YZH I rarely lost a fish. When I saw the line move on a semi-slack line, I raised the rod and reeled in the slack and the fish was hooked. 
 

37 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

In your case, it seems plausible the lack of stretch might be decreasing the hooking efficiency further by moving the hook through the mouth too fast to develop the proper bite and rotation, but that's just speculation.

It’s my speculation as well. I may either switch hooks or just use another rig spooled with 6 lb Berkeley XL. 

4 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

That's another reason I like the VMC Neko hook - I don't know if its the hook bend or longer shank but I can't remember ever gut-hooking a fish with them... almost always hook them in the roof of the mouth. Traditional wacky hooks, I was doing "surgery" too often on fish to remove deep hooking.

I may try those. 

[J Francho]

I'd ditch the hooks and never look back.  I tried them for my classes with beginners and the hookup ratio was horrible.  It was just the opposite of what I thought would happen.  I was trying to avoid spending the time on the water helping with gut hooked fish.  Started using these (what I've used for over 20 years) and the issue went away like magic.

 

[galyonj]

Another member of the braid to leader gang checking in (15lb Powerpro V2 to 6lb YZH).

 

I've never used a circle hook for...anything, now that I think about it. I just about always use some variation of a neko hook.

 

For weighted wacky, I want a 1/16oz jighead like this Gammy, or this Woo!.

For unweighted, I want this Gammy, this Owner, or this VMC.

 

And I have complete confidence with any of those hooks. If they take it, I'm taking them.

[BrianMDTX]

5 hours ago, J Francho said:

I'd ditch the hooks and never look back.  I tried them for my classes with beginners and the hookup ratio was horrible.  It was just the opposite of what I thought would happen.  I was trying to avoid spending the time on the water helping with gut hooked fish.  Started using these (what I've used for over 20 years) and the issue went away like magic.

 

What make/model hook is that?

[J Francho]

11 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

What make/model hook is that?

https://www.gamakatsu.com/product/finesse-wide-gap/

[BrianMDTX]

Ok, I like those. My local Academy should have those in stock. Maybe lol. 

[kayaking_kev]

I used circle hooks on my neko rigged works for awhile and even caught my PB using one, but ultimately, I got sick of the hook up ratio and tried a bunch of other hooks until I found the Owner Sniper Finesse Neko Hook. Those things are all I will ever use now when I don't use barbless. 

[Bluebasser86]

I've made the switch to Neko hooks for my WR worms this last year and the hookup ratio is insane. I didn't miss a ton of fish on it before, but now it's a surprise when it happens.

[waymont]

Switch the circle hooks for VMC Neko hooks, you'll never miss another bass!

[CM-fisher]

17 hours ago, J Francho said:

https://www.gamakatsu.com/product/finesse-wide-gap/

These look great for the price. I feel like they would work super well, or you could always go with my personal favorite VMC neko hooks (size 1). Btw, I fish wacky rigs on straight 15 lb powerpro.

[king fisher]

There is a reason commercial long liners, use circle hooks.  They have a high hook up ratio without the need to set the hook.

     The problem with using circle hooks with lures, is many times fish will not hold on to an artificial lure long enough and take it deep enough to allow the hook to turn and catch.

      If you use a circle hook with bait, or artificial you must not only refrain from a traditional hook set, you must slowly bring the line tight after letting the fish swallow the bait.  A line that stretches, helps aid in slowly getting the line tight.

      If you do use braid with a circle hook, it is important to modify the way you come tight to the fish, because you will not have stretch helping slow the process down.  May be much easier to use another type of hook.

[NHBull]

Hi vis braid to leader with a neko hook and don't look back

[ErieCan]

Never like the circle hooks either. I use an octopus hook for wacky rigs and even drop shot. 

[CrankFate]

On 3/29/2021 at 9:51 AM, J Francho said:

This is the problem, not the line.  You do not use a hook set with circle hooks.  They're meant for live bait, and you let the take the bait deep, then add pressure and the hook will catch in the corner of the mouth.  All of this is counter-intuitive to fishing a plastic bait for bass, where the the bass sucks the bait in, you feel the tick, and sweep set the hook. 

^This