Quality hooks inexpensive.

[Alex from GA]

I use round bend worm hooks for a lot of my fishing and found Eagle Claw Brent Chapman hooks @ Walmart.  They're 15 for $4.  

[roadwarrior]

Gamakatsu on sale:

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gamakatsu_Offset_EWG_Worm_Hooks_Black/descpage-GOSWG.html?from=gshop&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAxOauBhCaARIsAEbUSQQCEotENluMFakH3ubOz2JSdmLKiQhdE-LnAlFOWvR3-e06vUwV38gaAk0rEALw_wcB

[Munkin]

The quality of EC black nickel hooks has gone up the past couple of years. 

 

Allen

[bowhunter63]

EC Lazer  Sharp Good hooks 

[KP Duty]

14 hours ago, Munkin said:

The quality of EC black nickel hooks has gone up the past couple of years. 

 

Allen

Yea...I picked up some EC football swingheads and the hooks are impressively sharp.   I'm still a Gammy man for 90% of my hooks though.

[ChrisD46]

BPS hooks on sale .

[Mbirdsley]

i use the bass pro shop offset round bend hooks.  i pick up a 15-20 pack for $3.99 at cabelas. they are black nickle hooks and sharp.  for the money they are the best hooks around. 

 

i probably should give EC another chance. 

[FrnkNsteen]

I bought some Academy H2O Express bulk pack hooks for pretty reasonable price and haven't had any issues with them either.

 

Don't remember the price, but I want to say a 25pk for like $5 or something like that. I don't know makes their H2O stuff, but it has usually been pretty decent.

[ChrisD46]

7 hours ago, FrnkNsteen said:

I bought some Academy H2O Express bulk pack hooks for pretty reasonable price and haven't had any issues with them either.

 

Don't remember the price, but I want to say a 25pk for like $5 or something like that. I don't know makes their H2O stuff, but it has usually been pretty decent.

Try to buy the H2O hooks in person and look at the package carefully - I bought some straight shank H2O hooks which were broken in half in the package - never saw that before . 

[FrnkNsteen]

6 minutes ago, ChrisD46 said:

Try to buy the H2O hooks in person and look at the package carefully - I bought some straight shank H2O hooks which were broken in half in the package - never saw that before . 

Don't even know how that would happen?! Weird!!

[Bankc]

BPS and H2O are my cheap tackle brands of choice.  I'm not an Eagle Claw fan anymore.  I've had problems with them rusting on me and being really dull straight out of the package.  Maybe they've gotten better.  I don't know.  But BPS and H2O have really impressed me with their value.  

[osummerer23]

+1 for cabelas magna lock hooks. 25 for $4. 

If im going finesse, i'll jump up a quality tier for mosquito hook quality. 

[Alex from GA]

IMO the Academy and Basspro worm hooks are soft and the points bend.  That said I still use them but carry a diamond sharpener to dress them and pliers to straighten them when they bend.

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

 

I think you should skimp on other tackle, not hooks. 

I fish Gamakatsu.

[rgasr63]

I have tried a lot of hooks the past few years and I for the most part use 2 brands VMC and Owner. I really haven't wanted to change after that. I am of the persuasion that if it works don't mess with it unless there is a reason.

[Jmilburn76]

I won an auction for a box of 1000 Gamakatsu 1/0 EWG for $47 to the house. They should last me for a minute.

[Bluebasser86]

Eagle Claw makes Trokar, which seem to be a lot of people's favorite hooks, but for some reason those same people seem to think that Eagle Claw makes junk hooks 🙄

 

I'm the other way around, I like Eagle Claw but despise Trokar hooks 😂

 

When money is on the line, I'm going to be using a premium hook more often than not though, like a Gamakatsu. 

[wdp]

Learned the hard way years ago with too many missed or lost fish. I haven’t skimped on quality hooks in 20+ yrs. 90% of my hooks are Gamakatsu or Owner. The other 10% are VMC, Mustad. 
 

Quality hooks are worth every penny IMO. Just look for when they go on sale.

 

P.S. Tried Trokar hooks and hated them. All they did was tear up my soft plastics quicker without benefit of better hook ups than my usual hooks. 🤨

[Munkin]

10 hours ago, Jmilburn76 said:

I won an auction for a box of 1000 Gamakatsu 1/0 EWG for $47 to the house. They should last me for a minute.

 

Simons Sporting Goods? I won the 2/0 EWG auction if so for like $70.

 

When it comes to hooks I will give anything a try if it fits my needs. That said the BPS XPS hooks are the worst hooks I have ever used. Half of them broke on hooksets so I threw them away. 

 

Here is a list of other hooks others like but I do not use anymore:

 

Trokar= Every single hook in the 3 packs I bought rolled making them unusable. They are really sharp in the bag but the first time that point hits anything they are done.

 

Owner= The matte black jig hooks rust worse than any hook on the market. Their cutting point is the sharpest hook I have ever used. After 2 full Plano boxes of jigs that never were used completely rusted I quit using them.

 

Gamakatsu= One specific hook which is the 614 a 60 degree flateye jighook like the Mustad 32798. My issue with this hook is two fold; hook dulls really quickly and the barb is so small its almost a barbless hook. Lost a bunch of fish on these and couldn't figure out why they were able to throw the bait so often? Compared the barb to the Mustad hook and noticed the difference. Switched back to the Mustad and land ratio went back up.

 

Since I make a lot of baits I am always experimenting with new hooks trying to build a better mouse trap. Jighooks I mostly use Gamakatsu and VMC, Trebles heavy Owners and Daiichi Death Traps, tubeheads Mustad or EC, EWG hooks Gamakatsu.

 

Allen

[Jmilburn76]

@Munkin   Yes Sir, heck of a deal for me as I was paying around $8 for 25.

[WRB]

I only use Gamakatsu and Owner worm and jig hooks.

Buy in quantity 25 to 100 from Barlow’s.

Tom

[Munkin]

25 minutes ago, Jmilburn76 said:

@Munkin   Yes Sir, heck of a deal for me as I was paying around $8 for 25.

Yeah, I bought 1k Gamakatsu 744 EWG hooks from Shorty's and they were like $320 shipped.

 

Allen

[thinkingredneck]

Gamakatsu, Owner, Mustad.  The hook is your most important piece of equipment. 

[BigAngus752]

I've used the Academy H2O hooks but found that they don't stay sharp long at all and they will rust faster than better quality hooks.  I'll buy Gama on sale but the best compromise of price and quality is definitely the VMC 25 packs of worm hooks.  They stay sharp through a ton a fish and snags.  Not going to say they are on the same level as Gama, but they don't ever cause me to lose fish.  I use them from 2/0 to 5/0.  The 2/0 are spectacular for Zoom finesse worms, Yamamoto Fat Baby craws, etc.  They are thin and tough as heck for the size.  

[12poundbass]

I’ve used Gamakatsu for around 20 years and they’ve yet to let me down. I have no reason to try anything else.