Replacing hooks on cranks ?

[jaskoh]

Ok I have been replacing the hooks on most of my cranks.  When I got to my Rapala DT16 cranks I came to a little problem.  It seems that the hooks that come stock are in between a 2 and a 4 Gammy hook.  I don't know if they make #3 Gammies but I have not seen them at Basspro.  

So would you throw on the oversized #2 or undersized #4 and why?  

Thanks, Jason  

[Bass Hammer]

They make them they are just a little harder to find.

[gatrboy53]

i always go larger

[roadwarrior]

Before changing hooks, let's find out a little more about them. I don't know about Rapala crankbaits, but the hooks on their X-Raps are VMC and should NOT be replaced!

[jaskoh]

Before changing hooks, let's find out a little more about them. I don't know about Rapala crankbaits, but the hooks on their X-Raps are VMC and should NOT be replaced!

Even if the hooks are old and dull?  

[Tokyo Tony]

No he means off the bat.  Any hooks that are old and dull should be replaced.  From your original post it sounded like you wanted to replace the new hooks on a Rapala with Gamakatsu hooks.

[roadwarrior]

No he means off the bat. Any hooks that are old and dull should be replaced. From your original post it sounded like you wanted to replace the new hooks on a Rapala with Gamakatsu hooks.

Exactly   8-)

[jaskoh]

No he means off the bat. Any hooks that are old and dull should be replaced. From your original post it sounded like you wanted to replace the new hooks on a Rapala with Gamakatsu hooks.

So in this situation is the general rule to go a little bit bigger?  

Thanks, Jason

[TournyFish001]

They say go as big as you can without getting them tangled with each other and/or mess up the action of the bait- I go bigger especially on lipless traps.  Usually you can get away with one size larger hooks.

[roadwarrior]

I replace with EXACTLY the same size hook. If you have a reason to upsize or downsize because of a suggestion from someone you know or highly regard, go for it! Otherwise, the person/company that designed the lure must have had a reason for selecting the size they chose.

[TournyFish001]

I replace with EXACTLY the same size hook. If you have a reason to upsize or downsize because of a suggestion from someone you know or highly regard, go for it! Otherwise, the person/company that designed the lure must have had a reason for selecting the size they chose.

There is a lot of truth to that RW- when in doubt just go with what they came with.  I have had quite an increase in fish landed on a lipless bait due to hook upsizing this year-

[crankybaits]

If you're thinking of changing hooks I would recommend the sureset hooks that rapala is putting on some  of their baits.  I've even put them on jerk baits and lipless cranks and have seen an increase on hooksets.

[Needemp]

Jaskoh, it is best to stick with the same size hooks that the bait was made with. Your tighter wobble baits were designed with the exact size hook to make the lure have the correct action. Putting a bigger hook or even a Sureset hook will mess with its action. The Suresets act like a rudder and weaken the action of tight-wobble bait. On the other hand, Suresets are fine with wide-wobble cranks because there is a ton of action with them.

I know you fish RC's, don't mess with those hooks. Even when they go dull, change them with the same size and type. Those are precision cranks designed for that exact hook. My suggestion would be not to mess around with different hook sizes until you get more familiar with crankbaits. Your just starting out with them and it's probably best to learn and understand them exactly the way they are made. Then you will have an educated idea why you should change hooks and sizes. Remember it's not just knowing what to do, but why it should be done

BTW, PM me on how you did at BW tonight.

[Needemp]

...I've even put them on jerk baits and lipless cranks and have seen an increase on hooksets.

I second that!

[islandbass]

I also replace with the same size hooks, but in the event I don't have them, I will err on the smaller size. I have never seen size 3  or size 5 trebles anywhere in my local shops. The occassional Rapala comes with an uncommon size as previously mentioned, and this is the time I make an exception to that rule of thumb.

I agree about VMC trebles. They are awsome out of the box on Rapalas. I also use them to replace dulled hooks and hooks I don't trust.

[Stringjam]

Needemp brought up some good points.

Hook size has a BIG impact on how a crank acts.....so keep an open mind about it.  

There are some baits I intentionally change the hooks on before I even hit the water with them......one is the Storm Lightning Shad.  The hooks that come on it are a detriment to the action, and the bait is far more lively if you'll drop a size and use a good light, fine wire treble.    

I have some lipless baits that I take the trebles off of and put a single on the back......I can get them to act almost like a jerkbait because of the hook change.  

I normally don't ever go bigger than what comes on the lure, unless they're just inordinately small......going bigger almost always deadens the action of the crank somewhat.  

[Needemp]

Another thing Jaskoh, you also will get into when to use a shorter shank trebles or a longer shank, and as Stringjam brought up, light wire vs thick, stronger wire. There is a lot that goes into it.

[lubina]

I agree with RW, if for any reasons you want to increase your crank's weight, there are other ways much more effective.

I change hooks pretty much as need. Rat-L-Traps is one of the few I change while still in the box.