Owner vs Gamakatsu

[flechero]

And this thread is really splitting hairs.  Deciding between the 2 best or 2 of the 3 best hooks out there...   both are far superior to the vast majority of hooks available today that the choice is really more of a hook style preference.

[ToledoEF]

I have both, I think the owners seem a bit more sturdy, but gammys have never let me down once, I use them both depending on what I grab out of my hook box!

[burleytog]

The business end of Gamakatsu hooks is far too thin.  The point rolls over far too easily.

[Catt]

The best explanation ever is this quote from Raul who is a doctor of veterinary medicine.

Here's a little explanation on how the shape of the point can make a world of difference: in my daily practice I use sutures, sutures that come with needle, needles are different depending upon what you are going to stitch, we have needles for everything BUT skin and needles for skin. What's the difference, well, skin is anything but soft so the shape of the point is different.

Needles for everything have a CONICAL POINT, while needles for skin have CUTTING EDGE POINT, what's the difference? try to drive a conical point needle through skin and it will penetrate if you use a lot of muscle, do the same with a cutting edge point needle and it's a piece of cake, you don't need to apply a lot of muscle to make the needle go through the skin, why ? Because while a conical point has to separate the tissue the cutting edge point SLICES through it.

Needles and hooks have the exact same application, to penetrate tissue, which one you think does a better job after the explanation, conical or cutting edge? Gammys are conical head hooks, Owners Cutting edge are cutting edge hooks.  

So don't let your supposedly brand loyalty cloud your vision, in the pure aspect of function Gammys are sharp I'm not denying it but Owner's cutting edge hooks have superior hook penetration than Gammys hands down. And not only that, they cut through the toughest baits effortlessly.

[bassman31783]

Owner hooks are far superior to gamakatsu , i finally got tired of gamakatsu hooks flexing way to much and having fish come unhooked . i recently gave away all of the gamakatsu hooks i had to some youngsters at one of the places i fish . treble hooks , rig n' hooks (ewg) , weighted and un weighted swimbait hooks ( the Beast ) , twistlock w/cps (center point spring) , oversize worm hooks (7/0 & 11/0 ) , shakey head jigs , and the list goes on !! , owner hooks are the best , period ......

I have been fishing Gamakatsu for 12 years without an issue of any

kind. I also picked up some XPoints a few years ago and REALLY liked

them, too. Our local Sportsmen's Warehouse recently went out of

business and I picked up some Owners, two 25 packs for $10!!!!!

Owners are great, but I bought the heavy gauge 5/0 EWG Offset

Worm Hooks which have limited application for me. I guess I will

be fishing these occasionally for the next decade!

8-)

Hey RW aren't you a Swim Senko man? I'm sure you've already tried those hooks with them but just in case you haven't, they work great. That heavy gauge really cuts down on the side to side wobble.  Makes the bait run a little more true IMHO.  Once again, you've probably already tried them but just thought if you haven't you really need to give it a try.

[roadwarrior]

Nope, but I will give 'em a try. I have always used

Gamakatsu 5/0 Offset Round Bend for the Swimming

Senko.

8-)

[Fishing Rhino]

The best explanation ever is this quote from Raul who is a doctor of veterinary medicine.

Here's a little explanation on how the shape of the point can make a world of difference: in my daily practice I use sutures, sutures that come with needle, needles are different depending upon what you are going to stitch, we have needles for everything BUT skin and needles for skin. What's the difference, well, skin is anything but soft so the shape of the point is different.

Needles for everything have a CONICAL POINT, while needles for skin have CUTTING EDGE POINT, what's the difference? try to drive a conical point needle through skin and it will penetrate if you use a lot of muscle, do the same with a cutting edge point needle and it's a piece of cake, you don't need to apply a lot of muscle to make the needle go through the skin, why ? Because while a conical point has to separate the tissue the cutting edge point SLICES through it.

Needles and hooks have the exact same application, to penetrate tissue, which one you think does a better job after the explanation, conical or cutting edge? Gammys are conical head hooks, Owners Cutting edge are cutting edge hooks.

So don't let your supposedly brand loyalty cloud your vision, in the pure aspect of function Gammys are sharp I'm not denying it but Owner's cutting edge hooks have superior hook penetration than Gammys hands down. And not only that, they cut through the toughest baits effortlessly.

I remember when cutting edge hooks were appearing on the scene.  I read an article pro and con about conical and cutting edge hooks, probably in Salt Water Sportsman.

The argument went like this.  

The cutting edge hooks will penetrate more easily, and are a definite advantage in some situations, particularly in fish with tough mouths.

However, the fact that it cuts means it creates a larger hole than the conical which pierces, then stretches the skin rather than cutting it.  Once past the barb, the conical will hold better, since it results in a smaller hole.

So the gist was, the cutting edge provides better penetration, while the conical has better holding power.

I don't recall which if either got the call as the better overall hook.

[CWB]

I have been fishing Gamakatsu for 12 years without an issue of any

kind. I also picked up some XPoints a few years ago and REALLY liked

them, too. Our local Sportsmen's Warehouse recently went out of

business and I picked up some Owners, two 25 packs for $10!!!!!

Owners are great, but I bought the heavy gauge 5/0 EWG Offset

Worm Hooks which have limited application for me. I guess I will

be fishing these occasionally for the next decade!

8-)

Hey Kent-

You can send me those Owners if you don't want them.

I use both and don't have any issues with either.

Owners do seem sharper right out of the package though.

[Micro]

For applications needing an EWG hook, offset or straight worm hook, Gamakatsus are everything I need.  I've never had any issue with them, whatsoever.  For specialty hooks, I like Owner.  Wide gaps with twist locks, shaky heads, mosquito hooks for drop shotting are all Owners.  Never had any issues.  For Wacky hooks, I like Gamakatsus better than Owners, especially in the weedless versions.  

[DINK WHISPERER]

The last time I was flipping grass, I bent a Gamakatsu 5/0 EWG Superline hook. It didn't straighten but I couldn't use the hook anymore. I was using 65lb braid and the fish was better than 5lbs. That was the first time that has ever happened to me with the Superlines. I haven't tried the Owners but will probably give them a shot this weekend.

THERE IS NO WAY MAN! You may have gotten a bad pack or something. I use them with 65lb braid and a telephone pole for a rod with no issues! I flip NASTY, HEAVY FL slop and set the hook HARD on big bass. 8lb+ sometimes, and bully them out with no problems!

[Randall]

Owners! It's not even close for me. I have bent and straighted more Gammies on big bass than I can count before using Owners. I have only bent two Owners. One was a hookset in mid air on what looked like a nine or ten pounder and the other was a big fish stuck in heavy grass that I had already broke the rod on trying to pull it out. This is true of trebles and worm type hooks. The Gammies will also flex on the hookset which changes the direction of force applied to the tip. I stayed away from Owners for years because of the cutting point being said to cut a large hole but when I tried them myself and compared I found I hooked more fish in the hard part of the mouth instead of on the outer skin parts of the mouth. That told me the Gammies weren't sticking in the harder parts of the mouth and were not taking hold until they hit the softer tissues. Owners take less force to set the hook and are stronger.

[ptomacbass]

Owners! It's not even close for me. I have bent and straighted more Gammies on big bass than I can count before using Owners. I have only bent two Owners. One was a hookset in mid air on what looked like a nine or ten pounder and the other was a big fish stuck in heavy grass that I had already broke the rod on trying to pull it out. This is true of trebles and worm type hooks. The Gammies will also flex on the hookset which changes the direction of force applied to the tip. I stayed away from Owners for years because of the cutting point being said to cut a large hole but when I tried them myself and compared I found I hooked more fish in the hard part of the mouth instead of on the outer skin parts of the mouth. That told me the Gammies weren't sticking in the harder parts of the mouth and were not taking hold until they hit the softer tissues. Owners take less force to set the hook and are stronger.[/quote]

[avid]

Owner all the way baby

[Fishing Rhino]

I have been fishing Gamakatsu for 12 years without an issue of any

kind. I also picked up some XPoints a few years ago and REALLY liked

them, too. Our local Sportsmen's Warehouse recently went out of

business and I picked up some Owners, two 25 packs for $10!!!!!

Owners are great, but I bought the heavy gauge 5/0 EWG Offset

Worm Hooks which have limited application for me. I guess I will

be fishing these occasionally for the next decade!

8-)

Hey Kent-

You can send me those Owners if you don't want them.

I use both and don't have any issues with either.

Owners do seem sharper right out of the package though.

CWB, you are such a philanthropic mendicant.  As I recall, you also offered to relieve me of the burden of some baits I wasn't using.  ;D

[rboat]

I have and use both. I have not noticed any big difference. Owners seem sharper out of the package. I also like Diiachi trebles.

[Triton21]

I prefer Owners over anything else the vast majority of the time.

Me too.

Kelley

[Stringjam]

Other hooks lay awake in bed at night - crying - wishing they were Owners.

[iceintheveins]

I love Gamakatsu and have never tried an owner hook. Sometimes the point on gammies does roll over, but I just throw them away by then. Many hav said the Owners don't roll over as much so I do want to try them. I have never had a problem with larger bass bending a gammie though, although my biggest bass are just under 7 pounds.

[NOVA Angler]

The last time I was flipping grass, I bent a Gamakatsu 5/0 EWG Superline hook. It didn't straighten but I couldn't use the hook anymore. I was using 65lb braid and the fish was better than 5lbs. That was the first time that has ever happened to me with the Superlines. I haven't tried the Owners but will probably give them a shot this weekend.

THERE IS NO WAY MAN! You may have gotten a bad pack or something. I use them with 65lb braid and a telephone pole for a rod with no issues! I flip NASTY, HEAVY FL slop and set the hook HARD on big bass. 8lb+ sometimes, and bully them out with no problems!

I have used the Superlines for a long time flipping and never had it happen before my last outing.  I was suprised when I went to rig the next bait and the hook was bent slightly outwards (enough so that I couldn't skin hook the bait).  I estimate that I caught 50 or so fish flipping with that same hook this year before it happened.  Maybe I just wore it out.  If it happens again, I'll post a pic.

[J Francho]

I've opened up just about every flipping hook there is, except the BMF.  Problem is, they are hard to come by.  I've been using Owner 8/0 SSW and Gammy 5/0 Octupus hooks for this lately.  Haven't bent any.

Here's an article on how to do it: http://www.burniehaney.com/blank.html

[Uncle Leo]

I do use Owner but have used Gamakatsu when Owner was not available. Both are good I just prefer Owner as my hook up ratio is better. I have to add that I never lost a fish due to hook failure on either of these brands.

[CWB]

I have been fishing Gamakatsu for 12 years without an issue of any

kind. I also picked up some XPoints a few years ago and REALLY liked

them, too. Our local Sportsmen's Warehouse recently went out of

business and I picked up some Owners, two 25 packs for $10!!!!!

Owners are great, but I bought the heavy gauge 5/0 EWG Offset

Worm Hooks which have limited application for me. I guess I will

be fishing these occasionally for the next decade!

8-)

Hey Kent-

You can send me those Owners if you don't want them.

I use both and don't have any issues with either.

Owners do seem sharper right out of the package though.

CWB, you are such a philanthropic mendicant. As I recall, you also offered to relieve me of the burden of some baits I wasn't using. ;D

If I knew what that meant, I might be insulted.

Just trying to help you guys out.

[cabullwinkle]

The owners are Sharp Sharp Sharp.  However, despite how sharp they are, I cannot bring myself to cough up the price they ask for those.  I have used Gamakatsu hooks, and they are sharp as well and do great for me, and they are more reasonably priced for good solid hooks.  In my opinion, go with the Gams.

[J Francho]

The owners are Sharp Sharp Sharp. However, despite how sharp they are, I cannot bring myself to cough up the price they ask for those. I have used Gamakatsu hooks, and they are sharp as well and do great for me, and they are more reasonably priced for good solid hooks. In my opinion, go with the Gams.

A 5 pack of 3/0 Gammy EWG's are $2.99, whereas the same 5 pack of Owner Wide Gap Plus are 3.19. Does $.20 really make that much a diffrence?

:-?

[Maxximus Redneckus]

I have most major brands if i had to choose one it be owner you can look at strike king sabre points also very good hook for the money,then again hooks ain't bad compared to many other things we buy why hold back get the best u can get