Treble hooks

[steve2]

I need to change the hooks on some of my large lures. What size would you and make would recommend and where can I buy them.
Went looking yesterday but could only find hooks up to size 4. Size 4 may sound big but up against the lures they look small.
My local tackle shops now deal mostly with carp.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

What size lures are you using and what size are your target fish?

Mustad, Owner and others make trebles up to size 2/0's but in reality those more resemble grappling hooks . . . . . . .

For most freshwater I think a size 4's would suffice.

 

[keora]

I had the same problem some years ago - I wanted to replace overlarge hooks on lures.

I found the solution was treble hooks designed for bass fishing - light, springy and very sharp. I bought them in sizes 1 and 2.

The advantage was that with 30 lb braid, I could usually recover the hook and the lure if they got snagged on the bottom. I'd wrap the line around the landing net handle, and walk slowly up the bank. The force would make the hook spring open without breaking the line. Yet I never had the hooks open up while playing a fish.

I got them from this firm in the Isle of Wight:

uk-hooks-The Match fisherman's secret weapon

The site doesn't appear to be working properly on my pc.

 

[steve2]

Thanks, that site looks like just what I needed.
Some lures do have over size trebles hooks I am changing are on 8-10" lures.
I did buy some so called size 4 trebles but they are nearer to an old size 8.

 

[terry m]

Before reducing the hook size on your lures too much, check out the video below. (Hopefully the link works).

I am surprised by how quickly pike reject lures once they are in their mouth, in many cases they are spat out in a fraction of a second. It is notable that they hang onto rubber lures no longer than plastic or wooden.

I use lures, jerkbaits and large rubbers in particular where a size 4 or 2 treble would be nowhere near large enough.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb0Tb4-BO8A

 

[steve2]

Fantastic bit of filming of something we never see. Surprising how deep some of those fish swallow on the attack. Doesn't say much for the old days of count to 10 and wait for the 2nd run.
Looks like I need work out what size hooks I am replacing and replace with the same.Is there a way of checking what size they are?

 

[keora]

I've tried measuring hooks - the gape ( from the point across to the shank) and the overall length ( base of the eye along the shank to the bottom of the curve of the hook). I've found that small differences in dimensions make big differences to the size.

 

[terry m]

Run mustad trebles in Google Images and there are some decent size charts that come back.

I understand there is variation between manufacturers, but this is a good starting point.