Best Hooks for Moonshine, Cleos etc?

[Joker Products]

Just wanted everyone's opinion on what hooks you use and what hooks you think are best for casting spoons. I mostly use 3/4 oz glow spoons because I fish at night. I use Moonshine, Cleos, KOs etc and I DO replace all the stock hooks.

Last year I used #4 & #2 sized Gamakatsu 1x round bend treble hooks with mixed results. Since the hooks were only 1x strong the salmon would end up bending them and I recently had several salmon get off on the #2 size more than likely because the hook had dulled from last year.

So this year thinking I knew what I was doing I bought a bunch of high priced Owner STX 58 3x+ strong treble hooks in size #4 & #2 and just had two salmon get off last night after fighting them for several seconds. I just put those hooks on and they are super sharp what is going on???

I've heard of people using single Siwash hooks and heard they rarely get off once hooked but the bite has to be aggressive or you won't hook them. Possibly the #4 size hooks are too small but then again I don't want a huge hook on a small spoon like the 3/4oz moonshines. It says on Owners website the single most important factor in hook penetration is the wire diameter. Would an EWG type of treble be better possibly?

Again just want to see everyone's opinion on this and what works for you guys. I'm just totally disgusted after finally hooking into a salmon after hundreds of casts just to have it throw the hook and swim away.

Thanks,

Scott

[baitrigger]

All you can do is keep them sharp. Kings in the fall have hard almost bone like moulths. Some days we are lucky to land ten percent. You can drive yourself crazy with this question. I love the owners hooks

[Sk8man]

I changed all mine over to Mustad Siwash 2/0 and 3/0  triple or 5 x stainless hooks a long time ago and have never looked back.They penetrate deeply and are verysharp and strong. The advantage of a single in my opinion is that it doesn't work against itself like trebles do when the fish bite down...the singles penetrate right through the mouth or jaw and there is nothing for them to work against with their mouth or jaw. I have never had one bend or break on a fish. I'd use 1/0 or 2/0 for smaller Cleos etc.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Sk8man

[Joker Products]

I think I'm onboard with you Sk8man. I just lost two more kings last night and I've lost 6 of my last 7 fish with "super sharp" Owner & Gama trebles. Ever since I switched to the Owner STX 58 trebles (top of the line mind you) my catch rate has fallen off the charts.

I had better catch rates with the Gama 1x round bends but the salmon were bending them so I switched to the STX hooks. I've also thought about trying the VMC Sureset hooks. I know they are mostly for crankbaits but would they work on spoons? I know certain Krocodile spoons come with them and I would think that would be a brilliant hook.

Also would single siwash hooks be good for night time fishing or are they better for daytime use? Either way I think these Owner STX hooks are going in the trash.

[Sk8man]

I use singles for everything except stick baits and trolling flies and have done so for many many years successfully.

[GAMBLER]

The only downfall of single hooks is the hooks come right out of the eye of small fish 90% of the time. 

[Sk8man]

It can happen but I've never had it happen any where near that frequently and it is quite a bit easier to release fish without even handling them with singles (long nose pliers twist the hook back through under their weight and they fall off the hook and take off.

[baitrigger]

Is going through the eye any worse than tring to get a treble out of a shaker. When all three hooks lock the moulth. I end up eating more fish this way.

[Joker Products]

I used single siwash hooks for a short period of time last year but took them off because the opening on the hook wasn't big enough and constantly got hung up on the split ring of the spoon. I also thought to myself at the time if I was using a treble hook I would be hooking up with more fish that were hitting the spoon but not getting hooked.

What are the best single hooks to use? I have a few dozen siwash hooks don't like how they get caught up with the split ring is there any other type of single hook that's better?

Edited October 26, 2014 by EyeSlayer

[Sk8man]

I'm not sure how what you are describing is happening.  I never have any problems with the Mustad siwash salmon hooks. I also orient my hooks with the point facing upward unlike a lot of folks and maybe that is the difference.

[Joker Products]

I'm not sure how what you are describing is happening. I never have any problems with the Mustad siwash salmon hooks. I also orient my hooks with the point facing upward unlike a lot of folks and maybe that is the difference.

I used the Gama & Owner Siwash hooks I'm not sure if it's one or the other or both. What is happening is the eye on the hook is too small I believe and every few casts the eye would get caught up on the split ring on the spoon. I happened to throw a couple 2/5-2/3oz Cleo's about a month ago that I never got to swapping out the hooks on and the hook would get hung up on the ring every 5 casts or so. I believe they were 1/0 size Siwash hooks so they were the right size.

[Sk8man]

I'd try replacing the split rings with a size smaller to see if that helps

[Joker Products]

How big are the eyes on your Mustads? I think your right about getting smaller split rings that would probably correct the problem. Mine were all open eyes that I had to pinch down are the Mustads the same?

[Sk8man]

Yes but you have to make sure the ring closes fully and that it makes a full "circle" (and not off to the side but fully closed)

[Joker Products]

There is a tiny gap in the eye but it's as far as it will close.

[Sk8man]

Should be OK then as long as it isn't off to the side

[Joker Products]

I'm gonna try them again and will post pics if it happens again which I'm sure it will.