What hook are you using for 4 in beaver baits?

[Casslaw]

I’m a big fan of the Superline EWG in 3/0, 4/0, and 5/0 for almost all of my soft plastics that are Texas rigged. The 5/0s are almost always on a swimbait but, depending in the beaver bait, a 3/0 or 4/0 has been my go to for about 6 months now and I rarely have hook up issues.

I would also also like to hear why the EWGs are bad for elaztech baits??

[Delta Bass Fool]

The only hook you need for a beaver. The 4/0 fits it perfectly.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owne...cpage-OJF.html

there is a review that points out that this hook can cut your line due to how the eye is designed.

[DrewFlu33]

Why? Please 'splain. I haven't used any of the Elaztech baits except the SK Zero soft stick. Used a Gamakatsu circle hook, somewhere around a #1 or 1/0 I think. Years ago...worked VERY well that weekend. Mostly wacky rigged. Obviously, with a circle hook, the point has to be exposed all the time.

There are some places where I like the Superline hooks...mainly having to do with getting the center of gravity shifted aft, to get a nice spiral fall with an otherwise unweighted plastic bait. Sometimes, I'll push the hook further into the nose of the bait to move the hook back farther. A drop of cheap superglue on the knot & eye will make this stay put through anything you can drag it through. Lots of odd things to experiment with in fishing...probably why I like it so much. That and exploring new lakes...

I’m a big fan of the Superline EWG in 3/0, 4/0, and 5/0 for almost all of my soft plastics that are Texas rigged. The 5/0s are almost always on a swimbait but, depending in the beaver bait, a 3/0 or 4/0 has been my go to for about 6 months now and I rarely have hook up issues.

I would also also like to hear why the EWGs are bad for elaztech baits??

Sorry for missing this for so long!

The short answer is that you will miss fish with Elaztech as it's prone to balling up on this style of hook. Sort of similar to the issues everyone who's ever Texas rigged a tube has had at one time or another, but different as it's due to the properties of the material in this case versus the design of the bait itself.

The longer answer - and this is me giving some "educated" speculation, only "educated" because I've missed a bunch of fish on EWGs with Elaztech - is due to the design of EWG hooks. If you compare an EWG to a regular offset, you'll notice that the point on the EWG points almost directly back toward the eye of the hook, while on a regular offset the point aims sort of "over" the hook eye. A regular offset isn't an option for me in most situations as, even though I know it's probably in my head, I don't like the narrow hook gap. I think I lose too many fish after hooking them because that narrow gap means you're more apt to skin hook them versus getting the hook into the "meat."

So taking it a step further and comparing the EWG to a straight shank (the option I choose for Elaztech baits), when you Texas rig a straight shank the point of the hook is aimed basically perpendicular to the bait itself. With regular soft plastic baits, I've not had issues with hookups on an EWG. I believe this is because the bait collapses on the bite/hookset and the force of the hookset pushes the point through the bait and straight into the fish's mouth. And when you get a fish hooked on an EWG, they aren't getting off. The problem with Elaztech combined with the design of an EWG is that the Elaztech is both "sticky" and really stretchy. So when you set the hook, the "sticky" material often doesn't let the point of the hook come on through the bait to stick the fish, whether that's because it catches on the barb or "sticks" to the steel on the hook itself. The stretchiness compounds this issue as it reduces the force of the hookset in actually pushing the point through the bait. The bait may collapse, sure, but the material is so stretchy that it doesn't create enough force, particularly with the material wanting to stick, to expose the point. Instead, the hook point just drives further into the material instead of the fish's mouth. With a straight shank, the hook set puts the force of the point straight through the bait and into the fish's mouth. Hopefully that makes sense....if not, I can maybe draw a picture that illustrates what I'm talking about.

I prefer an EWG on regular soft plastics because I don't have issues hooking up, the fish stay pinned incredibly well, and my baits last longer (again related to the point angle with the bait as it's rigged, and to a lesser extent to the way the hook keepers tend to tear up soft plastic). Adding to the last point, it's more weedless because it takes more for the point to become exposed. Stick a straight shank on a regular soft plastic, it takes very little to get that point through the bait and while I'll concede it's probably better for hookup percentages, there's so little plastic there that baits get worn out very quickly and even lifting a bait over a limb or popping it off a piece of vegetation is enough to drive the point out and cause it to snag up. IF I were having problems with hookups on the EWG, I'd put up with the other stuff from a straight shank. Since I don't, it's a no brainer for me.

The features of Elaztech necessitate the straight shank and simultaneously negate the negative things you see with standard soft plastic.

All my opinion, but there it is for what it's worth.

[Delta Bass Fool]

I tried doing some punching yesterday and struggled to get the bait through the surface.

[Fishysam]

4/0 ewg unless punching then a 4/0 trokar straight shank with a keeper

[Casslaw]

Thanks for the explanation Drew. It does make sense now that I’m trying to stick myself in the finger with a t rigged elaztech frog. Your explanations are always top notch!

[Walkabout7781]

I tried doing some punching yesterday and struggled to get the bait through the surface.

Most of what we get in mats is broken off reeds. A little pull will usually open up a bit of a gap and let the bait fall through if the sinker is pegged. If not pegged to stay with the hook, the weight and bait separate, which doesn't help...as I'm sure you know already. You're using a pegged weight, I assume. How heavy, and are they lead or tungsten? Lots of guys use 1 oz and 2 oz tungsten punching weights. Larger (lead) ones won't drop through as easily. Adding a good slimy scent like Smelly Jelly Sticky Liquid might also help quite a bit.

[Delta Bass Fool]

http://www.bbcboards.net/showthread....1#post10311877 The second picture in this post is what I was trying to punch with.

BPS 1oz. Lead skirted weight. I have a tube of mega strike for scent will that do?

it was a windy day during low tide so those two variables possibly made the Matt more dense. I was not able shake through very easy. I was able to punch through about 6 out of 50 flips before I gave up. Maintaining boat position was extremely difficult for me. I need to learn how to position my self so that I am facing the wind vs the wind at my back blowing me into the Matt’s I am attempting to punch.

I now see why tungston is important for punching as it’s more dense heavier and smaller for easier penetration through the Matt’s.