Losing fish on a beaver bait...need hook recommendations

[fluke1987]

I can't remember for the life of me losing fish like this as of late. It's either feast or famine it seems like the last couple of months with getting fish hooked up or keeping them on long enough to get to the boat.

I use a 7' 3" MH X-Fast action rod with 20 pound Seaguar red label to throw texas rigs with a 1/4 to 3/8 oz bullet weight. The hook i've been using for years is a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG. Hook point is super sharp but I have running into two problems...

1) The bait sliding down the hook bunching up on the hook point on a hookset
2) The hook bending out slightly on the hook set

I am thinking of getting some spring lock Gamakatsu superline hooks to solve this issue. What do you guys recommend?

[J Risco]

I run a similar setup to you with Gammy EWG's with great results. Just checking but have you checked the other stuff like reel/drag and maybe how the plastic is rigged (how far you Tex-pose the hook point etc)? A small change in something like that can change hookup sometimes.

The Superline hooks are stout, but remember since they are a thicker gauge they take more ummph to drive the barb home.

Prob not much help but just spitballing, sometimes it helps haha

[InseineFishing]

I use a 4/0 EWG hook when fishing all beaver style baits. But I typically use VMC hooks. I always have the problem of the bait sliding down the hook but no bending of the VMC hooks.

[kadas]

You might think about trying the Owner hooks with the twistlock --the Beast has a wide gap and the Twistlock Center Lock hook has a bigger gap. I have pretty much switched all my hooks except the flipping hooks that I want to snell to the Owner twistlock hooks. Bait never slides down the hook--better hookups and your plastic lasts a lot longer because the end is held solid. I am very happy with these hooks and am glad I switched. Just a suggestion

[kstephes033]

Gammy hooks have always bent out on me no matter which version, since switching to trokar and owners i have not had the same issue.

[Big Guy]

I don't know where the ewg crap came from... the hook point is straight in line with the line tie. They suck for me Owner offset!

[huntertn]

This will seem really odd but I will throw it out anyway. I use a similar setup for a different creature bait and I tried a different attractant last year and it caused the plastic baits to get soft. I put the attractant in the bag of plastics and let it soak. I did not notice it at first (like one or two days of marinating) but after the plastics soaked for a week or two it really softened the baits up. It was very noticeable when I pulled them out of the bag. I had some trouble with the baits sliding down the hook but really did not think much about it. I did not like how much it softened the plastic baits so I stopped using it.

I don't know what to say about straightening the hooks out. I don't have that problem on my Gamy EWGs... the fish I catch aren't that big

[Dh0ckey11]

Superline Gammy EWGs, don't bend out very easily. As far as the bait sliding issue, you could always make a keeper out of heat shrink. Usually doesn't bother me too much with beavers though.

[swampshark]

I marshaled with Matt Herren on Toledo Bend...he is sponsored by Reaction Innovations (Sweet Beavers)....he was hammering the bass in the flooded buckbrush...EVERY FISH HE HOOKED WAS THROUGH THE TOP LIP. Occasionally he would retie and change hooks and throw the old hook on the deck...I picked one up and made the comment about him not losing any fish with this hook....i asked what kind it was....HAYABUSA 5/0...I've changed my punching, flipping, worms hooks to this hook and have had the same success! The keeper is flourocarbon wrapped with thread...before I use em, I put a small drop of superglue on the thread because if u don't, the thread will eventually unravel.

[willwork4fish]

4/0 Owner Riggin hook to the rescue

[Real Pudd legend]

Try the Gamkatsu deep throat wide gap hook in 4/0 and 5/0 . After to switching to that for my beavers and fat ikas I haven't had any issues.

[DrewFlu33]

Put a dab of super glue on the hook at the bend of the offset right before you thread the bait over it. Though you didn't say what type of plastics you were using, I've never seen plastics slide down worse than Z-Man Elaztechs when Texas rigged. They're great for a bunch of things, but staying put without a keeper of some sort is not one of them. This solves it and allows me to successfully Texas rig them.

I've never straightened a Gamy Superline EWG...they're my main Texas rig hook. I favor 5/0 hooks for beavers, but have muscled 5 lbers out of thick weeds with braid on them. I also don't ever recall straightening a regular Gamy EWG, but that may not be right. Cheap Matzuos? Have straightened them a bunch. I've also straightened Daiichis recently which used to be (at least I thought they were) the best hooks out there....maybe they've gone down hill, or I just didn't know what I didn't know.

[fluke1987]

Try the Gamkatsu deep throat wide gap hook in 4/0 and 5/0 . After to switching to that for my beavers and fat ikas I haven't had any issues.

This one has crossed my mind as well

[fluke1987]

Put a dab of super glue on the hook at the bend of the offset right before you thread the bait over it. Though you didn't say what type of plastics you were using, I've never seen plastics slide down worse than Z-Man Elaztechs when Texas rigged. They're great for a bunch of things, but staying put without a keeper of some sort is not one of them. This solves it and allows me to successfully Texas rig them.

I've never straightened a Gamy Superline EWG...they're my main Texas rig hook. I favor 5/0 hooks for beavers, but have muscled 5 lbers out of thick weeds with braid on them. I also don't ever recall straightening a regular Gamy EWG, but that may not be right. Cheap Matzuos? Have straightened them a bunch. I've also straightened Daiichis recently which used to be (at least I thought they were) the best hooks out there....maybe they've gone down hill, or I just didn't know what I didn't know.

I haven't straightened the hooks...but they have enough flex in them to bow out a bit.

[DrewFlu33]

Yeah, I didn't word that well. I tend to call a hook "straightened" if it bends to the point that it's noticeable which isn't fair to those who've really straightened hooks. I meant that I've not bent them, or at least never noticed one being bent.

[Texjim0186]

I use a 5/0 gammy hook with my Beavers with no problems..

[cortman]

I caught probably a dozen 5+ lb. fish on Netbait B-Bugs last fall. I lost several to the problems you mention, especially hooks bending out. I made the simple switch to Gamakatsu Superline 3/0 hooks and that seemed to solve the problems. I have yet to bend out one of those things!

[dstep0]

I use Gammy Superline EWG 4/0 when casting a beaver but always use a straight shank 5/0 Mustad Denny Brauer Grip Pin Flippin Hook when pitching and flipping. No problems whatsoever with hook flex or baits balling up. I can't recall a time that I've missed a fish.

If you're set on EWG style, then maybe look at the Mustad EWG Grip Pin model. It has a keeper on the hook so baits don't slide down.

[WSfishin]

I can't remember for the life of me losing fish like this as of late. It's either feast or famine it seems like the last couple of months with getting fish hooked up or keeping them on long enough to get to the boat.

I use a 7' 3" MH X-Fast action rod with 20 pound Seaguar red label to throw texas rigs with a 1/4 to 3/8 oz bullet weight. The hook i've been using for years is a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG. Hook point is super sharp but I have running into two problems...

1) The bait sliding down the hook bunching up on the hook point on a hookset
2) The hook bending out slightly on the hook set

I am thinking of getting some spring lock Gamakatsu superline hooks to solve this issue. What do you guys recommend?

KVD Grip pin........it works

[TonyL65]

I use an O ring just like you would on a wacky rigged Senko. Just position the O ring about 1/8 inch down from the head of the bait. It really helps to keep the bait from sliding down the hook. There is a video on YouTube about this.