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  1. Member DrewFlu33's Avatar
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    Mar 2016
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    Twin Cities, MN
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    8,049
    #21
    Those wire weed guard hooks SUCK for traditional wacky rigging on light equipment. Unless you can set the hook like you would on a flipping jig, as you've found out, you'll lose more than you catch.

    The Neko style hooks are my favorite, the VMC weedless Neko is a great one. With any weedless option you will trade off hookups for weedlessness, but that's very minimal on the weedless Neko. In the same breath, I would not throw these in thick brush unless you are okay with losing a bunch. They're fine for getting through moderate cover, but will hang in thick stuff.

    If you need to throw them in brush, the wire weed guard ones are probably the most weedless, but you really need to size up your equipment (namely your line) and cross their eyes when you set the hook to avoid losing every fish that bites it.

    The Gamakatsu wicked wacky is a good middle ground for reliable hookups with a weedguard (not as reliable as a bare hook or the VMC weedless Neko but way more reliable than the wire weedguard type) and weedlessness (more weedless than the VMC weedless Neko, less than the wire weedguard types), but they ain't cheap.
    2011 Skeeter ZX225
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  2. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    South Elgin, IL
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    3,898
    #22
    I've always liked a 1/0 straight shank hook. Used to use the plain old Gammy round bend worm hook. The Neko hooks work pretty well too.

  3. Tin Boats Moderator Pokie Pa's Avatar
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    Jan 2008
    Location
    Lake Ariel, Pa.
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    7,272
    #23
    1/0 VMC for 5" 1 VMC for 4"

  4. Member
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Valatie
    Posts
    241
    #24
    Gammy Octopus circle hooks (3/0) in red or black. I always have one of each tied on. These are also my follow-up bait and NO GUARDS.


    When following up to Drop in a mat hole (Frog Fishing) I will rig Texas also no weight.
    Last edited by Trickyrick; 05-10-2019 at 02:16 PM.
    1994 Ranger 392
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  5. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Tuscumbia, AL
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    1,069
    #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Luke View Post
    Well little update. so I bought some of the VMC Weedless Wacky hooks in 1/0 and used them this past weekend.
    I have never lost so many fish on a hook in my life. I probably lost 15 fish or more. not sure if it was because of the wire weed guard but I did cut it off one hook and my hook ups did seem to improve.
    not knocking the VMC hook because the ones that I did get to the boat were stuck good. just not sure if it was just the way it is fishing wacky style as I haven't ever hardly done it but man I was really irritated over it
    definitely worst hook made. We drift live minnows in the creek up here for 5+ lb smallmouth and I had the exact same experience as you. I’ve thrown out plenty of plastics but that’s the only pack of hooks I’ve ever thrown straight in the garbage.

  6. Member Topwater All Day's Avatar
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    Feb 2007
    Location
    El Dorado Hills, CA
    Posts
    786
    #26
    Interesting opinions on this topic...and a lot of guys like the Gammy hooks! They are good hooks for sure! I prefer an Owner weedless wacky hook for my wacky Senko fishing and have a little different take on not loosing fish. I don't really set the hook anymore, once I feel a fish I reel up any slack then just lift and reel. When the fish feels you, they almost always try to swim away from you so that along with lifting and reeling buries the hook 99% of the time! My hook up ratio has gone way up since I've started doing this.

    And if you think about it, our hooks are all super sharp so why would we need to cross their eyes on a hook set? Give it a try and see what you think...
    Rob Ridge
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  7. Member Walkabout7781's Avatar
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    Oct 2011
    Location
    Renton, WA
    Posts
    11,979
    #27
    Circle hooks work great for either nose hooked or wacky rigged. I like the Gamakatsu best, plus you'll never have the point get hammered over on a rocky lake or creek. They will collect grass, but are pretty snag resistant. I am puzzled by the kirbing (offset point or twist) of the Gamakatsu circle hooks, however. Seems like it would increase the chances of hooking the fish in places other than the corner of the mouth, which is one of their main attractions. That, and the elimination of break-offs on hookset, and "hookset elbow". The difficult part is learning to do the correct hookset when changing from a different rig. A hard yank will get you zero fish...
    Don't bother me, I'm screwing for virginity.

    I killed a 12-pack just to watch it die.

  8. Airborne/Infantry bassnman81's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
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    Lake Norman NC
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    5,778
    #28
    #2 Gama finesse wide gap.


    Lake Norman, N.C./New Britain,CT.
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  9. Member dwtaylor's Avatar
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    Oct 2015
    Location
    Oshkosh, Wisconsin
    Posts
    1,138
    #29
    The VMC weedless hooks do have a hard time hooking up consistently. Make sure the hoop of the wire isnt underneath the hook barb. Otherwise, I think they are plenty sharp, just the weedguard isn't very reliable.

    I just bought a pack of the newish weedless gamakatsu g finesse hooks in 1/0 (would prefee 2/0) and I had a great hookup percentage, but did lose a few due to a balled up bait. If I was using a larger hook I am confident that I would have hooked those fish.

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