21xdc Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 I will be using these for bass fishing and need something light wire to help float my baits properly. The smallest hooks can be #8 trebles. How small of a split ring will hold up to bass fishing? SS or copper etc? Eagle Claw used to make a teflon coated short shank feather lite hook. Anything similar? Will a "00" split ring hold up? I thought they were rated for lb test etc? OK... Who makes the lightest short shank treble and lightest strong split ring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted December 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 OK... 38 looks and no help? I solved my trouble. I switched to a different wood that floats much better. Now I can use whatever hooks I want. Thanks for nothing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mags Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 I have used 1/0 SS split rings and #6 Gammies to get jerkbaits to suspend. 1/0 are fine for bass. Gammies are lightweight compared to other brand. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CL Rods Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 (edited) Heres what I have found just recently as I have tried them on the 1/2"x3" minnows that I made from Malaysian Hardwood dowels (from AC Moore on a whim). Bass Pro #1 rings (the cheap ones as they are thinner) and Mustad short shank #8 triple grips and that was about as good as it gets. I was making my eyes using .035 SS twisted wire and I went down a size but I don't remember what it is now but it might be like .03. This smaller diameter helps getting those smaller split rings on also. I then put a little less taper in the backend and they float OK not great but more like a Sammy but they will walk. And I did look at using #0 rings but between getting them on the hooks and on the baits it was dang near impossible without pretty well ruining the rings. Edited December 7, 2008 by 76gator more info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 7, 2008 Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Wadaya mean "nothing"? 38 guys looked, nobody had a solution, so didn't comment. That's an answer:yes: I avoid baits that 1) won't cast well or 2) carry hooks so small they can't snag short striking topwater bass. If it comes down to a #8 round bend treble being too large, I start thinking about putting a single octopus style hook on the tail and forgetting about a belly treble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 If you're getting down to #8 trebles, you don't have to worry about how strong the split ring is. I use sst rings, because I don't want rust. But you're going to have to play any fish you catch with a #8 hook anyway, so there is not need to worry about the split ring. You'll straighten the hook, or it will pull out, before you open any split ring. I use rods with an 00 or 1 power rating, like a Loomis popper rod, for throwing small lures with small trebles. If you don't have a really flexible rod, you'll never land a fish with that small a hook. Not to mention how hard it is just to cast it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 I have been T fishing for 28 years. I can catch them just fine on #8 trebles. You guys are now posting after I solved my problem ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlcam Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Dude,have a little more patience.Some of the guys on here don't get on quite as often as others do,atleast they are trying to help you.Maybe after 28 yrs T fishing ,you should have this figured out already.Everybody on here tries to help,so I think we should be a little more thankful, JMHO.Sorry I couldn't help you but if I could I too would be too late.....Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Thanks for nothing... A smiley is not going to save you from that statement, I'm a little offended. I must have re-read this post 20 times, trying to find the humor, but failed. I agree with RL, you really didn't give us much of a chance, but I have made this mistake in the past too and took heat, so now it is your turn. I am glad you solved your own problem, but the subsequent, late answers are not wasted. In the future, someone will do a search and find these answers. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 You guys need to lighten up.. The is all in fun... No lines to read between. Life is too short to be grumpy... I'm never grumpy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 People write differently so I don't try to read between the lines. If you have a deadline, please mention it in your original post. Anyway, I'm glad to know the problem is OBE, so I'll hijack the thread and make a comment about treble hook sizes. What is one design feature that almost always makes one bait more popular than others? Number and size of treble hooks! Look at the most popular jerkbaits and you'll usually see 3 trebles, not 2. Smithwick Rogues, etc. How did Lucky Craft upgrade the Pointer? Put 3 vs 2 hooks on it and renamed it the Slender Pointer. Saltwater hard baits seem to take it to ridiculous extremes, with 3" baits festooned with 3 #4 trebles. Look at the "hottest" shallow baits and you'll see #4 trebles, not #6's. How often do you read about pro fishermen DOWNSIZING hooks? Never. That's something to think about when designing baits. It can be taken too far - far enough to hurt the bait's action (you gotta get them to bite it before you can hook'em) - but it's a factor to consider if you make baits for other fishermen to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Good post Bob... I always use the biggest hook I can get away with. But I'm targeting smallmouth in ultra clear water. My goal is a thin 3 in bait. When I originally posted. My first batch of finished baits would barely float with #8 hooks. Thats why I posted the original question. My second batch was from different wood and on the turning wheel... As soon as I took them off, I hooked them up and they floated so much better. Thats why I posted so soon afterwards that I have the problem solved and don't need any help/suggestions. That stuck me funny and made the joke "Thanks for nothing" because I fixed my own problem so soon... Not saying I was expecting help sooner. I have been on message boards for lots of years and am a mod of some too. Many people read too deep into a thread. Things that can be taken a few ways normally are taken wrong. BTW.... Did I say my baits float great? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vodkaman Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 I am a deep kinda person. My mistake. Sorry for kneeling on your neck so hard. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 I have been T fishing for 28 years. I can catch them just fine on #8 trebles. You guys are now posting after I solved my problem ... Think of us as a following wake, just catching up as you come off plane. Besides, it beats 38 looks and no commments, doesn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Another variant you might try - I made some "Forerunner" type baits that are similar. 1 1/2" long, a simple cylinder shape turned from balsa with line ties and propellers on the front and back, a #6 treble in the middle, no ballast. Tie it 18" in front of a Spook, popper or prop bait and it looks like a tiny minnow being chased by a larger minnow. Get those smallie competitive feeding juices flowing:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21xdc Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Maybe I'll make two 1.5-2 inch topwaters and string them together. Nothing like catching two smallmouth at a time. The schooling and competition smallies get real agressive in a feeding frenzy! SaaaaaaaWeeet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
