Belly Hook???? Is it really needed?

[Rbertalotto]

Im very new to lure building. With very small wood lures, is a belly hook really necessary? Same question with large lures. Floating or sinking, does it matter if it has a belly hook?

Why treble hooks instead of a simple single hook?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Vodkaman]

I mainly build small lures 2.5"  or less. I use the belly hook and delete the tail hook as unnecessary.

The belly hook should be far enough back so that it does not foul the lip or the line. The hook dangles roughly in line with the rear of the body.

Nothing wrong with a single hook, just more chance of a miss.

Dave

[Rbertalotto]

Interesting....You feel the belly hook is more important than the tail hook. Most fish I catch seem to be hooked by the tail hook. 

[Vodkaman]

Well, I am not a regular fisher, so I will bow to general opinion. But, I do have a lot of success with the belly hook on my tests.

Dave

[Anglinarcher]

Tough question for sure, and a lot of personal opinion is involved.  Personally I think it depends on the size of lure, the type of fish you are after, even the type of lure you are making.  I should take more time to explain myself on this, but this is the short version. (This could take a chapter of a book to explain)

On species that are less aggressive, like many freshwater trout species, I find that the tail hook is important.  On larger lures, lures that often work much better than people think, the trout will tail tug or test the lure first and tail hooks really up-the-catch rate.  Still, when the fish are aggressive, the trout will hit the front and on larger lures a tail-only hook will miss the strike.  

On species that are more aggressive, the real predator species, or any species that is fired up, they are eating and an eating fish eats head first so that they can swallow the fish (presumed thing we are imitating) without the fins chocking (getting stuck in the throat) the predator.  Even species that "stun" their prey first usually strike head first or center body, so hooks placed more toward the head seem to be the ones that hook up.

On lures that invoke reaction strikes, the front to center hooks usually are the ones that hook up IMHO.  On lures that are strait swimmers, ones normally used for neutral mood fish (based on active, neutral, or negative moods of feeding fish) the tail hooks are often the ones that take the most fish.  On negative mood fish, fish you may need to put the bait on their nose and keep it there for a time, the strike may be at any point and hook placement is always a guess.

I could go on and on, and the lines get blurred a lot: for every rule there is an exception, so I don't want to even start trying to say one is better than another, but.......... here is my best advise.

On smaller lures relative to fish size (how small is small?), when fishing for aggressive fish, front hooks are probably all you need.  On larger lures, relative to fish size, fished for feeding fish, front of center hooks are probably more important, but tail hooks help.  On any lure fished for neutral or negative fish, especially larger lures, front of center hooks and tail hooks are important.  And..... well you get the point.

In my experiences, I have fished a lot of very clear water.  In my area, trout, like Rainbow, Cutthroat, and Browns are a common target.  I have watched them follow a lure for several feet and just keep picking at the tail.  Without a tail hook catching them would be impossible.  On the other hand, I have also seen the same fish just appear out of the dark and grab the lure by the front and than a hook front of center is critical.

As for a single hook, when used for a tail hook it works fine for me.  I often replace my tail hooks with a single hook to make releasing a fish easier.  When used for a front of center hook the hook often lays along side the lure and does not connect with the fish.

I have used trout as an example because I have so much experience with them, but I have seen similar behavior in species in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast in the Pacific Northwest of the USA, Musky and Pike in Minnesota, and on and on.  I think it was In-Fisherman Magazine that I first saw the explanation of aggressive, neutral and negative feeding moods of fish, but consider this concept when designing your lures.  It might help some to answer your questions.

 

[Rbertalotto]

Anglin, Thank you for taking the time to explain this. Fantastic post right there. I learned a lot. I'll use all of this as I move forward with my lure making. Thanks again!

 

Most of the trout I fish for are 'stocked"....and I would think might not be anywhere as aggressive as a wild trout. This might be why the fish I catch are only tail hooked. Like you said, they are simply nibbling at the tail of the lure.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Rbertalotto

[Vodkaman]

Good reply Anglinarcher. My prey are bawal, a deep bodied very aggressive fish, which explains why I only need a belly hook.

Dave