Hook damage

[fatfingers]

I've been using Envirotech for the finish coat on hard baits.

It seems as though the hook eventually wear through it, especially on musky class baits trolled at higher speeds and those from the jerkbait class.

Can it be made to cure harder and a bit more invincible?

[RiverMan]

It's important to "T" your hooks so that when the swing from left to right the damage is reduced. Any finish will scratch and wear if the hooks are slapping the bait left and right at a steady troll or retrieve.

Jed

[Cliff]

In addition to putting a "T" on the hook, bend the top two sections that rest against the bait slightly downward from the body of lure. Also, you can put surgical tubing around the shank of the lure which holds it further from lure body. I don't think there is any clearcoat that will hold up to a high speed muskie troll for 12 hours with the hooks rubbing (devcon included). Cliff

[fatfingers]

I "T" all of my baits, but it seems that eventually they do their dirty work.

I will try tweaking them further from the body a bit. I'll also try the surgical tubing on those baits particularly prone to hook grinding. (The muskies don't seem to mind the scratches, but I do; you know how that is.)

I appreciate the help, you guys.

I had seen "hardner" in a tube on the rack nearby the Envirotech stuff and wondered if I should try it...but I figured I'd check with the board to see if any of you guys had tried it first.

[Oncorhynchus_tshawytscha]

This is just my two cents (I haven't even used E-Tex yet, since I would have to go to RiverMan's dusty little town to get it :grin: ), but wouldn't the hardener possibly be a bad thing? I mean, if you get something too hard (excluding diamonds, etc. . .), doesn't it become brittle?

I was just thought of something . . . ah, here it is. At http://lurebuilding.nl/indexeng.html (on the left bar, click Modifications then the bottom picture) they have a modification to a Shallow Invader from Musky Innovations.

Would something like that work? I know it looks kinda weird/ugly, but I think it would keep the hooks away from the overcoat, wouldn't it?

Brock

(P. S., what the devil are you all talking about when you say you "T" your baits? I've never heard of the term, so I doubt I've been doing it.)

[FishBooger]

(P. S.' date=' what the devil are you all talking about when you say you "T" your baits? I've never heard of the term, so I doubt I've been doing it.)[/quote']

Go to this link http://muskystriker.com/tips/ms_tips.htm and check out tip #34 for "T-ing" your hooks. Tip #35 gives another way to set up your hooks instead of surgical tubing.

Hope this helps

[RiverMan]

I like the surgical tubing idea. I spend so much time on my baits getting them to look the best I can and then guys throw em for an hour and they are covered in scratches....ouch.

Jed

[fatfingers]

I agree that too much hardner could produce a too-brittle surface, which is subject to chipping. However, I also thought that the right amount of extra hardner could produce a good tradeoff between a too-soft, easily scratched surface, and a too-brittle, easily-chipped surface.

As I said, I wondered if anyone toyed and tested the hardner idea. I'm still considering trying it.

I am also going to give River Man's surgical tubing a whirl, although I wonder whether the tubing might cause the hooks to protrude and maybe cause a different action in the lure movement?