Hooks scratches

[Tom S]

Hey guys, I just built my first 2 jointed crankbaits with a 3 treble hook set up.I have always done 2 hooks in the past,and never had problems with the hooks scratching the sides of the bait before(actually wearing through to the wood).I have "T" ed' the hooks but still are scratching the sides of the bait.I am using Mustad 20 wide gap hooks short shank.What are the remedies for this problem.I am thinking I need to try and back out the screw eyes a little to get the hooks away from the belly?Any other ideas?Thanks in advance!

Tom

[Skeeter]

Check out your Bass Pro Shops catalog. They have hook guards in there. They just slide onto the hook and will protect your finish. You get 30 of them for around $3.00.

Skeeter

[Tom S]

Skeeter, I did not see the hook guards,only hook bonnets.Are they like weed guards?I have seen on some muskie baits,guys putting little rubber rings around the shank of the hook to keep it from rubbing on the belly,but thats not the problem I am having.My problem is somehow the hook is getting twisted around while running and scratching up on the sides.

Tom

[TBait]

are these scratches breeching your topcoat? If not, what are you gonna do when a fish chews on the bait? Bass or Musky they will get scratched. Unless it is breeching your topcoat......it is life. Make one for display and never throw it. Make one to throw...they are tools...thats all.

[Tom S]

It went through the top coat down to the wood in short time.

Tom

[TBait]

What kind of topcoat and how many coats?

[RiverMan]

All of my gliders and topwater baits get hook scratches on each side of the hooks from fishing them. I "T" the hooks but they still get them after some fishing. I haven't tried the small piece of rubber you are talking about, might be a good idea. If it's going through the clear coat I would suggest one of two things:

1. more clear coat;

2. changing the hooks...maybe something with longer shaft that puts the treble points further away from the bait .

The other thing you might do is post the same question at one of the musky forums........muskiefirst, muskiefix, muskiehunter, etc.

jed v.

[Skeeter]

Yes, the hook bonnets. I use them when my baits are in the tacklebox. I never used them for years. But I got them to put on baits that I sell to folks since I don't package my lures. It makes looking at a lure safer for everyone. Plus people can actually look at and touch the bait. They can see if it is coated well, if everything is straight, and anything else that they want to look at on the bait. I like being able to do that for people. Plus they are cheap and will protect your bait.

Skeeter

[woodieb8]

a few pointers no pun intended. try before assembly putting some clear tubing onthe shank of the treble. this small piece 1/4 inch will hold the hook off the body, another upon t-ing the hook also bend the outside bent hook forward on each side leaving the center straight. this as you will see the hook will not dig into the clear. this is a common problem especially upon trolled lures. hope this helps you out.

[onlybass]

Suggest that cup washers "counter sunk" into bait may not allow hooks to swing up into bait.I have seen this hardware on old lures.Looks like a bell.Short shank hooks may help.The more that I think about it, the hardware may not be necessary.Just countersink the area where your hook hangers are- so the hook hangers are recessed.If done deep enough,the hook shank should be limited in movement by the countersink.Don't know if I have described idea well.A bell is the best example.The countersink/cup washer is the bell,the hook shank the knocker.

[BobP]

Some trebles scratch finish, it's just in the cards and trying to jury rig a fix may throw the bait off balance, diminish the action, etc. Round bend hooks are usually the worst offenders. I'd try a different treble with more angle in the tines. I've had good results with Gamakatsu EWG trebles. They're very sturdy and have short shanks. Mustad Ultrapoints are a similar style but have longer shanks. I prefer the Gamys. I don't think you'll experience any less hooking and holding power.

[onlybass]

Saying that something is "just part of it "is kinda like saying why take your heart medicine -your gonna die sooner or later anyhow.I am sure that the weight of one cup washer on a belly hook can be compensated for and as it is recessed it should not perceptably change the action.The other suggestions have merit and may perform acceptably.Yes, any addition or modification could change the action or balance.Maybe worse,maybe better.Maybe it can be overcome on the next lure,or the next,or the next,etc(now we're having fun!)."Jury rigging" has helped win battles and led to new inventions and better products.If you come up with a jury rig and jury rig that, then never make a permanent fix, you might be a redneck?

[cotton]

HEY! I represent that remark!

[BobP]

Hey, maybe a cup under the treble will HELP the action - who knows? It's an experiment. I think cupping the trebles and limiting their swing would have a definite effect on hydrodynamics, don't you?

IMO if you have a "perfect" bait (not what we think but what bass think!) the best policy is leave it alone. Don't repaint or re-clearcoat it just for cosmetic reasons. Don't change the size of the trebles. Don't monkey with the bill. Just fish it until the bass tell you it's toast. If it's a poor fish catcher, experiment away. You have nothing to lose.

Beauty is as beauty does.

[musky1]

Tom

I'm assuming you're using split rings correct? I don't think there is a remedy if you use split rings. Teeing the hooks and the clear plastic tubing over the shank will help some. The only way I know that eliminates hook scratches completely is not to use split rings in combination with teeing the hooks etc. Check out how a through wire construction Pikie is put together. With the hooks being teed it would be hard to get hook wear. Jim

[Tom S]

Jim, I have thinking about eliminating the rings,or trying triple rings to limit the swing of the hook.I was also looking at the double hooks used on Lokes with no split rings.Those baits seem to hold up well,and I have not heard anyone complaining about missing fish on Lokes either.Thanks for the advice.

Tom

[finlander]

In addition to teeing them, Mike King showed me how to twist the two closest to the body. Actually bending them down away from the body. Tough to do on my 4x, 5/0's but much easier on the 7/0's I just bought.

[Tom S]

I figured out what was causing the hooks to come up and scratch the sides of the baits(and wearing down to the wood). I had the hooks T'eed to begin with , but what was happening was the hooks were too close to the body and as it wiggled it was knocking the hooks around and swinging up and hitting the sides. I backed the screw eyes out about 18" and it works fine now. Now this has a funny ending too. I spent a lot of time on this particular paint job, and did not want to damage it anymore testing to see if the hooks were going to scratch through it again. So I wrapped the body up in blue masking tape so to see if there was any hook wear without going through the clear coat.Well after 15 minutes of trolling it a muskie eats it! So much for my fancy paint job! Lol! So I spent the rest of the day trolling it with the blue tape on.LOL!

Tom

[jaime]

Tom you might have yourself a new color there.....blue painters tape! LMAO!!

[fatfingers]

I got a good laugh out of that story too?

Got any pics of that bait?

[Tom S]

Do you want pictures with or without the blue tape on ? LOL! No I dont have any pictures, I'm one of the guys still living in the dark ages of film cameras. I ussually wait until I fish with my brother then take 50 digital pictures with his camera and make him email them back to me. LOL!

Tom

[fatfingers]

Musky fishing is nuts, isn't it?

Whatever can happen, eventually WILL happen!

When I read your post I was trying to visualize how you wrapped the tape in such a way that it triggered a strike...hoping of course to try to duplicate that pattern with paint and two coats of devcon.