Fishing With Kenny | The Hook, The Connection

article by kenny covington

Now that Mother Nature has decided it was time to allow spring to make its way onto the scene, there is no better time to spend a day on the water.  One of the things I have always talked about in BayouLife “Fishing with Kenny” articles over the years has been how important it is to be mindful when it comes to your equipment.  When it comes to hooks, this is especially important.

By nature, I am a tweaker.  I always look for a better hook to best fit the technique I am using.  To some, this might seem like overkill, and I understand that, but my goal has always been to catch every fish that bites during a day on the water, no matter if it is during a tournament or just for fun.  Our fisheries can be difficult at best, so when I am fortunate to get a bite, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to catch it.

When I start my tackle preparation for a tournament, my first thought is all about the hooks I will be using.  Naturally, this depends on the techniques I will be using, but for this article I will simplify what I am talking about.  Over the years, I have used hooks produced by every major hook company; Gamakatsu, Owner, VMC, you name them I have tried them all.  My ideas are my own, so my views are based strictly on my on the water successes.

First, let’s look at hooks used for soft plastics.  My personal preference is the Ike Approved hooks made by VMC.  These are the finest hooks ever produced.  They are consistently sharp, keep their points, and when you include the three-degree point offset, you have a hook that produces better than the competition.  If you hook the fish, it is coming to the boat.

I use their EWG models from 3/0 to 5/0 and their offset worm hooks from 2/0 to 5/0.  I use the EWG models on creature baits such as a Zoom Speed Craw, a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, or when flipping a Tube.  I use the Worm hooks for Carolina rigs, a Brush Hog or an 8-inch Lizard, or when flipping or pitching any straight-line soft plastic such as a 10-inch worm.  One of the things I am careful to do is match my hook size with the size line I will be using.  As a rule, the larger the hook, the heavier the line.

To prove my point, years ago I quit flipping a tube because I lost more fish than I caught.  The only hook option I had at the time was an EWG hook made by Gamakatsu, but the problem was the hook point, while extremely sharp, was in line with the line tie, giving little clearance for the hook point to do its job.  I was also trying to flip my tubes on a 20 lb. monofilament line and that wasn’t helping either.  Once I discovered the 4/0 VMC EWG style hook, and paired the hook with 40 lb. braided line, my hook to catch ration on a tube was well over 98% over a four-year period.  The right hook paired with the correct line, and my problems were solved.

Next up, I want to address the changing of treble hooks.  As I have stated before, unless the lure is already stocked with a hook I have confidence in, I change all the hooks on every crankbait or topwater lure I buy.  I have had extremely good luck with EWG short shank hooks, regardless of the company who makes them, but for the best deal, I highly recommend the Eagle Claw hooks designed by Fletcher Shryock.  

If a crankbait comes equipped with a #4 treble, I can change to a #2 treble on the back end and increase my hookups without giving up lure action.  This is a win/win scenario and something that is more important than many believe.  On crankbaits I only change out the rear treble for a bigger size, I stay with the same size on the front hook.

When considering hooks for topwaters, you always want to consider what changing the hooks will do to the action of the bait.  A good example of this is when you are throwing a Yellow Magic topwater popper.  The hooks on the popper are both #6’s and I have found if I use the same but sharper thin wire #6, I can change the hooks without hurting the action of the bait.  I have found that putting a larger #4 on the Yellow Magic causes the bait to sit lower in the water, causing me to get less strikes.

For my topwater lures, I am not a fan of the EWG style of hooks except  on my walking topwaters such as a Spook, Gun Fish, or a Chug Bug.  I have found a longer shanked EWG style treble increases the catch ratio, better than using a round bend treble.  I believe the reason for this is because I use 30 lb. braid on all my walking topwaters, and the braided line, plus the longer shank EWG hooks, gives me better hook up ratios on longer casts usually associated with these types of topwaters.

One last thing, I do use trailer hooks on my spinnerbaits and buzzbaits.  I know a lot of anglers who do not feel the need to use trailer hooks, but it has been my experience that over a course of a year, I will catch a handful of fish on the trailer hook that I might not have otherwise caught.  My #1 rule with a trailer hook, no matter what brand you choose, is use as small of a hook as you can get away with, usually a 1/0 version.  You catch more fish with the smaller trailer hook than you will with the bigger sizes.

Wow, we sure did cover a lot in such a short period of time.  I hope we were able to share with you some insights that will help you have more success on the water.  Springtime is here and somewhere; a bass is biting!  Take care and make sure you catch one for me!  See you next month! See you next month!