Sweet Beaver, SK Rodent, in the typical 4 inch size...which hook style & size do you use and why?  3/0, 4/0, 5/0?  EWG or Straight Shank?  Do you change up the size and style based on conditions (grass vs wood/brush)?

Gammy EWG - 3/0 or 4/0 depending on the exact plastic.  Always t-expose.  Only thing that changes is size of bullet weight.  

I use an Owner 3/0 Riggin' Hook for the Sweet Beavers. 

I carry 3/0, 4/0, and 5/0 Owner Riggin' and Wide Gap Plus. I match the hook by eye.  I want the hook point to come through right betweek the eyes on whatever creature I'm using.  The difference between the two hooks is just how the bait looks on the hook.  Some are straighter than others with different hooks.

For grass I like a 4/0 eagle claw lazer sharp flipping hook, for everything else I like a 4/0 gamakatsu EWG

4/0 Trokar flipping hook 

I Use the Owner Rig N Hook in the 4/0 size.

I like the shape of the hook and when rigged the plastic helps protect the knot better, unlike traditional flipping hooks.

Typically a Gammy 4/0 EWG, occasionally a 3/0.

so far, seems like more people like the EWG hooks rather than a straight shank

Not really for a creature. I like the gap to be twice as wide as the plastic. 

14 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Not really for a creature. I like the gap to be twice as wide as the plastic. 

I'm talking about the replies for a beaver style.  What type of hook do you use for a creature?  I didn't understand what you were getting at with the gap twice as wide.  Thanks.

punching or using a weight greater than 3/4 oz. I like a 5/0 straight shank VMC flipping hook

pitching and flipping with less than 3/4 oz. I like a 4/0 EWG VMC super line hook

2 hours ago, n8cas4 said:

I'm talking about the replies for a beaver style.  What type of hook do you use for a creature?  I didn't understand what you were getting at with the gap twice as wide.  Thanks.

I think he means & I agree, to get a good hook set, the gap between the hook shank & the bait needs to be wider than the thickness of the bait. To answer your question, I like a swing head jig in 4/0 or 5/0 - depending on the bait size. That way I can flip, pitch or cast & slow-roll it on the bottom.

 

4/0 Eagle Claw Jason Christie signature series heavy duty EWG. 

13 hours ago, n8cas4 said:

I'm talking about the replies for a beaver style.  What type of hook do you use for a creature?  I didn't understand what you were getting at with the gap twice as wide.  Thanks.

A beaver is a creature bait.....

As for the gap question, this should clear it up:

5 minutes ago, J Francho said:

A beaver is a creature bait.....

As for the gap question, this should clear it up:

I always get craw and creature mixed up, but if you ask me, I can't put a beaver in the same category as a brushog (the only two soft plastics I flip).  

I think I understand now.  Thanks for the pic.  You're talking about the depth or thickness of the plastic, right?  So when the plastic gets pushed down the hook there is still plenty of room for the hook point to lodge itself properly in the fishes mouth.  

In the last 2 years I have been rigging straight shank:

I'm contemplating going back to EWG for more situations

If it isn't a worm, it's a creature....to me, anyway, though I could care less about colloquialisms.  If you're talking about a bait, use it's name.  For example, Sweet Beaver 420 Double Wide.  Then I'd tell you to use a 4/0 Wide Gap plus.

I've tried straight shank for a couple years, went back.  Makes no difference to me, and the whole snelled hook thing is cool looking, but doesn't change how bites I get or the hookups.  It's mostly subtleties that don't actually help your game.  But if YOU like doing it, and YOU feel more confident in your rigging, then by all means, continue to do it.  Nothing kills a good bite like indecision.

I have started using straight shank hooks on most of my t-rigged lures.  I believe I make more and better hook-ups, but I know that my plastics seem to get torn up twice as fast as opposed to using EWG hooks.  I am fine with this, but I have run out of the hot plastic of the day a few times lately so I suspect I need to re-think my packing amounts.  

I mostly use one of the two.  Owner Jungle hook or an Owner Twistlock Flipping hook. 

On August 16, 2016 at 9:10 AM, J Francho said:

If it isn't a worm, it's a creature....to me, anyway, though I could care less about colloquialisms.  If you're talking about a bait, use it's name.  For example, Sweet Beaver 420 Double Wide.  Then I'd tell you to use a 4/0 Wide Gap plus.

I've tried straight shank for a couple years, went back.  Makes no difference to me, and the whole snelled hook thing is cool looking, but doesn't change how bites I get or the hookups.  It's mostly subtleties that don't actually help your game.  But if YOU like doing it, and YOU feel more confident in your rigging, then by all means, continue to do it.  Nothing kills a good bite like indecision.

Do you skin the hook point back into the plastic or leave it Tex-posed?  

My thoughts on "Texposed"

DUMB.  Why bother Texas rigging, if you are going to negate all the benefits? I suspect whomever uses this at one point was having hook set issues, either from too soft a rod, bad technique, or just a weak set.

Skin hooking?  Not really, though the hook is VERY close to the surface.  I find skin hooking, where you come completely out of the bait, and push the tip of the hook back under causes most of the softer plastic baits to look deformed or puts a bend in them.