Will swapping the stock KGB hooks for Owner Stingers prevent hook rash on the Chad Shad?

[Ohioguy25]

I hate to sound superficial but I want to keep my $160 baits looking relatively pretty. I am ok will scuffs and mild hook rash as people say fish prefer this but I am told it continues down to the resin. 
 

A large part of the appeal of these baits is aesthetic in nature and if possible I’d like to protect them. I read somewhere that swapping the hooks may fix this, if so which ones specifically? If not, does the Hook Rash brand adhesive protective film work and what size for Chad? Thx!

[AlabamaSpothunter]

A few swimbaits are designed to minimize hook rash, but most are not, and you can't limit the rash by swapping hooks.    Sure you can swap to dull hooks, but then you aren't going to catch many fish.  

 

I'd imagine those hook rash protectors work, but I've never had interest in using them.

 

If you watch Millikens videos, you'll notice his big glides are beaten to death, messed up brush tails, etc.    

 

Honestly seeing a expensive swimbait with a bunch of rash is a badge of honor.    It means you actually fish with them.   Regardless of hook rash, if you catch fish on them, you're going to get messed up paint jobs.    Don't sweat it, they're just tools.   

[Ohioguy25]

14 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

A few swimbaits are designed to minimize hook rash, but most are not, and you can't limit the rash by swapping hooks.    Sure you can swap to dull hooks, but then you aren't going to catch many fish.  

 

I'd imagine those hook rash protectors work, but I've never had interest in using them.

 

If you watch Millikens videos, you'll notice his big glides are beaten to death, messed up brush tails, etc.    

 

Honestly seeing a expensive swimbait with a bunch of rash is a badge of honor.    It means you actually fish with them.   Regardless of hook rash, if you catch fish on them, you're going to get messed up paint jobs.    Don't sweat it, they're just tools.   

They’re my shiny toys 😆

[papajoe222]

I have a handful of custom painted spooks. My initial idea was to start a collection and never actually use them. I ended up putting a coat of clear epoxy on one, fished it for the better part of the season before added another coat in the areas where the hook rash was beginning to show. That custom paint job still looks like it did on the day I got it. 

[Ohioguy25]

4 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

I have a handful of custom painted spooks. My initial idea was to start a collection and never actually use them. I ended up putting a coat of clear epoxy on one, fished it for the better part of the season before added another coat in the areas where the hook rash was beginning to show. That custom paint job still looks like it did on the day I got it. 

How did you apply it and what brand 

[FishTank]

Owner makes a treble that has the hooks set at different angles.  The idea is that if you place the hook on there correctly, it will ride between the bait but this only during the retrieve.  Most rash comes from storage, bouncing around in a boat or fighting fish.  

[gulfcaptain]

So I'll keep this short, if they are your shinny toys, put them back in their package, store them somewhere so you can look at them and move on. If you wanna fish with them, then step up and fish it. Bottom line here fishing swimbaits, if you are okay with loosing that swimbait, then you'll fish it like you're supposed to. If you worry about it getting scratched, swimbaits aren't for you. Sorry, hook rash isn't an issue for most that fish swimbaits, having another one in the line up ready knowing at some point you're going to loose it. And when they get beat up, chewed up, and have done their job. You hang it up then because it's proven itself and earned that spot. Shinny baits means that they either don't get bit or they don't get fished.  

[papajoe222]

On 10/9/2024 at 1:00 AM, Ohioguy25 said:

How did you apply it and what brand 

I used the Flex Coat rod finishing epoxy I have an abundance of. I removed the hardware, chucked it into my variable speed drill and let it spin @ 10-15rpm after a light application.  The epoxy will even out while setting up. Once it's set (4-6hrs.), I let it dry for 5-7 days prior to adding the hardware.