On 8/11/2025 at 10:09 AM, MassYak85 said:

I despise Trokar and any "cutting point" hook. It does exactly what it's designed to do...cut. It cuts a nice hole in the fishes mouth that's much bigger than the hole a typical hook leaves and makes it incredibly easy for them to spit the hook if they head shake. It's like comparing a broadhead to a field point. I also find the points on those easy to roll. 

 

 

I’ve never considered a cutting point hook.  I’ve seen them on pegs in stores, but have never examined them.  Does the cutting point profile extend past the barb?  It seems that this would be the only way the hook could enlarge the hole, and only then as a result of a hooked fish’s change of direction, jumps and head shakes.  

Almost all of my hooks are Gamakatsu now and all get touched up on my Smith's diamond hone on the fine side. Never felt like I've had issue with getting a good hook set. Used the Smith's hone for many years and its always done a great job.

Fish the Gamakatsu G-Finesse Hybrid Worm hook on mono. fishing line with solid hooksets and they are sharp very sharp and never had to even consider sharpening one.

Good Fishing  

On 8/12/2025 at 4:53 PM, FishTank said:

struggled to like Mustad

Grabbed some Mustard Infiltrator hooks and a pack of their trailer hooks. Total let down, these hook points are ugly close up. 

 

 

 

I do like the design of the hook, I needed something to accommodate a chunky soft plastic swimbait. 

 

 

 

Two different Infiltrator hooks right there, lumpy lousy hook points 

 

Honestly I've been way more impressed by Aliexpress hooks over the past year or so. 

 

These Spinpolar Raptor hooks are super sharp, deep gap, and solid. I shoulda just got more of these

21 minutes ago, Banned User said:

Grabbed some Mustard Infiltrator hooks and a pack of their trailer hooks. Total let down, these hook points are ugly close up. 

 

 

 

I do like the design of the hook, I needed something to accommodate a chunky soft plastic swimbait. 

 

 

 

Two different Infiltrator hooks right there, lumpy lousy hook points 

 

Honestly I've been way more impressed by Aliexpress hooks over the past year or so. 

 

These Spinpolar Raptor hooks are super sharp, deep gap, and solid. I shoulda just got more of these

Check out the BKK Titan Rider and Titan Diver. I don't have a massive amount of time with them but when I have used them, they worked great.  Another I like is the Hayabusa Tornados. These have a thinner wire and they pull through swimbaits pretty easy but don't rip them as bad as a thick wire hook. 

Straight Shank Worm hooks I’ve fished Owner and Gamakatsu for as long as I can remember. They both have light wire versions that I have had great proven results. A lot of my fishing requires a straight shank light wire.   
 

Call me crazy but l fish the Tru-Turn worm hooks quite often. Have a couple set ups with them tied on now. They have worked for me. 

Every hook I tie on I nail constantly before and while using it.  Ive gotten a few trebles that had a dull point or 2.  The vast majority of single hooks sink right into my nail when they are brand new.  I dont use eagle claw, but have used most other brands.  The only company that has had dull single hooks consistently is OMTD.  I really like Molixs' jigs and they use OMTD hooks.  I've had quite a few slide around on my nail.  If you take 5 minutes to learn how to use a file and or hone, there's no excuse to ever use a dull hook.

Mustad would be #2.  Most of their hooks are moderately shap new.  The problem is they dont stay as sharp as an Owner or Gami.  A good amount of SW designed jigheads like kaline, lunker city and TT lures use an owner hook.  If youre fishing a jetty it only take bumping a few rocks to considerably dull the tip or roll the point.

I dislike eagle claw, but trokar are very sharp hooks.  Their drop shot, wacky hooks and scorpion shakey heads are responsible for landing thousands of fish for me.  That shape does seem to tear holes more so than cone pointed hooks, but I dont feel it has caused me to lose many fish at all.  The long tapering points is what makes them so sharp, but IMO there is a downside.  The points get so thin that when they contact hard surfaces, they are prone to rolling.  Once that needle point rolls, you have to thin it out, reshape and sharpen it to get that super sticky point back.  Its possible with bigger hooks, but with a #2 or #4 helix, its much harder to do.  I still use the wacky and DS hooks, but Ive gone to other long shanked shakey heads.  

I wouldn't consider myself a hook snob, I use a lot of Eagle Claw hooks on the baits that I poured. When it comes to my soft plastics, I'm almost always using a Gamakatsu Nano Alpha hook of some variation. The only exception has been the Owner Cover Shot Hooks, and recently, the Ichikawa weedless Sasori wacky hooks and TS3 Flipping Hooks. The Ichikawa are insanely sharp while also being very strong as well. 

On 8/15/2025 at 4:21 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

sink right into my nail when they are brand new

How much force are you using and is pressure applied straight down? The only ones that sink in when I simply try to slide a hook gently across my nail are cutting point. They can't slide across my nail without pulling themselves in

 

On 8/15/2025 at 4:21 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

OMTD

What is this?

 

On 8/15/2025 at 4:21 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

The points get so thin that when they contact hard surfaces

I've been putting them on moving baits, great for long cast hook sets and less concern about rolling them on rocks

 

On 8/15/2025 at 4:21 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

other long shanked shakey heads. 

Which?

I like h2o worm hooks. If they're dull I sharpen them. The price is right and I've never felt like I missed a fish because of that hook. 

 

The only thing I really hate is when the eye is open and the line snags in it. I forgot what brand it was but I have some that do that I'm going to toss next time I remember. 

1 hour ago, FishTax said:

only thing I really hate is when the eye is open and the line snags in it

I have had this happen with a few for sure, aggravating 

44 minutes ago, Banned User said:

I have had this happen with a few for sure, aggravating 

 

1 hour ago, FishTax said:

I like h2o worm hooks. If they're dull I sharpen them. The price is right and I've never felt like I missed a fish because of that hook. 

 

The only thing I really hate is when the eye is open and the line snags in it. I forgot what brand it was but I have some that do that I'm going to toss next time I remember. 

I learned the hard way when I went through my first “what hook to use” phase. 

Once I settled on my go to hook manufacturer my confidence level went up as it was just another thing not to worry about. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

After changing out some hooks today on some cranks and some jerkbaits, I’m gonna say “anything that says owner 😂😂”. I stuck myself more today than I have in a bit. 

Gamakatsu is my default and haven't been disappointed. 

 

I've also enjoyed the Berkley Fusion hooks without complaints so far. 

 

I tried Eagle Claw Laser Sharp hooks (not the bronzed finish) and found that they bend out and/or the tips blunt way too easily for me. 

 

I don't really have any substantial experience with VMC/Trokar/Mustad, but I'd sure be open to it. 

 

I keep a keychain hook sharpener on my tackle bag so I can dress up a hook if the tip dulls at all. 

 

8 hours ago, Banned User said:

How much force are you using and is pressure applied straight down? The only ones that sink in when I simply try to slide a hook gently across my nail are cutting point. They can't slide across my nail without pulling themselves in

 

What is this?

 

I've been putting them on moving baits, great for long cast hook sets and less concern about rolling them on rocks

 

Which?

A new hook I face straight down.  Just trying to slide it across the nail, the point should bite right away.  When I roll a point and have to thin and draw out a new point, you can get a burr on one or more sides.  Before I nail a hook I sharpened, I make sure I don't feel any burrs with a finger on my off hand, running it in the direction of the point on every side.  I then test the point on my nail in every direction.  If I do find a direction that doesn't bite well enough, I run over a fine very lightly and repeat the process until I'm satisfied.   It's not very common IME to get a new hook with a burr, especially if you stick with good companies, but it happens.

OMTD is an Italian tackle manufacturer specializing in hooks.  Molix, also an Italian tackle company, uses a lot of custom made hooks, uses OMTD is the company that makes them all.  They make a really good do it all jig.  I haven't had any issues with other Molix baits that use OMTD hooks.  It just seems that particular jig has a high number of hooks that aren't as sharp as they could or should be. 

The vast majority of my Trokar hooks have been finesse hooks, DS, wacky and light wire finesse.  It doesn't take too much to roll those points.  Hardwood can do it.  The hooks on the skorpion shakey head are a pretty heavy wire.  I've rolled quite a few on lily roots.

It depends on the weight.  I use lighter weight shakey heads most of the time.  Finding 1/16 or 3/32 shakey heads with a long 6/0 is a little difficult.  Picasso makes a really good one and its one of the only spring lock heads I like, tungsten takedown.  They offer them in 2/0-6/0 and 1/16-1/4. Expensive, but they're great heads.  Gambers Big Giggy is good, Dirty JIgs has a good 1, there's a bunch of companies with good shakey heads.

 

 

 

Sharper than any hook I've ever pressed against my finger, I found it with my foot running out to the car real quick. It drew blood. When I gently pressed it against my fingertips, it stuck right in easily 

 

Never knew cricket legs were so dang sharp