So im sitting here looking through my hardbait box, and I'm looking at some of my small cranks. The little tiny hooks on these things are a joke. Does anyone remove the front or back hook and replace the other with a larger version? Meaning that it now has only one.

Here ya go Mook: I swith out the front trebles , at least one size up with these VMC sure sets, the link;

AARRGGHHHH: CAN"T RIGHT CLICK, most of the day!

Go to Cabelas , go to hooks, scroll down to the bottom left of page,Sorry maybe later when this issue gets resolved.

muddy, what i meant was fishing a typical, 2 hook crank with only one, much larger hook on the front or back, like replacing a size 6 with a 2, etc and leaving the other hook hanger unused.

I've had some decent luck doing this with smaller baits.

Did you retain the front or back hook? I am using a back hook on the baits that i have already changed.

Front but the back solo hook would probably work as well . I'll try the back hook next spring.

At times when I want to get a crankbait down and also want to make it a little less weedless I will remove the front hook and replace it with one of those tube insert weights.

Upsizing the front hook will least affect the action.....a heavier front hook will, to some degree, alter the action, but not as much - since that is where the bait is ballasted.  

Upsizing the rear hook means the bait will have to swing that big steel back and forth.  

These aren't always bad things - - sometimes I intentionally hang heavier hooks on a lure to tighten the action on a bait that may be too lively for the conditions.  

So turn that frown upside down, my friend - upsize those hooks and be sad no more.  

Did you retain the front or back hook? I am using a back hook on the baits that i have already changed.

the only thing i make note of is to not over weight the bait front or back. some deep cranks youll get by adding weight to the front of the crank, i personaly never add weight to the back of the crank.

Yes, on Rat-L-Traps I replace the front hook with a larger size and remove the rear hook when fishing over grass.

Not all the time.  Depends on my mood and how lazy I feel.

Have not done this on regular cranks but anything that gives the crank a different look should be good.

I add a split-ring between the original split-ring and hook on my Chugbug front hooks to have it hang lower. I also add a larger hook on the Chugbugs.

So go for it and let us know how it works.  

I upsize front sets all the time but I will leave the back set on. On trap baits, I upsize and take off the back set almost all the time.

I fish lipless cranks without the rear hook and upsize the front hook. On deep cranks (Rapala DT series) I use the regular stock hooks. On shallow cranks and Shad Rap type baits I upsize the rear hook more often. I also don't crank with a fiberglass or crankbait rod. I use a flipping stick unless I am cranking tiny cranks.

Leaving the front hook off will insure that all fish are hooked on the rear hook only. The mass of the bait will than usually be outside the fishes mouth, resulting in more lost fish. They can throw the bait much more easily if the mass of the bait is allowed to swing outside their mouths when jumping and thrashing around.

Upsize the front hook, by all means. But don't remove it.

Just my fifth of a dimes worth.

GK

will take both hooks off wake baits like subwarts, bulgin' b's, cb-001 and replace them with a single #2 on the belly.

shadraps will get one size bigger hook on the back...makes them much more castable, as well...the smaller front hook stays unless they start getting tangled...then it comes off.

deep tiny n's always get a single #4 on the back.

am also not opposed to a single 3/0 or 4/0 hook on the back in open water.

do these mods affect the action?...am sure some of them do in some small way but, they don't seem to affect my catch rates or landing rates.

Here ya go Mook: I swith out the front trebles , at least one size up with these VMC sure sets, the link;

AARRGGHHHH: CAN"T RIGHT CLICK, most of the day!

Go to Cabelas , go to hooks, scroll down to the bottom left of page,Sorry maybe later when this issue gets resolved.

Ctrl C = copy

Ctrl V = paste