As you battle a lunker after the strike, a lot can happen before the fish actually sees the bottom of the net. Wild acrobatic jumps combined with violent head thrashes and bolting power runs often dislodge what first looked like a well buried hook. Specialized rods and superior fighting techniques can surely minimize such losses, but still rarely does everything go perfectly.
One must make every attempt to improve your odds at both triggering fish to strike, and then keeping them hooked once they hit. I have often said that the best anglers out there trigger a higher percentage of fish to strike and then seal the deal. As the old adage says “close only counts in horse shoes” sure holds true on the musky game, as well.
With that in mind, I’d like to share a couple of ways I have tinkered with certain lures to improve hooking quality substantially. Mostly, these are simple, easy-to-do modifications or additions, yet I am convinced they are worth considering at any given time depending upon the conditions you are faced with and the violent nature of the fish you are pursuing.
TRAILER HOOKS ON SPINNERBAITS
Wild head thrashing big musky battles and single hook spinnerbaits can be a frustrating combination. The weedless nature of these lures make them the best overall choice for many thick weed situations, since they traverse so well through this kind of terrain without fouling. Getting a big fish to strike these lures is rarely a problem. Most big gamefish, from bass to pike to muskies, simply love spinnerbaits. These lures slip over, around and through spots that no treble hook spinner dare attempt. However, keeping a lunker hooked inside of thick weedy cover on a mere single hook can be challenging. Worst yet, the larger the fish, the harder this task becomes. The sheer weight, power and violent nature of muskies make it difficult to keep a hook in one for a prolonged battle.
The best answer to this problem has been the addition of a real good trailer hook. The term “trailer hook” or “stinger hook” as some like to call it is nothing more than attaching an additional single hook of a slightly smaller size to the existing molded-in single hook. Amazingly, the addition of one additional single hook immediately behind the big single hook molded to the spinnerbait lead head can make a huge difference in your score with spinnerbait strikes on big fish. I have experienced it firsthand. However, it is important to choose the right sized hook for this “stinger” application, and it must be affixed correctly in order to perform to its maximum potential.
I am certain, once you employ a trailer hook on your spinnerbait, your hooking and holding power with bigger fish nearly doubles. You will hook up with far more short striking fish; particularly those rascals that seem to constantly “short swipe” the bait. Furthermore, the addition of a stinger often creates a “double whammy” on fish that really chomp on it. Instead of just having that one single hook embedded around the rim of the fish’s mouth, the 2nd one (the trailer hook) will be buried deep inside the mouth area. This is a huge factor when you have a larger fish on. No matter how hard a fish thrashes now, one of those two hooks is probably going to stay attached. Just keep both hooks sharp.
TREBLE HOOK CHANGE-OUT
Single hook lures are not the only baits that can give you hook up problems. Many popular lures containing multiple treble hooks are still “poor hookers”. Now, before you go accusing me of using risqué language, here me out. The term “poor hooker” in this instance refers to the lure’s ability to keep fish hooked after the strike. Many lures are great fish attractors, however if that lure doesn’t hook the fish well on a consistent basis, it needs some modifications.
Any lure that has a high degree of fish attraction is worth modifying if it doesn’t hook fish well. Let’s face it; attraction is the #1 trait in a lure. If a fish is not interested in what you are throwing, why throw it? You need to do whatever it takes to then make the fish commit to striking this highly attractive lure. After that, take it one step further and make darn sure that you’ve done everything in your power to make this lure as effective as it possibly can be at keeping these fish hooked.
In my opinion, a lot of hooking problems can be traced to nothing more than dull, un-sharpened hooks, or the wrong size/model of hook. If your hooks are truly as sharp as they can be and you are still missing fish, then you have a hook size or hook model issue. Many hook manufacturers are now producing outstanding premium grade trebles in all sizes. In each and every instance, take the time to tweak your best baits by adding the very best possible treble hooks to them. This extra expense will most likely pay off on the first strike you get from a larger fish.
The important thing here is to make sure you get everything you possibly can out of your favorite “go to” lures. Adding trailer hooks to spinnerbaits and tweaking your other lures with premium grade trebles are two of my favorite ways to up the odds with big fish. I can’t over state my disappointment with losing a big fish once it is hooked. I’m certain you have had a similar reaction when you’ve lost a big one. Make it a point this season to take this part of your fishing game seriously and you will no doubt reap the rewards.
Joe Bucher