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TONS OF TREBLES: Tips for "Getting Hooks"

Nov. 4 2019 Fishing Tips and Techniques By Ron Boggs

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Tons of Trebles

I received an accusatory email recently…it was in response to a picture in the Crankbait Running Depth article posted in October 2019. Cool, a social media war of words…on a Blog that has no public comments section—I might even win this argument!

The accusation was quick and to the point, “Don’t you change-out your crankbait hooks? Especially on the original Flicker Shads with those flimsy trebles?” Well, as the accompanying picture shows, I’ve changed out THOUSANDS of treble hooks on HUNDREDS of hardbaits. In fact, I’m a bit of a picky twit when it comes to the treble hooks on my crankbaits.

In the Foreground Are Thousands of "Discards" The Trebles That Were Removed From Crankbaits To Be Replaced With Better Hooks. Note the Boxes of Excaliber Hooks, Bags of VMC Hooks, Packs of Gamakatsu, Mustad...

But specifically in regards to those “flimsy” hooks that came on Flicker Shad lures for a few years, I only change them after a fish wrecks ‘em. Here’s the deal, those silly light-wire in-bend hooks actually hook and hold better than average trebles. They are so flimsy that a fish thrashing in the net destroys ‘em. Trying to unhook those in-bends from a fish’s face destroys ‘em. But facts are facts…those hooks do, in fact, grab and hold and they don’t get destroyed until the fish is in the boat. If you are frequently destroying those flimsy trebles while fighting fish, you need to loosen your drag! Commonly with Flicker Shads, the second treble which may not be in the fish’s mouth grabs the outside of the gill flap or the eye socket. I like hooks that get extra points in the fish after the hookset! I don’t have time to change out hundreds of hooks on the dozens of Flicker Shads in my boat (just did a count, today I have 107 Flicker Shad lures in my boat and it’s not one of my primary crankbait choices).

So instead of changing hooks for hours on end…I only change the hooks on the Flicker Shads that have been catching enough fish to ruin the old version factory hooks. With fish over 5 pounds that’s probably only one or two fish until the demise of the in-bends. What do I change them to?

You can see in the photo that my treble hook inventory includes some range of options: Gamakatsu; Mustad; VMC; Weapon. But day-in and day-out I like the Excalibur rotating treble. I like Excaliburs because:

  • They are horrifically sticky sharp. Quick “swatters” end up hooked-up rather than “swing and a miss.”
  • The cam-action rotation tends to get a second point in as the first point is penetrating. 
  • They have the right temper to handle getting bent out of shape in the net or in a fish’s face and are easy to re-bend close to factory spec.
  • They re-sharpen easily—I’m a hook file nut and use a machinist’s type file. The tackier the point is the easier it can be dulled. If the point slides across my fingernail, it’s dull. I want it to stick!
  • Excalibur hooks are modified round-bend in design. The entire industry, me included, prefers round-bend trebles on crankbaits.
  • The shank length is short enough to keep hooks from catching each other on most baits…a noticeable problem on cranks with 3 trebles or on vibrating blade baits.
  • I was involved with the Excalibur market roll-out many years ago while on contract with PRADCO—parent company for Excalibur hooks and nearly a dozen brands of crankbaits. I got to use ‘em so much I learned to trust them.
  • I got thousands of them at no cost while on contract. Why pay for other premium trebles when I was well provided for by PRADCO?

The good news nowadays--having to buy my crankbaits and hooks out of pocket--is that my most frequently purchased crankbaits come from the factory with Excalibur treble hooks. No secret that I’m a Bomber Lures guy and that I use LOTS of 7A, 8A, 15A, 24A and 25A Bomber lures. Those are the most common hardbaits in my crankbaits game and they all come with Excalibur trebles. That means I don’t have to change-out trebles on any of my coveted Bombers…at least not until the fish have mercilessly terrorized my lures. And who doesn’t want that to happen!

Update: Fall 2020--Horror of horrors, PRADCO discontinues Excalibur treble hooks after 25 year run (Xcalibur Tx3 was their final name). So now my Bombers come with premium trebles, but not the trebles I've grown to trust above all others. Luckily I found the "dumping" company charged with selling off the remaining Xcalibur Tx3 trebles and bought a few hundred to add to my existing inventory to hopefully cover me for life. Buying in bulk and with volume discounts I paid just under 22 cents per hook. Compare that to nearly a buck-a-piece to buy premium trebles in the little blister packs. 

I’m no fool, and I realize most people are not going to copy exactly what I do. But I will recommend that you change to premium trebles on the lures you know you’ll use a bunch—if those lures don’t already come with a premium grade of hooks. If you have a significant crankbait inventory, you’ll need to drop a couple hundo for bulk boxes of the sizes you’ll need. Plus, ten bucks for a decent split ring plier—get the smallish plier for freshwater split rings. For walleye lures, the hooks you will need are mostly size 4’s with lots of 2’s and 6’s for good measure. In most cases changing hook size will change how a lure runs so stick with the original factory size until you’ve experimented to make sure a bump in size won’t ruin the action or change the running depth too much.

Top is the Ubiquitous Round-Bend Treble Hook Generally Accepted as Better for Crankbaits than the Old Standard O'Shaunessy or Limerick Style Hook Below. Both Hooks are Bronze VMC size 1 in 1X Strength for Heavy Duty and Offshore Use. Only the Bend Differs.

There once was an Angler named Chad…His attitude? Well it was bad…He hooked one deep…the meat he did keep…so walleye he fed to his dad (cleanest fishing limerick ever!) Though the Limerick or O'Shaunessy hook shape is and always has been popular and works well. On trebles, most of the crankbait world has converted to round-bend models. Whatever brand of premium hooks you opt for, select the round-bend version for crankbait swapouts. They seem to more easily grab flesh and they seem to resist twisting free better than the Limericks.

Top Hook is a Premium Gamakatsu Size 2 Round-Bend, Bronze Treble--Standard Model. Bottom Hook is More Specialized With Features You May Need. It's a VMC Short Shank, Round-Bend, 1X Heavy Wire, Black Nickel Coated Hook. Most Hook Manufacturers Offer a Variety of Treble Hook Configurations. Make Sure You Buy the Right Ones For Your Application--Not Just The Right Brand Name

Another thing to consider is shank length. In the accompanying photo you see two size 2 round-bend treble hooks. On top is a standard Gamakatsu size 2. No sane angler will try to dis Gamakatsu hooks. Clearly a premium product. Below is a size 2 VMC, also a premium brand. In this instance, the VMC is a short shank model in 1X strength, black nickel finish. Though it may not have the name recognition of the Gamakatsu, this particular version has features that make it a more premium hook than the standard Gami in the comparison. On crankbaits with 3 trebles, the longer standard shank length of the Gami may be so long that your hooks will catch each other…On a traditional ½ ounce bladebait, shank length is a big problem and shorter shanks tend to foul less often. In this example, you can see the difference in shank length which may be important to your hook choice depending on the lures you are swapping hooks on. And though Gamakatsu has arguably higher-end cache, this trick VMC in short shank version has advantages over the Gami—short shank, heavier wire (1X) for hard-core or offshore applications, black nickel finish for better corrosion resistance and arguably smoother penetration on hookset. Of course, Gamakatsu offers short shank and 1X and other important variants. Buy and stock the right ones for the right applications. 

I guess the point is that you need to select the trebles you are installing on your crankbaits based on their features, not just on the brand name. Premium hooks manufactured in the configurations you need for your specific applications. That means you’ll need to shop around a bit to get exactly what you require so your crankbait hooks do the job you bought them for. Oh, and to answer that social media accuser, “Yes, I change-out the treble hooks on some of my crankbaits!”