Page 50 - BNB Fishing mag | May 2020

FTreble hooks are a triple threat
INDING the perfect lure is an al- available, it can be somewhat confusing finding it. When anglers notice fish only most impossible task. trying to decide, but each has its place in just pinned on lures, they may assume a
On any given day any lure may a tackle box. colour change to be the only solution. outperform another, which is why I assume When it comes to smaller hooks, whether Though a longer or different treble might
many anglers have tackle boxes crammed full of lures in varying sizes and designs.
you like them or not, bream anglers know their stuff. Many will add a wide gape to the rear of surface lures and small crank style lures, leaving a wide ‘J’ on the front.
produce more fish rather than a different colour.
In any case, choosing a lure comes down to four main factors – action, cast-ability, colour and durability.
The theory is that when fish swipe at sur- face lures they are not very accurate. Due to its profile, the wide gape results in more hook-ups in the cheeks of fish that would otherwise be missed with a standard ‘J’ style profile.
Bigger trebles are a different kettle of fish. The heavy-duty hooks of the treble world are 3x and 4x strong.
You’re never going to throw a lure that doesn’t swim straight or look good to you. Colour is a whole separate argument for
Most are a ‘J’ style but feature beefed-up wire and are designed for tough adversar- ies such as barramundi, kingfish, man- grove jack and giant trevally.
another day.
Most fishers overlook the hooks on their
It does work and is a change we make every time we use a surface lure. The wire on the wide gape is also very fine, again resulting in more hook-ups.
I re-learnt a valuable lesson recently. I hooked a large coral trout on a popper and after a torrid 10-minute battle over coral the line suddenly went limp.
lures even though hooks are the most im- portant aspect of fish catching ability.
So what treble should you choose when upgrading lures? With so many options
Short shank and long shank are even more interesting changes, which when used appropriately can result in more fish- ing time.
I could still feel the lure on the end so I wound it in to discover two straightened hooks on the front treble. Devastated!
Gamakatsu Magic Eye short shank treble allows quick hook changes.
An example of a standard treble hook.
This equals more active fishing time and less time de-snagging. Though there will be times when a longer shank hook could be more productive, so it’s a good idea not to apply a one size fits all solution.
Suitable for large poppers, the GT Re- corder is the pinnacle of treble hooks. Spe- cialty hooks such as Magic Eye can also be useful and are designed around allowing anglers quick hook changes without the need of split ring pliers.
Trebles are deadly on a wide variety of lures intended for countless fish species.
Page 50 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, May 2020
Unfortunately, for fishers nothing com- pares to the utter devastation felt after losing a trophy fish due to hook failure. Dominic Wiseman
Fishing in snaggy territory is fraught with danger. You won’t be the first angler to ex- perience the front hook getting snagged on submerged timber and obstacles.
If only I’d changed to a more suitable and stronger hook, I could have caught that fish. It bugged me all day, particularly as I had spare 3x strong trebles with me at the time.
Perhaps try changing the front hook to a short shank treble, leaving a longer shank on the rear. By changing to a short shank front hook there would be less hook hang- ing down from the lure, meaning it is less likely to get caught on structure.
For anglers chasing the thuggish GT there is another hook selection – the GT Recorder. These massive trebles are as tough as they get and are barbless for easi- er release of special sportfish.
Similar to a lazy fish swiping at a surface lure, sometimes fish are simply not ener- getic enough to chase down lures.
Magic Eye refers to the eye of the hook having a flattened section, which can be used to part the split ring and thread it on with ease.
In this situation, anglers may try chang- ing the rear treble on their hard body lure to a wide gape or a long shank treble.
These hooks are 2x strong and capable of dealing with all but the toughest fish. Fine wire trebles are also a good invest- ment when hook-ups are failing to convert because they will find a home easier in the jaws of fish.
More hook hanging off the lure will result in more hook-ups because fish will have a lazy grab at it. The wide gape is more effective as the points are more pro- nounced.
What colour? I personally don’t take the colour of trebles into consideration – nick- el, black and silver are the most common colour of hooks found on lures in my tackle box.
The long shank has more hook hanging off, therefore a fish has more chance of
My feeling is that a fish is going for the lure, not the hook, so colour is less im- portant than selecting the right shape and gauge.
What I always use is a high quality chem- ically sharpened hook because I believe these will give me the best chance of con- verting hook-ups to fish.
Next time you pull a lure out of your tackle box, take a moment to think about the hook and whether the standard treble is appropriate for the job.
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