Treble or Single Hook

[Priority1]

I know this has been kicked around before, but I think it is worth mentioning again. I always change spoon hooks to 4/0 Singles on the standard size and 5/0 Singles on the Mags. The reason I do this is because of fewer lost fish after a solid hook up. I first noticed this a few yrs back when running squid behind a flasher. All my squids had single hooks, and most all my spoons had trebles. The Squids with single hooks never seemed to come unbuttoned, after a solid hook up. I believe that the large single hooks do have more bone piercing qualities, than the treble hooks. I feel that the trebles are more likely to catch some flesh, and during a run rip out.

I still use trebles on my J Plugs. I'm not sure if Singles would work with them. Has anyone changed to Single Hooks on J Plugs???

Trebles are also more likely to catch an angler while removing hooks from a thrashing fish. Trebles are also more apt to get tangled in the net. Trebles don't store as well as single hooks in the spoon storage box.

I know this subject will draw some support and some fire, but let's hear your thoughts on this subject.

[silver one]

You can use singles on the J's as long as you use a bead above the hook similar walleye harneses to keep the hook from passing through the hole in the jplug. As far as single or treble hooks I prefer singles however I dont go our of my way to change them all if I did I would be working on it for weeks.

I do agree though with your statement of less lost fish. Just my opinion.

[Sea-Mac]

Im a big fan of single hooks. Try taking a treble hook and pulling it thru a piece of paper, then a single hook. You will notice the single hook goes thru alot easier. Less contact points. Also easier to sharpen and you can really get a fine point. I like my flys/squids to have double single hooks. I've switched all my spoons to single hooks at one time only to change them back to trebles. I noticed I wasnt getting as many hits on some of the single hook spoons. Was thinking maybe it was because they were giving or taking away the action on them. Also interested in what others have to say.

[SkeinMachine]

I also prefer singles over trebles,but at times,they do more damage to the smaller fish/shakers(eye hooked,etc).

[LongLine]

I always change spoon trebles to singles. You will brain-hook shakers occassionally, but you'll get more solid hook-ups on the bigger guys. You have to watch the weight change though. Generally less hook weight means more wobble at slow speeds. It also means that without bending the spoon a little, you'll spin out at the recomended trolling speeds.

Some guys I know replace the trailing hook on J-plugs with singles and are very successful.

[Priority1]

Sea Mac and Long-Line both say that the hook change causes some difference in the spoon action. I'm wondering about some added weight to the Single hook. It wouldn't be too difficult to clamp on a split shot, or some lead foil. Next time out when the action slows I'm going to experiment with some trebles, single hooks, and single hooks with weight. I'll just dangle them over the side on a short rod. Has anyone tried this??? Any thoughts on the weighted single hook?

I'm going to re-tie all my J plugs rigs this Winter and may just go with single hooks on them.

[LongLine]

Frank,

A while back I weighed some hooks to see if there really was any difference and there is. (in grams)

NK Mag Trebles: 2.6, 2.4, 2.6, 2.4, 2.3, 2.6, 2.5

NK 28 Trebles: 1.4, 1.4, 1.4, 1.5, 1.2, 1.4, 1.3

Gama 2/0 singles: 0.9, 0.9, 0.9, 0.9, 0.9, 0.8

Gama 3/0 singles: 1.1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.1, 1.1, 1.1

The average 28 weighs 14 grams. (Hook appears to be 10% of spoon weight, ignoring water resistance)

In order to take some of the wobble out of a spoon simply flatten it a little. Generally the front is easier to flatten than the cup with such a heavy spoon as the NK. Flattening the front or bending it ever so slightly opposite to the cup generally gives the spoon a greater “swath†through the water.

You have to have pretty strong thumbs and with any spoon you have to be careful of not cracking the paint job. Sore thumbs have led me to replace the trebles on my 28’s with Gama’ 4/0s.

As to weighted hooks, check the reg’s. I think it’s illegal in NY.

As to J-plugs, set the trailing single hook back a little farther than how the trebles came in the package. I.e. set the trailer back another ½ to ¾â€. (really helps on short strikes)

H.I.H.

[GLF]

Frank,

A while back I weighed some hooks to see if there really was any difference and there is. (in grams)

NK Mag Trebles: 2.6, 2.4, 2.6, 2.4, 2.3, 2.6, 2.5

NK 28 Trebles: 1.4, 1.4, 1.4, 1.5, 1.2, 1.4, 1.3

Gama 2/0 singles: 0.9, 0.9, 0.9, 0.9, 0.9, 0.8

Gama 3/0 singles: 1.1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.1, 1.1, 1.1

The average 28 weighs 14 grams. (Hook appears to be 10% of spoon weight, ignoring water resistance)

In order to take some of the wobble out of a spoon simply flatten it a little. Generally the front is easier to flatten than the cup with such a heavy spoon as the NK. Flattening the front or bending it ever so slightly opposite to the cup generally gives the spoon a greater “swath†through the water.

You have to have pretty strong thumbs and with any spoon you have to be careful of not cracking the paint job. Sore thumbs have led me to replace the trebles on my 28’s with Gama’ 4/0s.

As to weighted hooks, check the reg’s. I think it’s illegal in NY.

As to J-plugs, set the trailing single hook back a little farther than how the trebles came in the package. I.e. set the trailer back another ½ to ¾â€. (really helps on short strikes)

H.I.H.

Thanks for the data! Very usefull!

[Priority1]

TYVM Tom. for the detailed data.

Weighted Trebles are illegal in MI, but not weighted singles. I guess a Jig is a weighted single.

[LongLine]

Data was interesting.

Did some searching. In NYS, all hooks on lures must be free swinging and have no additional weight on the hook - Special Gr Lk regs 1 Sept - Mar. Probably has to do with once popular but now illegal practice of snagging. Regs don't say anything about jigs by themselves, but I imagine that if you got caught with a jig ringed to a spoon especially in this time period, you'd be looking at a court date.

A little off topic but I find it kind of interesting that NY has regs based upon "points" on lines, whereas MI apppears to have regs based upon "hooks".

[Sea-Mac]

Thanks for that info Long Line.

[Bob's Outdoors]

Unless you are trolling at the far end of the spectrum, either way over 3 mph or way under 1.5 mph, I don't think that hook weight is going to make all that much difference.

For one thing, the Center of Gravity of a single 3/0 or 4/0 hook is further back from the spoon than a 1/0 treble, so a lighter single will have the same dampening effect on a spoon as a heavier treble. Sorry, my engineering degree just leaked out.

On a more practical note, I have been messing around with spoons this summer with both single and treble hooks. I realy can't see the difference in a Raider Spoon in action or fish catching ability with either. Maybe with some lighter blades it might be a bigger difference.

I would put some together and put them in the water and look at the action. better yet, fish them with difference size hooks and let the fish vote.

The painful, for me anyway. fact is that you can't be comercially successful selling a spoon in Michigan with a single hook. Wisconsin and New York, yes, Michigan no.

In my opinion, both hook designs work just fine. I fished for years exclusively with trebles, now for the past few years mostly with singles and I have heard all the arguments on both sides. What it comes down to is a personal preference, but mine is for single hooks, mostly because when the bite is on, getting that hook out of the fish and the net and the lure back in the water is much faster/easier with single hooks.

[LongLine]

quote:

For one thing, the Center of Gravity of a single 3/0 or 4/0 hook is further back from the spoon than a 1/0 treble,

True - however the hook is pulled parrallel to the shank, as it's attached with a ring, until the spoon flips and changes direction. It then "whips" around to follow the spoon. What's more important than CofG is that the effective surface area of a treble is more than 2 times that of a single, hence it will definitely be more resistant to hydrodynamic motion ("swinging" through the water) and will have more drag through the water during the "flip", hence dampening the spoon's wobble. (now there's some scientific terminology - flip & wobble) Effective surface area being the curved part between the shank and the point(s). As Sea-Mac pointed out "a single hook goes through easier."

quote:

Sorry, my engineering degree just leaked out.

mine too

Another benefit of singles is storage in a tackle box. Dumping a box full of single hook spoons is a lot easier to pick up than a box full of trebles.