I had a schoolie bend thr hooks on a fingler length mac bomber. Has anyone had this promblem before? Is there a better hook I can put on that wont effect the action.

Bending hooks is a leverage thing and yes I have had small bass do more damage than a large one depending how they are buttoned. I have switched to VMC trebles and like them, I don't think it changes the action. Depending on which Bomber its a different size hook.

VMC 6x hooks are your friend :)

VMC 6x hooks are your friend :)

On a bomber they're more of any enemy. :uhuh:

I alway thought bomber was a higher quality lure. Why such cheap hooks?

On a bomber they're more of any enemy. :uhuh:
Why is that?
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The 6x are a lot heavier and make the lure sink. This makes the small ones drag on the bottom or hang in the rocks. Can be a good thing for fast water but in slow shallow water it's a bad thing.Ron

That's why you put a dressed small siwash on the rear... It equals out the weight difference ;)
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Why is that?
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Like stripermainiac pointed out there are probably times like moving water that having heavy hooks will help but in general putting on 6x hooks will dramatically alter the action of a bomber. I should clarify that my experience is mostly with a-salts and 17a's. On the a-salts i fish two 4x 1/o's and on the 17a's i fish two 4x 3/o's. I believe the 17a's are packaged by bomber now with 4x 4/o's but to me those are too heavy for the plug to swim right in calm water which is where I use bombers. When there is a good surf I stick to red fins, f-90's, and large helcats. If you switch 6x on either bomber I mentioned you lose the wiggle at a very slow retrieve and if you pick up the retrieve they start to dive which personally I don't like. IMO there are too many other good finnish style choices that do that. Mr. Wiggly and loaded redfins being too good examples. Never been a fan of removing the middle hook on a 16a putting a 2/o on the front hook and a 1/o on the back either. I guess a 6x 1/o on the front would work here but again it's just not my thing.

Now I'm curious why you like 6x hooks on yours because I'm sure there is a valid reason that I may need to adopt into my way of thinking.:)

Like stripermainiac pointed out there are probably times like moving water that having heavy hooks will help but in general putting on 6x hooks will dramatically alter the action of a bomber. I should clarify that my experience is mostly with a-salts and 17a's. On the a-salts i fish two 4x 1/o's and on the 17a's i fish two 4x 3/o's. I believe the 17a's are packaged by bomber now with 4x 4/o's but to me those are too heavy for the plug to swim right in calm water which is where I use bombers. When there is a good surf I stick to red fins, f-90's, and large helcats. If you switch 6x on either bomber I mentioned you lose the wiggle at a very slow retrieve and if you pick up the retrieve they start to dive which personally I don't like. IMO there are too many other good finnish style choices that do that. Mr. Wiggly and loaded redfins being too good examples. Never been a fan of removing the middle hook on a 16a putting a 2/o on the front hook and a 1/o on the back either. I guess a 6x 1/o on the front would work here but again it's just not my thing.



All good points Luds - tactical thinking at work!


DZ

Now I'm curious why you like 6x hooks on yours because I'm sure there is a valid reason that I may need to adopt into my way of thinking.:)

I fish them off of rocky ledges and jetties- never off of shallow areas, so I can get away with it I guess.. and I also fish them kind of herky jerky with lots of twitches. I dont bring it in with a steady retrieve. Also, i pause it a lot, which allows it to float up a bit... I dont use these a lot, but I like to have one or 2 in my bag when I need a small offering.

With the small macs in the canal I thought it was a good choice. It was killer on small scoolies at at the change of the tide Monday evening. I was working it on the ledge in slow to increaing to moderate current. A slow and steady retrieve seemed to work best.

based on your original question, i'd say go with a #2 or #1 vmc 4x (whichever looks the closest to the hooks that come with the plug). i'm assuming that you using about a 4-5" bomber. i use #1 vmc 4x trebles on small redfins and they produce well. downsizing your leader will help alot in getting small plugs like that to swim. 20 lb test or less is best. Also, keeping the split ring on the nose of the plug (I always remove it) or using a loop knot will help a bit.

6x trebles have applications, but light weight plastic swimmers really aren't one IMO.

6" bombers (regular and A-salt) I use 6x 1/0 VMC's. On the regular 6" ones I use one belly hook and one tail. All my 7" bombers/rebels/redfins/etc... get 6x 3/0 belly hooks and either 6x 1/0 or 6x 2/0 tail hooks depending on exaclty what I want to do with them and where they are being fished. This hook arrangement worked fine on this little girl from Monday night...

I rest my case :hee:
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I rest my case :hee:
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Save it. 4x sucka!

LOL Nice fish. Just remember it all works some of the time all the time. just depends on if the fish are ther or not. Too many times I've seen kids out fish so called pros by breakin all the rules. funny as a kid i used to do it too.

99% of the time, it works everytime :humpty:
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:)

:rotf2:

Braid and 6x are a good combination for breaking equipment rod, reel let alone a non wired thru bomber.
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Braid and 6x are a good combination for breaking equipment rod, reel let alone a non wired thru bomber.
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i disagree. 6x aren't that strong. and straightened hooks are almost always a leverage thing, not a straight pull. drag?

One more thing to ponder when using 6X VMCs. I use them on certain plugs but have found that I have trouble driving the points home on the hook set with the some of the lighter blanks I use. The increased thickness of the metal takes more force to drive home. Gear has to match the hook. So many variables...

DZ

One more thing to ponder when using 6X VMCs. I use them on certain plugs but have found that I have trouble driving the points home on the hook set with the some of the lighter blanks I use. The increased thickness of the metal takes more force to drive home. Gear has to match the hook. So many variables...

DZ

ypu...
you should see my rigged eel hookset w/ a 9/0 siwash.... :smash:

I always fished 7" bombers with 3/0 4X VMCs no matter what the situation(mostly inlet fishing) because I figured they matched up best with the stock hooks, thus having less of an impact on the action. gives you something to think about...

do you guys leave the split ring on swimmers when using a breakaway or any other type of snap?

do you guys leave the split ring on swimmers when using a breakaway or any other type of snap?

I don't but I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. I prefer it because there is one less thing to fail but split rings on the nose definitely seem to help the action although I'm not sure that a snap doesn't do the same thing. Best advice on the snaps is to make sure it's not to big for the plug. For example a large breakaway snap and an a-salt bomber don't mix. It causes the plug to plow at a slow retrieve. Small breakaway clips and a-salts like each other alot.

Definitely replace the hooks. Even on the ones that came with VMC, a while back, they were only 2X closed eye out of the package. The tin hooks are even worse than they used to be. Don't try and use triple split rings either - a good double ring like 5 heavy.
People have different opinions, but a lot people use them to good effect. There's more than one right answer. I think 6X is overkill, but that's just me. Don't lose sight of the fact that it's a cheap plastic lure, that's not thru-wired, that pre-dates braided lines. The eye and hook hangers are held on by plastic molding.

do you guys leave the split ring on swimmers when using a breakaway or any other type of snap?
i take them off...

I put the hyper wire split rings on most of my plugs like a-salts an mombos . Hold up great and are about the strongest out there for size in double split rings

I keep it simple.Same size hook in 4x VMCs.Nothing compromised and the plug swims well.

If you go 6x and/or larger size hook then you probably shouldn't being throwing a Bomber anyways.

I keep it simple.Same size hook in 4x VMCs.Nothing compromised and the plug swims well.


Little interesting history note on the 6", now 16A, Bomber.
Some 30 years ago the 6" Bomber was a fresh water plug. #2 bronze hooks. We switched out to 4H splits and #2 short shank 3X Eagle Claw hooks. My first 30 lb fish was caught on a Bomber rigged that way. Then came the Heavy Duty 6" Bomber. It had #1 hooks and a slightly beefier tail hook hanger; otherwise it was the same plug. We went to #1 4X VMC's. Now we have the 16A, same plug with 1/0 hooks.

Bottom line - plug swims well with a range of hook sizes.

thanks for the replies about the split ring. I've always left it on. doesn't hinder the action of mambos and redfins in the least bit, but I'm not so sure about bombers in slow moving water...