Are the hooks on the larger plugs trustworthy?

Im not sure about the hooks but my buddy had a split ring pull straight on monday and the fish swam off with his hook. The hooks feel pretty weak to me. We swapped them out the next day with VMC's. Kinda sux you need to replace the hardware on a $30 lure

Im not sure about the hooks but my buddy had a split ring pull straight on monday and the fish swam off with his hook. The hooks feel pretty weak to me. We swapped them out the next day with VMC's. Kinda sux you need to replace the hardware on a $30 lure


I was planning to swap the splits. The hooks almost look like mustad copied an owner treble.

agree on the price comment,

Mike for M&D told me they were Owner when I told him I was going to swap them for VMC. I still swapped them out and larger split rings too

Mike for M&D told me they were Owner when I told him I was going to swap them for VMC. I still swapped them out and larger split rings too

Did this affect how it swam?
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I wrote them an email explaining how it sux that I have 2 replace the hooks and the fact that 2 of the $32 dollar plugs I purchased fill up with water after catching a few fish. I haven't heard back from them.

Did this affect how it swam?
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no. I took the rear hook off the magic swimmer and put larger hooks on the stick shad. They fish good. Roy L told me he puts double split rings on the belly of the stick shad too for less binding under stress. TBH I had better success this week on the x rap by rapala and less than half the price. Got my biggest fish this week on one. Check them out.

They suck - imitation gami's. I straightened both sets on a barley keeper. The lures swim nice, but change the hooks

I replaced the split rings with wolverine split rings, replaced the cheesey hooks with 3/0 VMC's and got rid of the tail hook all together. It defintely improved the action of the tail. I've heard horror stories of the hooks snapping right off at the weld, and the split ring straightening out. Mike from M&D's said they were working on the problem. Some of the stick shads are coming in with new hooks, not sure if they are VMC's, but Mike said they were a slight improvement.

Having said all that, you'd think that a 33.00 Magic Swimmer would come with top notch hooks. Not much too ask for, considering the price of the lure. I wonder how much it costs to make one, can't be much more than 5 or 6 bucks.

I put 4/0 VMC's on my sebiles but no tailhook on the magic swimmer and swap out the split rings to wolverines. Swims great. I know there are alotta $ but lets's face it, for they way they catch fish I'll swap out the hardware with a smile on my face. No smile if it snaps off during my cast :wall:

It happened to me Tuesday morning. :smash:
thought the bail had dropped, but when i looked down, bail was still up?:confused:
Anyway a few seconds after it hit the water, it was smashed by a bass. My friend turns to me and says "sweet you're on?" i said "i would be if it was still attached to my line":wall:

THE HOOKS AND THE SPLIT RINGS ARE JUNK. REPLACE BOTH. THEY FILL WITH WATER AFTER A FEW FISH. GET USE TO IT BEEN FISHING THEM FOR THREE YEARS NOW. STILL THE SAME.

no. I took the rear hook off the magic swimmer and put larger hooks on the stick shad. They fish good. Roy L told me he puts double split rings on the belly of the stick shad too for less binding under stress. TBH I had better success this week on the x rap by rapala and less than half the price. Got my biggest fish this week on one. Check them out.

I too endorse the xrap Puffessa!!!For a few years now they catch when others won't in the ditch.

All the BLACK hooks on Sebiles are junk. Splitrings also have to be changed out. Make sure you change the splitring on the nose of the lure also.

If you have a lure with the silver hooks ( Owner ) they are good and do not have to be changed.

On the large Magic Swimmer get rid of the back hook all together.

Mike - good tip about the nose split ring, probably gets overlooked, as I know I did it ... replaced the splits and hooks - removed the tail hook all together and only use the front with a VMC ... need to pay attention to the nose as well. Too bad they short-change such a good rig with cheesey splits and hooks ...

I recommend changing them over and i'll post some pics of a few ideas that can help. Now, here's a little input from someone who has been throwing Sebiles for over 4 years and recently jumped on board there pro staff. The lures are made to catch fish. The whole Sebile line up of lures are nothing like anything else out there. Every model is designed to specifically do something. This makes it hard to change certain things with out changing the baits action. Now i switch my split rings for wollverines #7 (270lb) and my hooks to vmc 4x and it still does not improve anything.....Its hook placement on the baits and the amount of pressure that we put on the fish, especially in the canals current. I have fished these baits off the boat with 7 foot rods and light line and have not had a problem, even with the black hooks. When you start putting 50-65lb braid, current, twisting fish, and meat sticks into the mix is when the split rings and hooks start to take a toll. For the amount of fish i get on these baits and the amount of big fish over the last 4 years I will continue to change the split rings and find them worth every penny. plain and simple they catch fish.

I got fish with Patrick Sebile a few weeks ago and it was a blast. It was awesome listing to stories from someone who has fished in 62 countries and has over 300 igfa world records...there was a lot to learn. So here's a few pics that might help or even spark some ideas.

......i hope this helps...now i'm not just hyping these baits up cause i'm part of there pro staff, i throw other stuff as well, but they do catch fish and most times will out fish lots of other proven baits. in the first pic is a 4x 4/0 vmc after a tide and the next two pics are wollverine 270lb split rings after a tide. well worth the amount of fish caught compared to everyone next to me.

Your "Pro Staff" needs to rethink something if we have to change the splits and hooks out of the package.

Now, the thing is, we are used to doing that with about 50% or more of the baits we buy, but if you are gonna charge 30 bucks, you make yourselves look greedy.

do the right thing

Your "Pro Staff" needs to rethink something if we have to change the splits and hooks out of the package.

Now, the thing is, we are used to doing that with about 50% or more of the baits we buy, but if you are gonna charge 30 bucks, you make yourselves look greedy.

do the right thing

I think youre missing the point, its not so much the hardwear, but how we are fishing them. The hooks and rings are fine when fishing from a boat or the surf its when you put current and braid in the mix that the problem is there. They are going to a stronger split ring, but I still think that the problem will still be there. Look at the pics those are 270lb split rings turned to mush. The hooks and rings are minor in the price of the bait.

The hooks and rings are minor in the price of the bait.


So, do the right thing, and put premium hardware on your premium priced baits.

Dont ignore input from the end user. It is a bad habit that manufacturers get in to.

Most of us are not casual fisherman here.

Good luck to you and your company.


:buds::fishin:

Now I have to buy some of these baits, lol.

The addiction is bad -------------------------

:)

I think youre missing the point, its not so much the hardwear, but how we are fishing them. The hooks and rings are fine when fishing from a boat or the surf its when you put current and braid in the mix that the problem is there. They are going to a stronger split ring, but I still think that the problem will still be there. Look at the pics those are 270lb split rings turned to mush. The hooks and rings are minor in the price of the bait.

In this quote you're essentially telling potential customers not to buy this product for canal use

Hey Roy .. That pic of the magic swimmer with the single nose hook . Does that foul over the line during the cast ? seems to me that large nose hook makes it a deep diver.. not a bad thing in the canal .

Hey Mike . I got rid of the nose split ring all together .. Maybe good for direct tie but not necessary with a clip me thinks.

I heard the magic swimmer is wired with galvy wire .. not stainless .. I don't know if that's true but I'm rinsing it with fresh water after use . My other plugs are jealous . Special treatment for the new guy ..

Hey Roy .. That pic of the magic swimmer with the single nose hook . Does that foul over the line during the cast ? seems to me that large nose hook makes it a deep diver.. not a bad thing in the canal .

Hey Mike . I got rid of the nose split ring all together .. Maybe good for direct tie but not necessary with a clip me thinks.

I heard the magic swimmer is wired with galvy wire .. not stainless .. I don't know if that's true but I'm rinsing it with fresh water after use . My other plugs are jealous . Special treatment for the new guy ..

I havent tried it that way in the canal, I have from the boat and it cast fine....Its more of an application for say tuna, tarpon, trevally ect. for me a single treble one size bigger then the one that comes on the plug rigged on two split rings or split ring swivel split ring works the best on the magic swimmer. You will miss a lot of fish, but those are usually small fish or fish that are smacking it with there tails. Especially with the stick shad which seems to snag a lot of fish cause of it.

I think youre missing the point, its not so much the hardwear, but how we are fishing them. The hooks and rings are fine when fishing from a boat or the surf its when you put current and braid in the mix that the problem is there. They are going to a stronger split ring, but I still think that the problem will still be there. Look at the pics those are 270lb split rings turned to mush. The hooks and rings are minor in the price of the bait.

So u think its ok for us to spend 33.00 on a plastic plug, that we can't fish in current and with braid with the hooks it's supplied with?:confused: Someone's missing the point alright, i don't think it's us.

So u think its ok for us to spend 33.00 on a plastic plug, that we can't fish in current and with braid with the hooks it's supplied with?:confused: Someone's missing the point alright, i don't think it's us.

what im saying is that from my experience it doesn't matter if the plug came with vmc 6x hooks and wolverine swivels, there still going to do the same thing. Yes the company is trying to beef up the hardwear, but its not going to change the design on the lure........The lure works and works extremely well.........Example I bent out two of the trebles on the double shot big fish gave me. does that mean Larry's hard wear sucks....if you ask me vmc hooks is what most people want. Canal fishing is a different type of fishing. Its brutal on every part of the equipment we use. A shimano stardic will not last as long fishing the canal as if you just used it on the beach. I keep my drag tight and with 65lb braid and the meat stick I use....I kick the crap out of what ever I throw. If you wanted to go chase fish around in the rocks you could use 12lb test and an 8 foot rod with out a problem on the hard wear it comes with, but with the amount of people and the conditions...you just cant do that there if you want to catch a lot of fish. So take it how you want...im not a rep or get any $$$ from this...Its a brand that I use and use proudly and back up 100%. I have out fished groups of people with them on a whole tide when nothing else produces. To me these lures are worth the price and I know im not the only one that feels this way. Now on a company note, Its not like the company is saying oh well thats to bad, its saying look we are trying to make it better, but for now here are a few ideas on rigging these baits that will help solve the problem your having with your type of fishing.....

I have been using sebiles down the canal for 3 years now and have caught many big fish on them. These lures work, yes you might have to get a little creative with them...but bottom line is they work

I think youre missing the point, its not so much the hardwear, but how we are fishing them. The hooks and rings are fine when fishing from a boat or the surf its when you put current and braid in the mix that the problem is there. They are going to a stronger split ring, but I still think that the problem will still be there. Look at the pics those are 270lb split rings turned to mush. The hooks and rings are minor in the price of the bait.

Thats why I use the Rosco 6XH they do not rate it as high. They are rated at 125 lb but They are stronger than the Wolverine #7-270 lb. Wolverine is way over rated for the size.

i like those split rings Mike and I like the price too. Nice and heavy duty. I have been using them on all my Sebiles.

Thats why I use the Rosco 6XH they do not rate it as high. They are rated at 125 lb but They are stronger than the Wolverine #7-270 lb. Wolverine is way over rated for the size.


That's good to know .. I think the Cape Cod Canal should be the testing grounds for all fishing tackle ..

THEIR ARE SOME WOODEN PLUG MAKERS THAT SELL PLUGS WITHOUT HARDWARE FOR BIG MONEY AND PEOPLE STILL BUY THEM. THE SEBILES CATCH FISH, I PESONALLY DONT CARE IF I HAVE TO CHANGE THE HARDWARE. I CHANGE IT ON ALL MY LURES ANYWAY.

It's everyone's choice if they want to change hooks and rings.
For 30 bucks you would think there should not be a need to :( That is the point most here are making I think.
As far as from a boat with light tackle, the small stick shad has junk hooks I wouldn't trust for a largemouth, I had one small schoolie trash the hooks from a boat with 7' rod and light line, it had nothing to do with canal current.

Yep, the work very well as designed.
Sometimes the bass like a subsurface lure and that stick shad fits the bill. they cast damn good too.

Nice thing about that sinking stick shad (5 1/4 oz) when you crank it in fast it flips on its side and comes up .. Nice not worrying about hanging up on the shoulder of the canal ..

just finished watching on the water and they had patrick from sebile on. couldn't tell if the hooks had been changed but they caught one monster blue no problem. I changed all mine out for the record

I have no problem changing out the hardware...with the amount of $$ I spend on fishing...whats another few bucks......I change most of the hardware on every plug I use....

I didnt listen, an didnt change out the split rings. I had a split ring let go in the canal on a NICE fish. The hooks held up fine.

Hardware and price are why I did not buy any,,,,

If your going to make a premium bait and charge a premium price it should be ready to go out of the box....

Hardware and price are why I did not buy any,,,,

If your going to make a premium bait and charge a premium price it should be ready to go out of the box....

You sound like the guy who is waiting for NB to lengthen the line tie on the BD to adjust it's depth before he will buck up...

Why miss out on something great b/c it isn't absolutely perfect??
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Nice thing about that sinking stick shad (5 1/4 oz) when you crank it in fast it flips on its side and comes up .. Nice not worrying about hanging up on the shoulder of the canal ..

That is a nice feature. The Megabaits used to do that too.

If you bought a new Mercedes would you be OK with it if it came with crap tires and you had to go to get new tires put on it before you used it. I think not. If I bought a Gremlin I may be OK with the fact that it may need new tires, but not a Mercedes.

At $33 a pop...Sebile is billing itself as the Mercedes...it should be good to go right out of the package.

At $8 bucks a pop the Mambo minnow is the gremlin....But I know it needs new "Tires" right out of the package.

and both catch fish effectively....just like both cars will get you from point A to point B effectively.........

Hooks shmooks .. Beachmaster never came with hooks .. If fishing is becoming a spectator sport because everyone is bailing fish on Sebile's your going to buy one .. Numby you have to suc it up and buy a magic swimmer just to watch it swim . (maybe knock it off).. Amazing how that lipless thing moves ..

yeah Sebiles are damn cool looking lures, but c'mon put some better hooks on it!

Did any of your catch the OTW TV show with Patrick Sebile fishing with the guys? They were at Cuttyhunk, cool show, but no big fish except for a huge blue! He signed a plug for the club, Luds probably stole it and fished it though :D

For one of the big magic swimmers I have it came with an insert about rigging it for "large fish" including tuna. Said remove the rear hook and add a swivel to the front hook loop and add a larger treble (like the bottom white lure from RoyL). Thing is that the magic swimmer is not through-wired even to the front hook so I don't know if I trust the figure 8 attachments on that glued body to hold up to a tuna.

Interested to see the RoyL photo, though, of the swivel with the single hook right off the nose, that could be a good solution. Do wonder about fouling on the cast, though.