What Mike said.....

Thank you
 

I`ll post later this season as to how they hold up


lots of line on the reel and cafeful drag adjustment will be in the mix.

It's about the way metal is worked. To make a hook keep it's shape it needs to have a certain amount of "work hardening" or temper in it. In many cases the material is worked to a point during bending and forging probably gets the material close to it's ultimate strength. After you cut the hook, open it and close it again you are very close to going beyond the ultimate strength and the hook is subject to failure. Add to that the protective coating may be damaged in the process and you have corrosion sites that can further weaken the hook.

One bend you are OK, like Mike P says try to adjust it after it is closed and you take the metal beyond what it can handle and the eye fails. Smae thing with the SS siwash hooks.

After all that I still use open eyes......

I use 3/0 or 4/0 open eye Mustads on all of my plugs without the split rings. The only plugs I keep the split rings on are my swimmers ( Cordells etc.) because I'm too lazy to take them off. I use the open eyes with the split rings too.I've never had a fish open an eye on me. I have had many fish bend and destroy trebles on me though. I just make sure that I check my hooks before every outing. Yes when the hook has rusted and it's time to replace, the open eye on the Mustad does break. But I never allow this to get that far because I am always replacing the trebles. I understand that plug builders use these split rings because if they ever had a fish open up an eye on a customer that would be the end of it. To me the split ring is just another step I don't need to go with.

Pete,
was replacing hooks on some of my beachmasters tonight and with little effort the cut vmc's snapped :hs: ..after being changed in the fall and rinses withfreshwater on a regualr basis...makes you think when the fat lady comes along ifr the cuts will withstand her 50+ POUNDS OF STRENGTH
i know some plug builders such as beAchmaster swear by no split rings because it effects the action, but from what i saw tonight i will never go with cuts again....

JIM

Zeno,

Opened the eye on a mustad open eyed hook last fall, was very pissed.. Never again no mustads for me.

The duratin mustads are crap.I can't believe they try to pawn this crap off on us.They have no clue.It seems to me that the people at VMC changed the metal composition of there hooks also.I cut my VMC's an bend em to the side like the old mustad cut hooks.I did some testing going back an forth to see brittle the hook is.If I remember right 5 or 6 times till it broke.A mustad will be lucky to go 3 times.never had any trouble with em.The newer ones I have seem to bend easier.No I'm not getting stronger.I use all kinds of hooks old mustads in the cardboard box #'s 7794 a nice hook has a shorter shank than the 3549.Owners Stingers the silver one is the strongest hook I have ever seen.heavier than most hooks so they only go one some plugs.4x VMC's, 6x VMC's I am constantly changing hooks dependin on the situation.Cut an with splitrigs.Hey stuff happens.yea hooks open I seen split rings dissapear i think they can started an thread off.I love sealing plugs up so there is no water penetration but Then u have a hanger an a splitring.Not the best combination there is a locking point an a good fish can make the best hooks look stupid.Or they can do the houdini thing an worm the splitring off the hanger.Seen it happen.Fishing at night u can't inspect all the little things as u cast u gotta have faith in ur experience.

Hey Nib :wavey:

Hey Johnnee.:wavey:

Sounds to me like you guys don't change your hooks enough. Shoot I change up my hooks probably every other trip out. I gave up on rinsing my plugs off. I've come to the realization that if your fishing alot, the only solution is to switch out hooks often.

Funny, that was exactly my thought! Yes, cut VMC's or non- cut-- they suck corrosion- resistance- wise! Their down- side is they don't last long at "full strength". Pete's also quite right that even VMC 4x trebles often come with a dull point or two out of the box, & so EVERY point needs to be checked with no assumptions of "factory- sharpness" ever made! And: personally, I'm glad when I get ONE full season out of a VMC 4x hook on my heavily fished plugs! (You bet I double- check & replace for the Fall run!). So the answer is: cut away!... don't worry about using markers/ protectants on the cut or points... JUST change once a season, or yes-- more frequently if/ when certain well- fished VMC's are starting to look haggard.

I'm cutting VMC's now for 4 years... & haven't had the cut fail once! BUT: in Jan. when I'm removing old/ hard- fished ones from pet plugs-- yes, they seem to break at the cut then frighteningly easily! :eek:

I am going into my 4th season cutting VMC hooks and between my buddys and I we have no failures. Last season I switched to the 6x hooks and love them, although they are tough to cut. I am also very meticulous about changing my hooks often as my lure bag spends a lot of time underwater.

I gotta go fishing with you guys.I have never had a hook straightened out by a fish,can't even imagine it.You're into the big mommas!

Had a Momma almost completely straighten a 4x 4/0 Treble fitted to my large Gibbs Pencil after a 5- minute epic battle on a stormy Fall day... despite that the plug swivel held, and I was "only" using 20 lb. mono., and the line never parted! (obviously)! :scream2:

Still keep that bent- out hook hanging in my workshop, as a reminder of what the biggest Bass can do to top- shelf tackle! (forget about crappy hooks & tackle!! Hear that Storm Wildeye fans? :hs: )

Doesn't have to be a momma, and it doesn't require overstressing the hook. If a fish is able to get leveage on the hook by using the plug's body as a fulcrum, the hook can straighten. I've done it to 4/0 3x strong Mustads using 20# mono and a soft Lami S-glass rod. Even bluefish can do it.