Sluggo, Hogy, etc - Larger fish on front hook?
 

What's your hookup ratio? More large fish on front hook and smaller fish on trailer?

When I used to fish Hogy's with the tandem rig I would say 9 out of ten times the fish would make its way up to the front hook. Most times they took the smaller hook it was a smaller fish. So, I started using an offset worm hook on both the 7" and 10" baits including the double wide. 7/0 hook for the 7" and a 11/0 for the 10". The tail of the bait has a little more wiggle which I think would up your strike ratio and if you are really trying to target larger fish only than using the double wide Hogy's are the way to go.

Good Luck.

On Sluggos:

the fish seem to take the back hook equally to the front..but that depends how I fish them.

I am not catching a damn thing on those rubber eels this year. Last year I hammered fish with them, this year I can't buy a hit. I have even put them on when getting fish every cast with plugs...and NOTHING for 10 casts...I couldn't take it any longer, switched back to a plug and was on with the first cast. :wall:
I am loosing confidence with rubber. And it is not me either, I am hearing similar stories from others too.

I think it probably is you. Do you think bass have become hip to our rubber scams and now won't be fooled? You will probably crush them on rubber next year and won't even remember this post. That's just how it goes. I had countless 25# plus fish on 9" needles and 3-4 oz. diving swimmers last year but this season I can't buy a hit on either. Does that mean they suck? No!!!!! It was probably me just like it's probably you or your presentation with the rubber or it's just not what they will take right now.

As far as which hook, I have seen large bass taken on the back hook over the past few seasons. So much so that I would feel a little inadequate with a sluggo or rigged bait or eel that was not tandem rigged.

I was on the rocks in SC using a new 12" black Sluggo a couple weeks ago. I rigged it with THREE 6/0 live bait hooks. I felt some action and gave it to 3Missippi...Somewhere in SC there is a Bluefish with 2 hooks and 10 inches of black rubber in his belly.
Sorry Dude, catch you later!

With the exception of one week early in June in the canal all of my bass this year have been on Hogy's. 7" bone to be exact. It has been unbeatable for me this year. Sometimes I think that soft plastics can be hard to present with bigger gear. Maybe this is what is happening to you. Anyway, don't give up on the soft plastics.

Good Luck :)