Pretzeled
 

Long trip, long walk, difficult wade, nice night, high quality territory, alone. Fishing was slow but enough scattered small fish (24-30" stuff) over a shallow rock bar at low tide on a small white needle to be worth sticking around. Several hours on I finally found a decent one. An impressive run against full sized tackle. Stopped her and got her 1/2 way back when she started to go again.....then slack. Swore, reeled in, and found this. No weed so I don't think it was a rub off. Regular 3/0 hook. Made me smile. Beaten fair and square.

That was one STRONG fish
better luck next time George

Yes, yes.....I know about 6x's. I've had those crushed too, however, and smaller plugs often don't carry them well. So I'm thinking about cheating next time. Planning to try in-line hooks. I've used them in current on the magic swimmer and they've done well when the plug is moving fast. I've tried them on the skinny donny (which required retrofitting with wire hook hangers and epoxy) but the jury is still out. The action is more vigorous and the few fish I've been able to find by day and boat with it have failed to get hooked. A needle might be a different story, however, although I'll be interested to see how well these work on a slow moving plug (I have a concern they may get pushed out of the way when a fish hits less aggressively). The needle shown is a one-off Eddy gave me some years ago. I've not tried it (the bucktail is a borrowed one off another plug). We'll see. Anybody else trying them?

Hooked only 4 "big" (i.e., made real runs) beach fish in June. Lost 3 of them. One to a crushed hook, one to a leader/hook wrap (with which the fish unhooks itself), and one to leader break after the fish found a rock....although more likely it was stupidity on my part for being lazy and not changing my shock leader (after experimenting with only #20 Fluoro during a full moon and ignoring the inevitable nicking just above the quick link after multiple small fish).

Strangely, as much as I hate dropping a special fish I find losing them drives me to fish more than catching them. So it is all good in the long run.

New model VMC, has the tip guard on the third tine so you won't poke yourself.

Hate to see a hooked fish lost George .If you were fishen sand I would suggest a lighter drag and let the fish go for a ride but since you fish in rocks I can't help.
PS Ilove those needles

Those ones hurt! I've considering trying those inline hooks but everyone I know that has tried them has gone back to trebles pretty quick.
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At first I thought you took up yoga. Sounds like motivation to me and a good rush. A cut hook too. Good to see the cut area held up with the tine twisting like that.
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This is what keeps us coming back.....To settle the score
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Yikes!

Couldn't get into the inline hooks although a few buds fish em and like em so far. During the retrieve I feel like they lay back onto the plug offering less exposure. I fish mostly 6X for the exception of a few temperamental plugs which I still fish 4X on.