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!
