Red hooks...what is the deal with these?

[Mr. Sandman]

Has anyone used these? I see a number of hook makers producing red hooks now. Is there some theory behind a red hook or is it a marketing ploy to sell more hooks?

[Nebe]

They're supposed to simulate a gill or blood.....I think that they are the hot thing in the freshwater world.....

WHo knows though... a bright red hook sticking out of an eel mouth... hmmmm???? maybe worth a try....

[Goose]

I think the bait is gonna attract fish not weather or not its bleeding. Daiichi are qaulity hooks, what ya got to lose.

[Mr. Sandman]

I am so pumped to go fishing I am ordering all kinds of gear...

I watched that episode of fluke fishing off Orient Point on NE anglers..they had Bob Rochetta (of 73# Montauk striper fame) on as a guest and they were mopping up big fluke...I am dying to get out there again!!

There are some really good hooks out now. Last year I switched to circle hooks for eeling from my tried and true standard octopus hook and while it took me a couple fish to get use to them I really liked them. Fewer gut hooks and a very easy release. I do tend to use a much bigger hook though when using circle hooks 6/0 (give or take a size) as compared to the 4/0 J octopus hook which is much smaller. I have tried just about all the brands and most of them are pretty good. Which ones do you like?
That Live bait hook that gami has out there is too heavy IMO...it looks like it could lift a truck the damn thing is so thick. Near the end of last season I got a load of the Owner Circles and they worked out very well and were really sharp, had a much thinner wire, but were still plenty strong.

Those Daiichi hooks are also killer but a bit more $. The red thing still eludes me...blood eh? Maybe I will try a pack.

[Raven]

by getting used to them you're refering to your hook set timing i presume. talk about that ...please ; you are remembering, you are remembering , soon your memory will be jogged , your mind shall be cleared of fog and you'll have total recall. Just quiet the chattering monkeys of your mind and repeat: i am remembering
over and over ... relax ... dont force it ... and you can remember anything.

[tlapinski]

i have not tried the red hooks yet. i just would imagine the effect would get lost in the sea. such a small amount of red can't have any change, in my opinion.

i have gone through a lot of hook styles, sizes, and makes in the past few years, i have settled on 4/0 and 5/0 gami live bait. they are super sharp right out of the package, they keep their point, and i am confident in them. i have not noticed any fewer fish with them, but i have that trust. i tried circle hooks, but actually gut hooked more fish than with conventional hooks!

[RIROCKHOUND]

I used the red hooks fluken before.. any difference...
As far as hooks go... I used gami 6/0 octo's for eels, I notice with the thin wire I dont cast many off... Had fish to the upper 30's and never straightened one... but I fish fairly light tackle.....

[Clammer]

I,ve used them=for Bass & did ok with them======================better or worse ?????

[chris L]

they are red !

what clammer said . have used them but without having 2 hooks baited the same in front of the same fish who knows .

[mikecc]

I believe the idea behind it is that red it's the first color to disappear under water.

from Cajun Line co.

Cajun Lightning Filler Spools
When on the surface, the colored line looks like blood, convincing hungry predators to attack an easy meal. Cajun Lightning - "the line that acts like a lure™". Increase your strikes by up to 60%. Red is one of the first wavelengths to disappear under water, so this revolutionary line's blood-red color disappears within the first few feet of water, making it practically invisible for more strikes from the most line-shy fish.

as far as hooks being thin just check around you will find red hooks in almost any gauge and size you want.

[Katie]

i don't know.. but I did use a red penn reel hook,that caught the 32.5 bass that won the under 18 tourney. Maybe its the color..

[nightfighter]

An old timer once told me about the red hook thing back in the 80's, when I didn't even fish! Came up as I had asked him why he had a bottle of red nail polish on the console dash! Maybe that's the economic way to try red on your hook of choice!

[schoolie monster]

Like others have said, a gill flash or blood.

I used daiichi red circles this year with live herring. Don't know if they helped, but I like the idea. I painted some of my jerkbait hooks with rustoleum last year. Again, I caught fish with them, but couldn't say if it helped.

I think the idea of the hook contributing to the presentation versus being a detriment is really good. I also think that if it gives you a bit of added confidence, then its a good thing.

[Mr. Sandman]

This color thing got me looking into the biology of a basses eye. You do know that at night they can not see color at all...even on a bright moon lit night. Mark Sosin's "Through a fishes eye" book goes into fishes sight in detail (he has a co-author who is a expert in this area). They have two sets of light receptors, one set that work only in the day (which can see color) and one set that work in the darkness (which can not see color). There is a period (dawn and dusk) where BOTH of them work and they then have superior eyesight and an advantage over they prey. This is why it is a prime time for them to feed during those periods.

So at night it really shouln't matter one way or the other.

[Fisherwoman]

Last year BC and I did a little test for a couple of days on red hooks vs gami silver hooks. Using live mackerel, I outfished him 2-1 on the red hooks, so I don;t know if was the color but it did make a difference. The only problem is that the hook isn't solid red. it is just painted on and does come off after a few fish.

[Mr. Sandman]

maybe your just a better fisherperson?

[chris L]

sandman Ive said the same thing a number of times ! at night when it matters to me stripers cant see color just shades of dark . but hey Im a gofer not a fisher . go get me this or that

[Got Stripers]

Mike has it right, it's about the fish not being able to see the red as well. Which if your fishing deeper or stained water (less sunlight penetration) might make a difference. I painted some lead wrapped hooks last winter red and some black, no real appreciable difference at this time.