Tail hook thoughts

[Back Beach]

Oh yeah, just to clarify....I wouldn't advocate removing the rear siwash if its critical to the performance of the plug. My point was regarding what I think happens when a rear hook is employed, so its neither good nor bad to have one. If one is to employ a rear hook it should have a quantifiable benefit.

As for sticking with the plugs I'm all for it. Many nights I have to choose between carrying a bunch of stuff on a long walk and simplifying by fishing only with eels. Needless to say I'm not pressing a fully effective attack by omitting plugs on many occasions and fishing only eels...I should know better by know.

[eskimo]

I usually go with a flag for obvious reasons. if you have tandem belly hooks I feel that the siwash just pushes the line of 'one to many hooks'.
I think fish that are landed on just the tail hook were once on the belly hooks and worked their way off (not in all cases).

Also this might sound crazy but I always feel the rear hook on any surface plug (a needle also) gathers the most weed, because its dressed it tends to ride the surface on the retrieve in which grabs the floating weed.

Although sometimes I compensate with a tail weight I don't feel its a proper replacement (unlike the weight the hook is allowed to swing) so I will either taper the tail section or I will cut a siwash further down the shank for additional weight. The newer BM danny's are a good example of this because the tail section is a lot thicker.

[Old Man]

...trash me if you will but here's what I run...

...right or wrong ...here goes...

..I remove all hooks and use a 7/0 O'Shaughnessy on the tail...

...yeah ...yeah... I've heard it from the best of the best builders who I've swapped tail hooks for plugs with...."it ain't gonna run right"..."years of my testing and design down the tubes with what ya doing to my plug" ...... "will you put some hooks on that plug !!!"

...here's why...

...98% of my catching is either schoolies or blues...

...a long shank 7/0 makes for VERY easy removal of a blue from my toys...the needle nose pliers latches onto the shank and one twist and the blue is off and I'm casting again...none of the 15 minutes to get a treble back from the lock jaw of a blue..BTDT...ain't we all ???

..and the schoolies ? ...well... they gotta go back anyway and what a mess a treble can make of a schoolie ...much less two or three sets of hooks being pried out of a thrashing striper...

...do I miss many hits ? no ... do I care ?...no

...and my PB (30+) last spring at the canal was taken on a pikie...no belly hook ...one 7/0 on the tail.... AND it went back for somebody else to enjoy...


...that's my take....

...for those who build (as MOST here do) ...try your favorite plug...

...1. ..no hooks...see if it swims..
...2. ..one tail siwash or whatever...see if it swims..
...3. .. loaded up with all the hardware it will carry (or usually carries) ...and see the difference...you might be surprised..

..so much for my rant...

... Old Man aka Bob

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