Earlier this week I was involved in a discussion about hooks and how they impacted the balance of the lure. It got me thinking and I realized that despite using hooks every day, most anglers really don't have a clear understanding of how much impact their hooks can have on all aspects of their fishing. Its not just about choosing a favorite hook and making sure its sharp, its about understanding the relationship between size, hook bend, wire size, color, and style. Once you have a clear understanding of those categories its about understanding how and when to switch between them to hook and land more fish.

You can use hooks to make topwaters walk wider or tighter, cause crankbaits to run deeper (or shallower), change dive angles, get jerkbaits to do things they've never done before, or simply to control bass into doing exactly what you want them to do.

This is the longest video I've ever shot. I'll be up front, its 17 minutes long. If you can survive through the end (I know its tough) you will come out with a much clearer understanding of the hooks you use every day and what you could be doing differently. This isn't about preferences, its about literally controlling the way bass approach your baits, getting better hook ups, and ultimately catching more fish every time you hit the water.

http://www.tacticalbassin.com/blog/everything-there-is-to-know-about-treble-hooks

I really look forward to hearing your thoughts. I racked my brain before sitting down with the camera on this one. Every last bit of information I use when I'm out on the water and I need to make adaptations is included.

Good video!

Thanks Tim! I know its long but I got it all in there. Hopefully it opens some eyes , saves some money, and helps guys be more effective on the water.

Great video. I will be trying some of the things that you talked about.

Ha you called it, I had my pointer on the slider ready fast forward when you got to the hook colors. Glad I watched it I want to try the red hook up front now, that's some pretty good thoughts on the subject.

Ive been told that red hooks imitate gill flash and come into there own in gin clear water. This makes sense to me. I also know the the color red is the first color to dissipate in low light conditions which also make sense to me. So, with that said, red trebles make sense on topwaters and of little consequence on deep diving crankbaits.

One thing i think you should've covered is the addition of split rings and their affects on the action of the bait. I like to add an additional split ring to my larger deep divers because this limits the leverage the fish have to throw the hook. In doing so, you have to be concerned that the front and rear hooks don't connect together as you cast. If I up size the front hook, I'll down size the rear in order to keep some separation between them. Not always possible, but it is a concern.

You are right about making chances to your baits by switching out hooks, but I just think there is more to this topic. Hope others chime in.

Matt has another video where he talks about adding more split rings to reduce the leverage a fish has on your large crank bait.

Thanks EZBassin!

Centex, I completely agree with you on dual split rings but covered that two weeks ago in this video.
Tips for Extra Deep Diving Crankbaits: http://youtu.be/aH9SH54N8j0

I didn't want to repeat that info but more importantly, didn't want to head down the road of hook attachment options. Frankly, that's a more in-depth topic than the hooks themselves. We do some very obscure things out here that I'll get around to talking about one of these days.

Thank you for your feedback! I love when people chime in and really get a strong discussion going. I've said it before and I'll say it again, sometimes I think I learn more from these threads than everyone else does! Nothing but good can cone from multiple anglers openly discussing bait modification.

If you book a guide trip with Matt, you will learn those very obscure things. LOL I did and had a blast fishing with Matt in California.

What a great video and made a lot of sense.

Thanks for the reply. I didnt catch you video about the split rings. Understand now. (Still can't wrap my head around using braid for everything.) I do watch your videos and enjoy them all the same. Keep em coming!

Thanks Guys!

EZBassin, Thank you! I really enjoyed fishing with the two of you.