When fishing a school of sand bass feeding on the top of the water column, and you are using a top water lure, do you prefer your top water lure to have only one hook to get the fish off faster and get back into the school OR do you prefer your top water lure to have two hooks for a better chance of a hook up? Assuming that the single hook is in the center of the lure rather than on the rear end and assuming your top water lure is a medium size popper or prop bait.

Thanks for your opinion,
Minnerdunker

In that situation I prefer a single hook with a jig trailing 12 to 18" behind it, good for a double many times!

In my opinion the more hooks the better. I've caught 2 fish on one torpedo multiple times. Also a lot of the walking type baits are designed for 2 hooks and won't walk right with just one.

I hate trebles with sandbass. I normally use double crappie jigs. A lot easier to unhook.

Caught two black bass on a chug bug once....never two whites though.

I switched my 2 trebles to barbless hooks and the fish just fall off lying in the bottom of the boat with a little slack. Barbless are a lot easier to deal with for most situations. My insurance paid a little over a grand to deal with a barbed treble on a Chug Bug imbedded in my palm this spring. A barbless hook would have solved the problem in the boat with a set of pliers. I do mostly catch and release and the barbless hook is a lot easier on the fish.

I agree, the more hooks the better. I have caught plenty of fish with just one hook in their mouth and glad I hadn't cut any off.

I say treble. I have had single hooks before, but I can increase my odds of a hook up with treble and hemos or pliers make quick removal easy enough.
I need to see the prototype of whatever you have going on in your head!

I find so few surfacing fish (I don't look for them but work structure instead), that the question is meaningless for me. But, for structure fishing, working the bait along the bottom, I definitely prefer a treble hook and will switch to a new Mepps if one of the hooks breaks off. After I collect a couple dozen 2 hook Mepps (usually over a 2 year period), I will cut the old hooks off and put trebles back on the Mepps using a split ring.

I switched to a small coho or sassy shad on a jighead single hook preferred if not a treble on a Little George definitely not 2 trebles on a lure they can hurt.

I use a slab and fly combo on top and when they are down in the column. I even stroll them at times for a bite.

A single hook makes getting the fish off much easier and safer. I can't tell much difference in hookups compared with a treble. A double hook is a compromise. I almost always cut off one hook of a treble before using it. A treble might hook a few more fish in the winter when using a slab deep and slow.

Rip a 3/8 or 7/16 ounce CC spoon through the school. Bend the barbs down on the treble hook or cut a couple hooks off, its your choice. Flea flies can be added for doubles if desired.

Good information, guys. When I posted the question I had in mind one treble hook or two treble hooks on a top water bait. I should have made that clearer. Everyone has their favorite style of fishing and sharing information is what this forum is all about. I hope someone picks up a hint that will put more fish in their boat or on their stringer after reading your replies.
My own personal view, for what its worth, is that two hooks on any lure is just one more to get stuck in my hand while trying to release the fish. Most top water hard baits have at least two and sometimes three treble hooks. My theory is that if a fish is going to strike at a lure, his mouth should be big enough to get hooked by a single treble hook located in the center of the bait; providing the bait is not a huge bait like a Spook. I may change my theory after further on the water testing as I haven't fished top water baits very much.
So I guess What I am asking is, would you have confidence in a top water bait that had only one treble hook attached to the center of the lure?
Thanks again guys, I appreciate your views,

Minnerdunker

Now that you've clarified I used to replace the front hook on my topwaters with a size or two larger treble. Always left the back hook alone because it has a bucktail on it. On Pop-Rs and Near Nuthins, that back hook was so small, it wasn't so much of a threat, but did snag an occasional fish that was either small or non-committal.
Good luck and post up some pics when you figure it out!