I was fishing at my secret spot on Lake Travis Saturday, using tutti frutti boilies and an oats/grits pack bait. One of my lines got into a snag and I thought I was out of my good hooks, so I re-rigged and tied on a Gamakatsu #8 baitholder hook.

I wasn't using my euro gear this time, just a surf/trolling set up (Daiwa Sealine XSHA50 on a 9.5 ft downrigger rod) because I wanted to test it out before I hit the coast next month. After a few minutes, the baitclicker slowly starts clicking, and when I picked up the rod, the clicker starts screaming. I engaged the reel, set with about 15 lbs of drag, and start playing the fish, and it was still pulling line out like crazy.

After a minute or two, the line goes slack. I reel in (after a few choice words I won't repeat on this forum haha) and notice that the hook was nearly straightened out. I've landed fish up to 25 pounds on these hooks in the past, so this fish must have been massive.

So moral of the story, always order more hooks in before you go fishing! Heading back out there tonight to try and catch the big guy, but with some better hooks this time.

I set my drag around 6lbs, I have never had a problem with hooks except maybe some teimco' that where meant for fly fishing.

I stopped using Gama hooks when I had several snap in half on me. Will never use another Gama hook.

I like the sickle and the octopus J-Hooks for catfishing, they've never let me down so far. The smaller hooks need to be reinforced quite a bit though.

I wish there were more stores that would keep carp tackle in stock, it sucks having to order everything online and wait for it to come in.

15#s drag seems high for a #8 hook, may have been a cat since it didn't just pull out.

Yea I used to use some Gama #8 carp hook. The shanks were on the thin side and the metal hardness average.Still able to land a 36lb grasser once but moved on to better hooks.

Drag solves all those problems...

I don't think this has anything to do with anything but I lost a pair of 12/0 J's on a double-drop a few weeks ago shark fishing. $45 each...

Yea, I fish such a light drag, I could catch fish on gold aberdeens and probably not break em. If they wanna run they get to run.

nice report

45 bucks for a hook setup dang

awesome dave can't wait to see the photos.
mustad big gun hooks are sold at academy they are thick wired hooks . very sharp also

Gama broke on my cousin and opened up on me while hooked to a nice fish in the same day, I chunked them.

This seems like a perpetual problem for me. You and I must bein the same boat!

You guys should not be having that problem. It's ok to let the fish run, that's why you have like 300+ yards on line on your spool. At best you can cast off around 100 yards of that line and it still leaves you waaaay more than enough line to let a fish run itself to death! Unless there's snags around, then you kinda gotta get em in quick, but other than that, there's no excuse!

And $45 is too much to be spending on a single drop, but you gotta learn somehow right?

dam you sheep head for clogging that hook.