Replacing treble hooks with single hooks?

[bunnielab]

I am looking to try my hand at pickerel fishing this winter and wanted to see if small minnow hardbaits would work for them.

I decided to alter a few smaller crankbaits that I bought during some Dick's sale over the summer. I have had some luck catching WP and even some ambitious bluegills with them but the tiny trebels are a huge pain to remove and none too good for the fish.

I decided to remove them and see if small short shank hooks work. I have a super accurate scale for ammo reloading so I am going to try and match the weight of the new hooks to the old as best I can. I ran the lures with the trebles attached in the tub to get a sense of the action so I can at least get an idea how the new ones will compare.



I googled around and found a little info on doing this but little of actual use. It looks like YoZuri makes saltwater cranks with circle hooks so I have some hope that this might work.

Have any of you guys experimented with this idea?

[Skidsteer]

Saw a similar post on another forum. They used VMC inline single hooks - but for larger lures. For those small lures I'd recommend getting a slightly larger treble and cutting one or two of the hooks off.

Also, the VMC sureset treble has one long shank hook that might work well if you cut the other two off - and it's available in smaller sizes:

http://www.rapala.com/vmc/hooks/treb...t%20hooks&id=6

Link to inline singles:

http://www.rapala.com/vmc/hooks/salt...ne+Single.html

Report back whatever you try and how it works!

[mike o]

I have found Berkley Realstix 3" Swimming pogy's in firetiger color to be the best lure for Pickerel. You might want to try them.

[Skidsteer]

Do you jig them or just cast and retrieve?

[mike o]

I cast and retrieve them moving my rod tip up and down as I retrieve. I'm sure jigging them would work also.

[dsiekman]

You've got two ways to catch pickerel.

1. Look like food.

2. Make them angry.

I've always had more luck with #2. I have found that spinners or hard baits with a rattle are the easiest way to do that. In regards to the single hooks, I had some luck balancing out the action by adding a "dressed" hook to the back. I found the pickerel usually hit this one, as did the WP. I cut two of the hooks off the front treble just incase and replaced the rear with a single dressed. It took some fine tuning but worked ok.

[bunnielab]

You've got two ways to catch pickerel.

In regards to the single hooks, I had some luck balancing out the action by adding a "dressed" hook to the back. I found the pickerel usually hit this one, as did the WP. I cut two of the hooks off the front treble just incase and replaced the rear with a single dressed. It took some fine tuning but worked ok.

This is how I am now leaning. My experiments with single hooks were underwhelming in terms of lure action. I also had a hard time finding small enough open eye hooks, I now have quite a collection of ones that proved too large. My thinking now is a dressed single or double rear and a small single wrapped with lead wire or a small dot of solder up front.

[bignose]

Why bother screwing with the balance at all?
Simply bend two of the three hook points on the treble inwards towards the hook shank or just crush the barbs down with a pair of pliers. EZPZ.
Use a jaw spreader and forceps to remove the hook.
Quick early lesson, you don't lip pickerel or bluefish!

I question circle hooks as they are generally used with bait where the fish swallows the hook and it it hooks itself as it swims away. Not sure how they would work with the lures shown above since pickerel seldom take this type of lure deep.

[bunnielab]

Why bother screwing with the balance at all?
Simply bend two of the three hook points on the treble inwards towards the hook shank or just crush the barbs down with a pair of pliers. EZPZ.
Use a jaw spreader and forceps to remove the hook.

Mostly an urge to tinker. I do admit that just nipping two of the three points off would be the most simple and most effective solution but that will not kill much time during the boring winter.