Anyone use Z-Man Weighted Trigger hooks?

[bunnielab]

I was at a show today and saw them for the first time. They were $2 a pack and as I generally like all the Z-man jigs I have used, I bought two packs.


When I got home I googled them and found that they have very mixed reviews and I believe they are discontinued. One of the main complaints was how easy it was to stick yourself with the front hook when unhooking a large fish. There are many pictures out there like this, if you care to look:


I test rigged up both a z-man and a bass assassin swimbait and was pleasantly surprised how easy they both were to rig. While I like Z-man lures, they seem to work better with terminal tackle, especially weighted swimbait hooks, that doesn't work as well with normal plastics. Having weighted hooks that work for both seems appealing but man I really don't want a hook in my hand. I assume as bad as that feels when on a bass boat, having to paddle a yak with a hook in your hand has to be just awful.

I would love to hear any experiences with them. Overstockbait.com has them for like $0.30 per if you buy a large box of them so if they are decent I would like to pick some more up.

[Cowpokey]

First I've heard of them...and after the eye twitch from the bottom picture I won't be getting any.

[JKay]

I've never tried the Z-man and even though the price seems good, I'll pass. I prefer these for swimbaits and larger plastics. Not inexpensive, but work well. Owner Beast, weighted.

[bunnielab]

I've never tried the Z-man and even though the price seems good, I'll pass. I prefer these for swimbaits and larger plastics. Not inexpensive, but work well. Owner Beast, weighted.

That is what I have been using, but the Z-man plastics do not work well with the screwlocks. However, if you remove them the weight (atleast the 1/8 and 1/16oz ones I have) slide through the plastics with no damage.

First I've heard of them...and after the eye twitch from the bottom picture I won't be getting any.

Oh man, that is like as small as I could shrink it down. The full sized on I found made me recoil back in my chair. I do think that if one were always in the habit to use pliers to dehook, the risk would be minimized. I still see lures with more than one treble hook as more of a danger, although these z-man hooks are thick enough that I think my little sidecutters would not be able to cut through one if needed. Something to check on for sure.

I may see if cutting the point of of the front hook still lets it hold well on a plastic. I would think the barb does most of the work.

[JKay]

That is what I have been using, but the Z-man plastics do not work well with the screwlocks.

Does the screwlock tear up the plastic on a Z-man plastic? I'm curious as to why they don't work so well.

these z-man hooks are thick enough that I think my little sidecutters would not be able to cut through one if needed. Something to check on for sure.

I carry a small pair of boltcutters at the bottom of my bag. I keep them oiled and vacuum packed just in case I skewer myself. It's happened twice already. It's likely to happen again. You can find them for less than $10 on Amazon. Cheap insurance.

[bunnielab]

Does the screwlock tear up the plastic on a Z-man plastic? I'm curious as to why they don't work so well.

Quite the opposite, the plastics are so soft, pliable, and stretchy, it is very hard to get them on the screws. I have had good luck heating the screw for a second with a lighter, but on a yak I dont see that being a reasonable solution.

I carry a small pair of boltcutters at the bottom of my bag. I keep them oiled and vacuum packed just in case I skewer myself. It's happened twice already. It's likely to happen again. You can find them for less than $10 on Amazon. Cheap insurance.

That is not a bad idea, especially the vacuum packing part. I just tested my little cutter and they failed, hard. The cutting jaws deformed trying to cut a 0/3 worm hook. I need to upgrade my first aid kit in any event, as last time I was out it got wet and ruined a bunch of stuff.

[Cowpokey]

Oh man, that is like as small as I could shrink it down. The full sized on I found made me recoil back in my chair.

Thanks for shrinking it down. LOL

I may see if cutting the point of of the front hook still lets it hold well on a plastic. I would think the barb does most of the work.

I would expect the barb to do all the work, but the tip makes the smallest hole to get it in the plastic. I'd try cutting the tip off one, leaving the barb, and see how it works from the comfort and safety of your chair.

Lures with multiple treble hooks are probably still a bit more dangerous with a flopping fish in the kayak.

[bunnielab]

I clipped the barb off on one and rigged it on two baits, again a z-man minnow and a bass assassin.




They both seemed to rig with no issues and hold tight to pulling. These hooks rig much faster the the Owner hooks I have and I am now very curious to see how they perform in the water.

[Cowpokey]

I quit rigging my tails with the hooks hidden inside, missed LOTS of bites trolling the bay.

[JKay]

Lures with multiple treble hooks are probably still a bit more dangerous with a flopping fish in the kayak.

I could not agree with you more! My first accident was with the second treble on a stickbait. My son almost fainted as he watched me push the barb the rest of the way through so that I could cut off the barb and back out the hook. That was not a fun afternoon!

[bunnielab]

I quit rigging my tails with the hooks hidden inside, missed LOTS of bites trolling the bay.

Both of those have the hook sitting in a trough in the top of the bait. In the case of the Z-man one, the top "fin" is split and conceals the hook trough. I am amazed they can mold such fine detail in.

However, the angle of the hook forces you to rig the lure with the hook down like this, that is another drawback it seems.

Now we just need some open water to test this stuff in.

[Cowpokey]

Both of those have the hook sitting in a trough in the top of the bait. In the case of the Z-man one, the top "fin" is split and conceals the hook trough. I am amazed they can mold such fine detail in.

However, the angle of the hook forces you to rig the lure with the hook down like this, that is another drawback it seems.

Now we just need some open water to test this stuff in.

Yeah I know about the split fin on top. I had mine rigged perfect to be "weedless". Problem with that, they ended up fishless on most bites.

[bunnielab]

Yeah I know about the split fin on top. I had mine rigged perfect to be "weedless". Problem with that, they ended up fishless on most bites.

How does one rig a swimbait hook and leave it exposed? Something like this, but I assume you would need to cut the fin off?

[Cowpokey]

Run the hook down the center not so deep in the back of the tail and leave the bend of the hook exposed. It will catch grass, debris and crab pots, but that's the price to pay when it means hooking fish vs seeing the rod bounce and missing fish.

[bunnielab]

Ah, yes, with jigheads I do that, I thought you had a way to rig swimbait hooks exposed. I have not gotten into trolling yet and was looking into swimbait hooks as a way to reduce the snags that plague me. Casting jigheads into trees after pickerel cost me a lot of lures and a lot of time.