In line single hook for XR8 and XR10?

[YakMonkey]

I am cleaning out my tackle box. I just swapped treble for a single hook. Is this too big for XR8? It is VMC 1/0 inline hook.

I am wondering if the gap is too wide so that It might hug the body like this.

What size you guys use for XR8 and XR10?




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[ronaultmtd]

Yep too big...

[Mark]

Remove treble. Put the inline hook in treble's place with point up or down, it doesn't matter. Lure will still work and hook will not foul the lure.

[YakMonkey]

Remove treble. Put the inline hook in treble's place with point up or down, it doesn't matter. Lure will still work and hook will not foul the lure.

Is the hook too big for the lure? I can return this one and find a smaller one


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[J.A. Veil]

I am not an expert in hook selection. I have used VMC inline hooks on some hard baits, but I don't know the size -- I try to eyeball the hook to see what looks about right. On the XRap 10, I do have the problem with the front hook swinging up and catching on the body occasionally. I quickly realize the lure is not swimming right, wind in, fix the hook, and recast. Those larger hooks will still catch fish.

The hooks I have on the XRap 8 (blue lure) have a 1/2" gap, and those on the XRap 10 (silver lure) have a 5/8" gap. There is also some difference in opinion on how the hooks should ride (pointing up or pointing down). I still have a lot to learn.

2020-08-11-002.jpg

[Mark]

YakMonkey,

The hook you have is not too large as long as you run it on the back of the lure. In the middle it may occasionally wrap itself on the lure as your photo shows.

There are treble to inline hooks conversion charts you can find online. They assume you know the size of the factory installed trebles. Lure packages often don't specify the sizes of their hooks.

Eyeballing it is a good approach. A rule of thumb is to make sure the gap of the inline hook you use is as wide as the combined gap of the trebles you are replacing. The hooks you have meet that criteria.

The back hook can be placed with the hook point up or down. The middle hook, if you choose to use it, should always have the hook point down. Otherwise, the point will rise near the body during the retrieve (or troll) inhibiting hookups. See John's photo above. The top lure in in his picture has a better chance of hooking a fish with the middle hook because the point is not blocked by the lure body.

However, as I mentioned to you, I omit the middle hook entirely. Does it cost me an occasional fish? Perhaps. But not enough to matter in the long run. Predatory fish often hit their prey from behind. Also, by omitting the middle hook, I can use the lure body as a makeshift handle to lift the fish into my kayak. And it's one less hook to stick me when a fish I've caught is flailing away at my gunwale or in my boat.