Swimbait Treble Hook Sizing VS Aesthetics & Performance

[DEPS_250]

I am a little confused when it comes to correctly sizing treble hooks with respect to bait size, bait shape/proportions, the action of the bait and overall bait aesthetics/looks. 

I have heard of guys up sizing treble hooks in order to get faster sink rates and the added benefits of strength and durability. On the other hand, I have also heard of guys down sizing treble hooks in order to get better action out of their baits and get a slower sink rate. 

I recently purchased a River2Sea S-Waver 200 glide bait and one of the first things I noticed was that the stock hooks looked 'HUGE' in comparison to the bait's size, profile and shape. Overall, the hooks definitely made the bait look 'goofy/out of whack' and the proportions definitely did not look right. Since they looked way too big, I ended up switching the original hooks out for ones that were about 1.5 to 2 sizes smaller. 

Some questions/concerns...

1. Do bait makers/companies care less about aesthetics and more about performance/function? I am guessing River2sea intended or has the notion that most people will be targeting bigger fish than normal with a S-Waver 200, therefore they opted to go with big hooks for the added durability and strength so people won't bend hooks on big fish. In other words, are bait makers/companies mainly looking to achieve 'Function Over Form'?

2. When upgrading or changing out hooks on baits, are most anglers mainly interested in action and/or function over aesthetics/proportions and if so, will they up size or down size hooks accordingly based on performance and what they want out of the bait, even if it means making the bait look goofy/out of whack?

3. On the other hand, I am pretty sure there is a limit/range to how big and/or how small a hook size can go on a bait before it definitely looks too goofy/out of whack for anyones taste. Therefore, I am pretty sure there has to be some aesthetics taken into account right? In this case, would a 'Form Over Function' principle be warranted instead? 

 

Edited May 26, 2023 by DEPS_250

[bassbass]

I change hooks so I don't bend them out on big fish and zero for aesthetics. Usefully the same size just stronger.

[chevro1et]

There are some mass production baits that come with cheap low quality hooks and split rings. These companies are simply looking at the bottom line in terms of cost of production and profits. Every garage builder that I really know of uses appropriately sized quality hooks and split rings on their baits, so they're ready to fish straight away. 

If you want to change sink rate, you can change size the hook (size 1<> size 1/0) or you can maintain the size of the hook (size 1) but move up in wire diameter (ST36 <> ST56). 

A lot of the rest comes down to experimentation and personal preference. There are pros and cons for every style of treble hook, and you have to figure out what suits your fishing style. This should take into consideration your rod and line selections, as they can definitely have an influence on the performance of your hooks. Consider the shape and thickness of the bait, and the location of the hook hangers on the bait. Other factors such as target species and environmental conditions (water clarity, day vs night, typical cover types) can all be considered as well. 

[chevro1et]

Personally, I've gone to Owner STX-45ZN hooks almost exclusively for my hard baits, mainly size 2 or 1 for 6"-9" baits. 

[FishDr]

The only aesthetics that matter are whether the fish will hit the bait or not - how it looks to me is immaterial. Beyond that I frequently change out hooks for ones I have confidence in (ST-36s, ST-41s) but will only go up/down 1 size from the stock hooks. I generally trust bait makers to have figured out what size and style of hook works best for their products.

[Morgan Y]

I’m in the state of mind that hook coloration can sometimes be the difference between getting bit or not. That in conjunction with hook size will often be one of the biggest deciding factors for getting bit it seems. I’ve noticed Teflon coated or bronze hooks get bit more than galvanized or black hooks which reflect a lot more light and draw attention. Also at least in my experience wire thickness is almost more important than a size up or down since a thinner wire hook will tuck up under the bait more easily and will also be less visible or off putting in action or when it hangs down. If you’re using 1/0 hooks or larger than 1x strength hooks will do just fine for you and even on locked drag probably won’t bend a whole lot while giving all the benefits listed above. Under 1/0 you might want to look into 2x hooks although because of the geometry of the hooks being smaller the leverage applied is smaller on a smaller hook. Even further still a thinner wire hook is more likely to penetrate bone and have pressure applied to the base of the bend which from a strength standpoint can take a lot more strain than a hook that’s only partially penetrated. 

[Ceaser]

I equip my baits with the treble size that’s a balanced fit for the bait. Bait width, action due to hook placement or style. Mainly bait width. I want the trebles to be as wide as the bait. But I also know people downsize hooks because they think it gets more bites. Nothing I can do about that. I personally use st-56 hooks on a lot of my baits but don’t put them on the baits as stock hardware because I like the idea of a baseline treble. 1x but large enough to handle the fish that eat the bait. As for looking goofy? Not sure. My buddy who stacks big fish on the wade hoggs will only throw 2/0 st-36s on it. They look huge but he says he loses no fish and gets plenty of bites, big ones. I wouldn’t equip the bait stock with those tho because they can hang on each other often which is annoying for some people.  As a manufacturer there’s no correct answer for us. No matter what we do people will like em or hate em. So not sure about others, but I do the best I can to find the middle of the road for everything. I encourage people to try diff sizes and styles. I do on everything, every kind of bait. I’ve tried em all and use a variety of hooks. Like deps 250 for largemouth I’m using gammy bronze 1/0 or 2/0. For striper same bait BKK vipers. On the other hand some baits do require specific hooks tho. Drt TK comes with the split trebles stock for a reason, so the rear treble doesn’t hang over the tail section. 

trying it all and giving everything a fair shake takes ALOT of time, I thinks it’s best to have a 2-3 fav trebles that cover the spectrum of strength and style and try those on various baits. I just can’t help it I’m a tackle junkie and have to try everything I see lol

[SumoNinja]

Aesthetics should be the last thing on your priority list when looking to upgrade hardware. If it gets bit I don't care how goofy I think it looks. My main concern is water clarity and skittish fish because of my super clear waters and fishing pressure the fish are under. That and hooks bending out because of the structure in my waters i need to horse them in or risk getting wrapped around trees, vegetation and rip rap. I can't really finesse my fish in with looser drag.

So I find the size and strength that matches my water and fishing style. 

Owner st-56 for almost all my baits. I've yet to be bent out on these so I'm sticking to them 

Edited May 27, 2023 by SumoNinja