As fishermen, we always look for the next new thing that will put more fish in the boat. Usually, that's a new crankbait, topwater, or plastic that we hope will be the magic bullet. While looking for that, we often settle into what is comfortable and proven through experience in terminal tackle. "I've had good luck with this hook for years, so there's no reason for me to change." Well, what if there was a better hook that didn't cost any more money?
Gamakatsu is one of the best-known names for premium fishing hooks. You really can't go wrong if your rig has a Gammy on it or if their trebles are swinging from your crankbait. Now, let's make those premium hooks even better. That's precisely what they've done with the new Gamakatsu Nano Alpha hooks. With their super slick coating, they not only penetrate faster and easier, but they're also 4X more resistant to rusting.
During my testing with these hooks, I primarily fished from my kayak. Anyone who has fished from a kayak knows getting a solid hookset with a Texas rig is not always an easy thing to do. Hookset angles are not always ideal, and getting enough power can be very difficult because of how easy it is to move the boat with the hookset, wind, and waves. I can't tell how often I had an awkward hookset on a fish with these hooks and thought, "I'm going to lose that one," just to find the hook had gone all the way through the lip. Almost without fail, the hook popped all the way through every fish I caught; it was incredible. The downside to them being so sharp and easy to pull through like that is that they poke through the plastic, catch on snags a little easier, and go through plastics a little faster.
Coated hooks aren't necessarily a new technology. I've fished some myself in the past and wasn't particularly impressed, but this isn't the same coating as the hooks I've used in the past. These are noticeably slicker and easier to set the hook with. They've been a huge benefit to me in the kayak, especially with finesse techniques, so I can set the hook solidly with minimal force.
I think anyone serious about fishing, whether there is money on the line or they're just trying to catch a new PB, would be seriously mistaken not to try the new Gamakatsu Alpha Nano hooks.
