Let me tell you what I just finished doing a few days ago. I put some oversized, hefty hooks on many crankbaits I plan on using on my next fishing trip. Years ago, anglers were limited on replacement hooks. It was tough to find the ideal hook combination when I was changing out treble hooks on these crankbaits.
Those days are gone.
Mustad makes an extra short treble hook. So now, I put a longer shank Mustad treble hook on the back of the crankbait and a short shank hook up front. Now, the hooks won't get tangled up, so I can cast and cast and cast with no issue. These hooks have a big bite and are strong for getting those fish out of that grass.
I prepare a box with different-sized treble hooks for topwater baits and crankbaits of all different sizes – little ones and big ones – for whatever I'm doing. Let's say I'm going somewhere like Lake Michigan, where I'm fishing for smallmouth, and I want a finesse bait in clear water. I've got my box filled with split rings. I have light split rings, heavy split rings, a split ring plier, and all my different Mustad treble hooks laid out.
If needed, I can change out the hooks from small to oversized hooks if I need to go a little bit larger. With a small bait, I want a thin wire hook. But let's say I will fish for big bass in the grass. Then, I need a heavy wire hook. So, choose the right hook for the right situation.
Then, I may need to take the hooks off of a crankbait if I decide to go smallmouth fishing in open water. I'll certainly need to go with a lighter hook. With Mustad, I can change my hook to match the situation.
Always match your hooks for what you're doing. It's very, very important. It will eliminate a lot of lost fish and a lot of heartache.
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