I use barbless siwash on a spoon for pier casting. When the hook is put on the split ring one of the two ways that are possible, when the spoon is retrieved, the point will sit up top instead of on the bottom. When the point is on the bottom, you get more snags. Going barbless causes a lot less damage to the fish. If you've pier-fished in the dark, you know how frustrating it can be to get a barbed hook out of a net. With a barbless hook, it just slides out. Also with a barbed hook, the barb may get tangled in the net while the fish is still outside the net. Doesn't happen with barbless. My two biggest Chinooks, the first one weighed 38 lbs., the second wasn't weighed but it was the same length as the first, were caught using barbless hooks. One after the other! I think that if you fight the fish properly and keep a tight line, you won't lose many more than if you were using barbed hooks. Mayby a few, but releasing a fish with a tiny hole in it's mouth leaves me feeling better than ripping up a fish's jaw getting a barbed hook out. I choose the siwash size by eye...what looks right. Otherwise, check out spoons in the store that use siwash. FYI I caught these two monsters one after another on the first night I ever cast hardware from a pier. Not having the proper lures, I tried a Mepps #4 Aglia Long with a red blade. Everyone said I wouldn't catch anything on it. The next thing they said to me was was to ask if I was entered in the salmon derby. Unfortunately, I wasn't. I lost another big one that night on the same lure. Oh yeah. The siwash gap isn't bent so it doesn't grab as good and might slide out of the fish's mouth. With 2 pairs of pliers I'd bend it a bit so so the point was no longer in line with the shank. When it slid in the fish's mouth, the point would catch better. Also, keeping the point sticky sharp helps big time.
I like single hooks when I'm fishing solo. I think single hooks give more reliable hook ups which makes netting more fail safe. They're either on or they're not. Thank you for the nice video.
Excellent excellent information. I had a lot of quandary between running a premium siwash on my Cleos and Moonshine casting spoons for salmon and steelhead, versus using the stand trebles. Sounds like I'll be sticking to trebles for the time being!
Hi Kevin Thank you for your videos. My wife and I are new at fishing and love your videos. Your ice fishing videos helped us a lot this year. We are about to go out to the lake to try salmon. This video answered my questions about hooks. Thanks again.
Hi there! Thanks so much for the wonderful comment. It's comments like this that remind me why I love doing this so much. Tight lines. Hopefully you had a good salmon season.
Wow!! I was actually expecting the Siwash to be the go to. Never tried that setup. But last time I used a Mepps Syclops (with a treble hook) I kept getting bites but couldn't land one so thought maybe it was the treble hook. But it could have been my technique in the way I retrieved as I am very new to steel head fishing. Great video! Thanks!
Funny how you mention large fish stay pinned better with singles. Last year I experimented with singles for the first time, i ended up catching my pb twice (18lbs and then 26 lbs a week later). Prior to that I would find myself loosing big fish after long battles.
Very informative, appreciate what you do, keep the videos going! We fish toward manitoulin usually, find anything gold with orange works really well for spoons. Hopefully the waters are come this August for you.
Single hooks is so much better. Hook up is just as good imo. You are right about single hooks holding the fish better than treble. I lost a big monster bass because of treble so I switch to single now and I land a higher rate now. Since I mainly catch and release, single hooks makes that easy to do.
I use barbless siwash on a spoon for pier casting. When the hook is put on the split ring one of the two ways that are possible, when the spoon is retrieved, the point will sit up top instead of on the bottom. When the point is on the bottom, you get more snags. Going barbless causes a lot less damage to the fish. If you've pier-fished in the dark, you know how frustrating it can be to get a barbed hook out of a net. With a barbless hook, it just slides out. Also with a barbed hook, the barb may get tangled in the net while the fish is still outside the net. Doesn't happen with barbless.
My two biggest Chinooks, the first one weighed 38 lbs., the second wasn't weighed but it was the same length as the first, were caught using barbless hooks. One after the other! I think that if you fight the fish properly and keep a tight line, you won't lose many more than if you were using barbed hooks. Mayby a few, but releasing a fish with a tiny hole in it's mouth leaves me feeling better than ripping up a fish's jaw getting a barbed hook out. I choose the siwash size by eye...what looks right. Otherwise, check out spoons in the store that use siwash.
FYI I caught these two monsters one after another on the first night I ever cast hardware from a pier. Not having the proper lures, I tried a Mepps #4 Aglia Long with a red blade. Everyone said I wouldn't catch anything on it. The next thing they said to me was was to ask if I was entered in the salmon derby. Unfortunately, I wasn't. I lost another big one that night on the same lure.
Oh yeah. The siwash gap isn't bent so it doesn't grab as good and might slide out of the fish's mouth. With 2 pairs of pliers I'd bend it a bit so so the point was no longer in line with the shank. When it slid in the fish's mouth, the point would catch better. Also, keeping the point sticky sharp helps big time.
Amazing advice. I love how you angle hook to prevent snags! You are the kind of angler who takes fishing to the next level!!
I like single hooks when I'm fishing solo. I think single hooks give more reliable hook ups which makes netting more fail safe. They're either on or they're not. Thank you for the nice video.
I go siwash on all spoons. Great job on explaining the reasons for a siwash.
Excellent excellent information. I had a lot of quandary between running a premium siwash on my Cleos and Moonshine casting spoons for salmon and steelhead, versus using the stand trebles. Sounds like I'll be sticking to trebles for the time being!
Cheers brother. Glad the info could help!
Hi Kevin
Thank you for your videos. My wife and I are new at fishing and love your videos.
Your ice fishing videos helped us a lot this year.
We are about to go out to the lake to try salmon.
This video answered my questions about hooks. Thanks again.
Hi there! Thanks so much for the wonderful comment. It's comments like this that remind me why I love doing this so much. Tight lines. Hopefully you had a good salmon season.
Wow!! I was actually expecting the Siwash to be the go to. Never tried that setup. But last time I used a Mepps Syclops (with a treble hook) I kept getting bites but couldn't land one so thought maybe it was the treble hook. But it could have been my technique in the way I retrieved as I am very new to steel head fishing. Great video! Thanks!
Great info. Would like to learn more about properly sizing siwash hook to replace treble hooks.
Match hooks with size of spoon. Test spoon after for action.
Great vids!
Is there a particular brand of trebles and single hooks that you would recommend?
Funny how you mention large fish stay pinned better with singles. Last year I experimented with singles for the first time, i ended up catching my pb twice (18lbs and then 26 lbs a week later).
Prior to that I would find myself loosing big fish after long battles.
Yup! The bigger the fish usually means longer the battle. The single hook is always preferred on a long battle.
Very informative, appreciate what you do, keep the videos going! We fish toward manitoulin usually, find anything gold with orange works really well for spoons. Hopefully the waters are come this August for you.
Single hooks is so much better. Hook up is just as good imo. You are right about single hooks holding the fish better than treble. I lost a big monster bass because of treble so I switch to single now and I land a higher rate now. Since I mainly catch and release, single hooks makes that easy to do.
Great info!
What size siwash ? And does size change with different size spoons? Thanks
I asked Scott A. over at Dreamweaver and he said his opinion was 5/0 on mag spoons was right. I'm guessing 4/0 on the smaller spoons.
Jazmyne Underpass
Hayes Walks
I do find that the fish get the hook in the under side of the eye 75% of the time though with the siwash.... with rainbows.
Agreed. I try to go with a #4 at the largest, 6 is good.
What about rocky areas ?..
What about them? Your spoon shouldn't hit bottom.
Estella Plains
Use a regular j hook, no need for the long shank if you are not going to use a type of snell knot
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