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The case for Treble hooks.


Dick Dastardly

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The logic I follow is:

 

Anglers admitting doing harm to fish = a good reason to ban angling.

 

Thats all very well if everyone believed only what anglers admitted to, but thats obviously not the case. Clearly its not in our interests to go around shouting to non-anglers that we do harm fish. But I don't subscribe to this whole conspiracy of silence attitude that a lot of anglers are taking these days, especially on a dedicated anglers forum like this.

 

We all know that we do sometimes unintentionally harm fish, theres no sense in pretending otherwise. Better to discuss it (like on this thread!) and try to work out the best ways of minimising it and preserve fish stocks and healthy fisheries and so the future of our sport.

Edited by luckyjim
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I don't mind trebles, but I prefer VB doubles for bait fishing. I think they're more efficient.

 

Ratty - You'll have Mark Barrett after you for using big singles for zeds. ;)

 

i know mark mate,i ve fished with him!

he's already grilled me over single hooks for zeds :P

AKA RATTY

LondonBikers.Com....Suzuki SV1000S K3 Rider and Predator Crazy Angler!

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Good topic Budgie :)

 

Last winter I got thoroughly fed up with trebles - not because of damage to pike or unhooking problems, but simply because they're a royal pain in the arse when they get tangled in a landing net, especially when a lively pike is still attached! I was planning to give big singles a go this winter but I'm in two minds now.

 

Some valid points have been made by several people. I can understand why trebles are unpopular with some people. My personal feeling is that trebles do look a bit barbaric but in reality - and in the right hands - are safe and effective.

 

The main problem, I think, is the standard use of two trebles. I've been thinking of ways to present a bait without using two trebles, and I'm planning to do a bit of experimenting (I've come up with a way of securing a bait properly using just 1 treble, which would be infinitely better than using two - as long as it works!) and I'll pass on any interesting findings. The main reason to use two trebles is to secure the bait, so if that can be overcome only one is necessary - easier to unhook, no net tangles (praise the lord!), and fewer kinked traces.

 

But PLEASE always use a wire trace! If you've ever seen a pike feeding you'd know that on some days they will suck a bait up in a big vacuum and swallow it on the spot. Yes, you might get lucky and hook it in the scissors. You might not. There's absolutely no need to risk it.

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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Anderoo - the rubberized landing nets are the best things I've ever seen for use with treble hooks.

 

Not sure where you could source them in the UK and they are a bit heavier than the normal fabric ones but they are fish and treble hook friendly.

 

The original ones had pretty large and somewhat stiff mesh but they have worked well for me and are the only net material I use these days.

76296a.jpg

 

A newer version showed up recently that I want to have a look at.

93667.jpg

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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often when i hook a pike,one treble will be hooked up,its normally teh top treble,but not always,i cant say wich one will hook up...so i use two,when your using 8-10 inch sardines etc it makes sense.

AKA RATTY

LondonBikers.Com....Suzuki SV1000S K3 Rider and Predator Crazy Angler!

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Good topic Budgie :)

 

The main reason to use two trebles is to secure the bait, so if that can be overcome only one is necessary - easier to unhook, no net tangles (praise the lord!), and fewer kinked traces.

 

I believe the best reason for using tandem hooks is not to secure the bait, but rather because it's the simplest way to ensure that at least one hook will be in the pike's mouth the moment it picks up the bait, therefore you can strike immediately.

 

If you're keen to use one hook, then hair rigs with smaller bait are one way to go. A casting clip is another, with the hook nicked into the flank of the bait.

 

For anything up to average sized live baits, a single treble in the dorsal root is perfectly adequate - i.e. the hook is in the middle of the bait and therefore likely to be in the pikes mouth the moment it takes.

 

For deads, doubles are good.

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My choice depends on the circumstances, including the species of fish I'm after.

 

For perch I never use trebles when bait fishing. This is partly because the throat of the perch could be stitched up with a treble. With pike it's relatively easy to extract the hooks in this situation. However with perch it's difficult to do so without damaging the fish.

 

Perch have vital organs near the surface of the throat and so a hook penetrating here can be fatal. For this reason my choice is as small a single I can get away with. Wide gape hooks are useful here as for a given size they can't penetrate so much. And of course the hook must be barbed, although with as tiny a barb as possible, so it stays in one place.

 

Apart from jigs, most of the pike and perch lures I use have trebles as it's rare for lures to be taken down deep. I've tried barbless hooks on lures but have had too many pike come adrift, especially if they tailwalk.

 

For bait-fishing for pike I prefer trebles, both from the safety point of view and for efficient hooking. I agree with Budgie that there's less risk of damage with small trebles than with large singles. The problem isn't so acute as with perch, simply because the baits we use for pike are smaller in relation to the size of the quarry. Nevertheless there's more risk with the larger size of hook you need for efficient hooking when fishing singles.

 

Having said that, I have been experimenting when piking with the circle hooks that Newt and Ian Cresswell kindly sent me. I've used these to lip hook smaller baits. Unfortunately on the days I've tried them the blasted pike have taken the bigger baits equipped with trebles! However I'll be continuing with the trial.

 

Talking of trials, like many long-time pikers (in my case over 30 years now), I've tried a huge number of different types and patterns of hooks (single, double and treble) plus umpteen hooking set-ups. I have a natural inclination to experiment for myself rather than take as gospel what others have advocated. I've therefore dreamed up armchair theories and then put them to the test in the field by comparing results with the new idea on one rod whilst using another rod as a control. After all these trials I've come to the conclusion that on standard-sized pike baits a twin treble rig is overall the most efficient. Most of my friends have also come to the same conclusion. Quite apart from hooking efficiency a twin treble rig also allows quick-striking and so I agree is safer for the pike. I'd that for speed of unhooking I prefer semi-barbless trebles in this situation.

 

All of the above is of course just my point of view. Although it's based on many years of experience it doesn't make it any more valid than anyone else's. As with many things in angling, there's probably no "right" answer.

 

Boards like this enable the finer points to be discussed and ideas exchanged far more quickly than in pre-internet days. Certainly I've learned from this Forum and this is an example where a topic has made me think and rationalise my ideas. So thanks, fellas!

 

 

Anderoo, I can't comment on the rubber mesh that Newt has mentioned as I've never used it. However by far the best mesh I have used, having conducted extensive trials in my time in the tackle trade, is what I marketed as Titeweave Pike Mesh. You don't get the same hook-tangling problems as you do with conventional netting, plus it's almost impossible to get the hooks caught in the weave of the mesh itself. Now I've retired I can't supply these meshes but you can buy them from Forum member Dave Lumb. Go to http://www.dlst.co.uk/nets.htm

Edited by Steve Burke

Wingham Specimen Coarse & Carp Syndicates www.winghamfisheries.co.uk Beautiful, peaceful, little fished gravel pit syndicates in Kent with very big fish. 2017 Forum Fish-In Sat May 6 to Mon May 8. Articles http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/steveburke.htm Index of all my articles on Angler's Net

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