How To Choose The Perfect Size Single Hook To Replace Treble Hooks [VIDEO]
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
- Found In: Conservation, Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing
Have you replaced the treble hooks on your topwater lures and other hard plastic lures with single inline hooks?
If not, you should definitely consider it.
Here are some benefits:
- Single hooks are better for the fish than treble hooks (fewer holes in their mouths and less accidental gill or eye hooking)
- Single hooks are less likely to hook into you (ever caught a treble hook in the leg or hand?)
- Single hooks are less likely to get snagged on trees, grass, clothes, nets, etc.
- Single hooks save you time dehooking fish
Yes, your hook rate will drop slightly, but with all the time you’ll save in dehooking the fish and everything else treble hooks get themselves into, you’ll actually be able to cast more, likely canceling out the decreased hook rate.
Now, the big question is…
How do you know what size single hooks to use in replace of the treble hooks?
Lucky for you, here’s a video explaining exactly how to do that!
Watch the video below to see what size single hooks to use in replace of treble hooks.
(P.S. want more even more in-depth tips than this? Join our Insider Club here.)
Choosing the Right Size Inline Hooks to Replace Treble Hooks [VIDEO]
Related articles:
- 5 Steps To Quickly Replace Treble Hooks With Split Ring Pliers [VIDEO]
- How To Properly Replace Treble Hooks With Inline Single Hooks [VIDEO]
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Conclusion
Have any questions about what size hooks to use when replacing treble hooks with single hooks?
Let us know in the comments below!
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- 5 Steps To Quickly Replace Treble Hooks With Split Ring Pliers [VIDEO]
- How To Properly Replace Treble Hooks With Inline Single Hooks [VIDEO]
- How to Rig a Berkley Gulp Saltwater Shrimp For More Bites [Product Review]
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Mirrodine 17 MR
Owner 2/0 are getting hung up
You could go down to a 1/0 for the front hook. Something else that you can do is put a small piece of heavier (stiffer) leader at the end of your regular leader. Around 3 to 4 inches. Tie that end directly to the lure using a knot that is snug to the eye of the lure. Often times lighter leader and loop knots will cause the line to get tangled on the front hook while retrieving the lure since the line is more limp and free.
Hi what size vmc in-line hooks would you use on a spook jr? 2/0 or 3/0? Thanks
Hey Joe! I would go with 2/0
hey, what size inline single hook for 4/0 treble hooks i do not live next to a store so there fore need to know what to order, thank you.
Thanks for the video Tony. I do have one question. In the video you recommend matching the “double” treble hook gap to the single inline gap. That would mean for a size 4 treble going to about a 2/0 or 3/0 single from what I measure. However, the chart for the Owner on your site and Owner’s says to replace a #4 treble with a #1 single. Which is it?
Hey Stuart! The issue with hook sizes is that not all hook manufacturers have a standard when it comes to sizing. For example, a 2/0 inline hook from Owner may be bigger or smaller than a 2/0 inline hook from VMC or Gamakatsu, etc. Same for trebles. A #4 treble of one brand may not be the same size as a #4 treble of another brand. So I personally like to go by physically matching the size rather than going by a number.
I had begun changing out treble hooks right before I saw this video and began with VMC inline hooks. Then as I visited my local tackle shop to get more, they were out of most inline hooks (and a lot of other tackle!). So I ordered online some Owner hooks as you suggested and surprise, the sizes are not even close! Owner hook sizes are smaller so an Owner 3/0 is close to a VMC 2/0 hook and so on. I also bought some 1X, 3X and even 4X hooks to see them.
My belief is that for normal inshore trout/red/flounder, the 1X hooks are probably OK. But since I sometimes venture into deeper water and might encounter bigger species, the 3X may be my go to preference if I can find it.
I also found that one cannot exactly match the gap size of the trebles that are being removed. So in many cases I went with the slightly smaller replacement hook because the next size looked too large for the lure.
Obviously I enjoyed this video and found it very useful! You might consider a video comparing these inline hooks and their sizes and strengths, and maybe even a strength test for the 1X vs. 3X to see what can bend them. You even mentioned that you prefer Owner because their hook tips are stronger. That would be good to see how they stand up to abuse.
Many thanks!
Thank you for the great feedback Glenn!
Tony: Check out my report on your other video on eplacing single inline hooks. I spent quite some time over the weekend working on my lures and learned some interesting things along the way. about how the new hooks can affect lures in the water. Hope it helps.
Awesome, will do!
Tony, you didn’t mention which way you prefer to have the single hooks pointing. Up or down on the tail, forward or back on the front?
Hey Mark!
The front hook should face forward and the rear hook should face to the rear. This is discussed in another video on switching out the hooks:
https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/how-to-replace-treble-hooks-with-single-hooks/
But why can’t the rear hook face forward as well? Any lure stability issues doing this? I read somewhere that some anglers advise the rear singles to point forward to prevent missed strikes as the top jaw of fishes such as Wahoo, Kingfish and Baracuda are supposedly harder.
You can have that rear hook face forward too if you’d like… definitely won’t create any lure stability issues.
Vertical jigging and other metal style lures were not covered in this video. I’d like to see Salt STRONGs’ view on the proper single hook size for metals.
FYI Fishing Block Island Sound for the summer and pulling a lot of Short Stripers on light tackle. A lot of fun but to minimize kill rate I have replaced all my trebles with singles. Just to confirm your point that hooks vary in size my rebel treble hooks were replace with a Owner 3/0 or a Gamakatsu 4/0. As you pointed out there is no standerd size. I actually found these hooks to be virturely the same size from barb to shank
Thanks for the tip. I am has be cut to less then half
Thank you for the great feedback Brian!
I tried 1/0 single hooks on a mirrodine xl, but it just floated to the surface. Do you have the same issue? I had to use 3/0 owner hooks to keep the sink rate the same as original, but the hooks look huge and the front hook wraps around the nose of the bait fairly often.
I would try a 2/0 in the front and a 3/0 in the rear, or use a 2/0 for both. I recommend the 2/0 size for baits in the 4 to 5 inch range.
Hey Tony…………one problem with inline hooks, especially the one located nearer the lures head, is its tendency to flip over and become saddled across the back of thinner profile lures like mirrolures. I’ve had to downsize my inline replacements to keep this from happening on some lures.
Yep it can be wise to use a smaller hook up front. I tend to have a similar issue with the hook catching the leader and fouling up.