®
Spring 2022
Thirty-five years later in another championship
worms with single hooks to put them in the livewell. But
tournament in Washington State, my team partner hooked- this has changed due to better rod designs, and most
up on a big smallmouth bass at the same moment my
importantly, better hook designs.
crankbait was slammed!
After that Federation championship, I learned to
I yelled “We got a double” and scrambled for the
painstakingly hand-sharpen every point on all my trebles
net just as he was sliding his bass to the surface on the
with a whetstone.
starboard side of my boat. Scooping up his bass, I swung
Today most crankbait manufacturers still skimp on the
the net with his bass in it to the port side and netted two
quality of their hooks since hard baits are expensive, but
big smallmouths attached to my crankbait. In 5-seconds
if hand sharpening is too tedious, you can now purchase
we had three smallies in the net that weighed almost
quality treble hooks from most hook manufacturers.
12-pounds.
THEN: hooks were
What was the big
made from cheap wire
difference between these two events with
DelawareTeam Federation Nationals 1975
that would bend out and rust, the hook
very different outcomes?
points were dull, the
Treble hook quality.
barbs too long to fully
Although similar in
penetrate, and the shape
appearance, just about
was not optimized to
every aspect of a treble
ensure quick and deep
hook has been improved.
penetration.
Every serious bass
angler in the ‘70’s used
NOW: premium wire
crankbaits because bass
is stronger yet smaller
ate them; but would get
in diameter, hook points
frustrated by the poor
are smaller and sharper,
landing ratio.
nano-coated finishes
It was not unusual
are slick allowing quicker
to use crankbaits just
penetration, and the
to locate bass, and then
hook shape is designed
switch to jigs or plastic
to direct all force to
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