Some time ago I asked you guys about changing hooks on wigglewarts. Several of you (thanks Sauk) mentioned using single siwash hooks instead of the trebles on either a beaded chain or simply attached to the plug tail. I just can't bring myself to use a single hook back on a plug, while I row, row, row, row. Anyway, wondering if any of you have thoughts about the hookup ratio of trebles versus singles on the warts. Thanks ahead of time.

jed .........><>

I also wanted to thank Sauk, I ended up with a single treble on the back of my Warts, and since then have had 6 for 6 hookups and landed fish. With 2 trebles they weren't sticking, I tried the beaded chain and Si-wash and also double split rings and a Si-wash on the rear and I still had fish hit and not stick (could all have been coincidence because once I had a hit and it didn't stick I switched to the next hook set up. Tried the single treble in the back last and they stuck every time.
(that would be a single treble with a single split ring)

Thanks again Sauk

Doubletake

[This message has been edited by Doubletake (edited 01-02-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Doubletake (edited 01-02-2001).]

I HAVE SOME BEADED CHAINS, BUT WHAT SIZE SIWASH HOOKS ARE MOST PRODUCTIVE? I REALLY THINK THIS WORKS BECAUSE OF THE BIGGER GAP BETWEEN POINT & SHANK TO STICK IN THEIR MOUTHS. I WANT TO DOCTOR UP ALL MY PLUGS AS I LOST A FEW HOGS LAST YEAR ON THE TREBLES, THAT I THINK THE SINGLE HOOK MAY HAVE HELPED.

I run all my Wiggle Warts with a single siwash gamakatsu.Two split rings off the tail let the hook ride point straight up.1/0s work good on softer rods like the Loomis HSR 9000.2/0s on heavier rods like the HSR 981.

Thanks for the replies guys, appreciate your input. We hooked four fish today, three we landed, all with trebles. I still haven't tried the single siwash, maybe next time. Happy Angling.

jed

Glad to hear you guys are having some success on the 'Warts. Riverman gets a big thumbs up from me for pluggin' his way into his kid's first steelie. Doubletake, good job on the hookup ratio as you can't beat 100%.

I honestly don't fish Wigglewarts much for steelhead but they will remain my favorite salmon plug until I find something that works better. If you are having success on them, then by all means keep using them. Reiter Rat recently turned me onto some Gamakatsu EWG trebles, which have the hook points turned inward towards the shank. Whoa!! Talk about awesome hooks! I can barely get them out of the fishes mouth with a friggin' pliers. Please, people, these ar not the hooks to use with nates in the river but they have definite hook and hold power on the brats. Throw one of the EWG's on the back of your Wigglewart in a size two, no belly hook needed, and tell me how many fish you lose with that setup. Again, please use caution and good judgement as a barbed treble will put some serious hurt to a nate which is a no no. Pinch the barbs once the brat rush dies down or just pinch the barbs in general. The inward slope of the hook point should hold just fine if it's barbless.

For steelies I run Tadpollies and Hot Shots. Tadpollies work killer out of the box if they are glued right. Look closely at the plug in the box and make sure that both halves appear to be symmetrical. Sometimes they are glued funky and they seem to be out of balance when you fish them. Unevenly-glued plugs can be tuned but not always. Hot Shots are even worse it seems as they are mass-produced which can sacrifice quality. No offense to the manufacturers of these fine plugs as they are my bread and butter steelie plugs! That is also why I own so many of each plug as some work better than others for no particular reason other than they must have been assembled perfectly. I'd have to say that most Tadpollies run pretty darn good right out of the box.

Tune, tune, and then do more tuning. If it doesn't dive and run straight, tune it again by moving the eyelet in the opposite direction that the plug is running. If it still doesn't run right, keep trying as it is harder to get it right than you might think. Be prepared to make Christmas ornaments out of plugs that you just can't tune as some just plain will not ever be perfect. I have had some plugs that look identical to fish-catching plugs but they just don't work well. Even though I own literally hundereds and hundreds of various plugs, I only fish a handful of different sizes and colors. I do, however, seem to run across a custom color from time to time that just plain kills 'em. Always have at least one proven plug in the water before you do too much experimenting with new colors or hook setups.

Life is short...fish hard!!!

Justin
CEO, Sauk River Steelhead Ranch

Sauk, those are the single trebles I switched to, you are right, THEY STICK!!!

Thanks again

Doubletake

Hey guys, if you really want to humble Saukit2em, he really likes and wants to be known as.....

World Famous

Personally, I think he should have that painted on the side of his ThorBuilt drift boat!

Ah, your buddies.

Parker