What is your favorite size 1 hook?
I need to try something other than Gamakatsu.
They're too soft; I had a bunch straighten out this year.
I really like the style of Vision #2 and smaller, but they don't make #1 this style.
I also used some Mustad Ultra Sharp but I found that they have alot of defects where the loop/eye are not closed all the way.
I lost a few fish where the leader would get cut at the eye.
What do you recommend for a sharp, strong, sharpenable, high quality hook in #1?

Thanks

Owner cutting point and needle point are excellent hooks. They are strong and well made without defects that I have noticed. I basically use Owners Hooks on all my lures and leaders.

Iron,
I've been using Owners lately and have been real satisfied. I can't really say I was all that unhappy with the other stuff you mentioned tho. But as a rule I don't sharpen hooks anymore. When in doubt, I replace. To me hooks are cheap and they come alot sharper out of the box than I can sharpen 'em. I may have had a couple of hooks break on me years ago but I've never seen an egg hook bend. The Gammies seemed pretty strong to me. I don't know about strength, but the asian product does seem to be sharper out of the box and have a nicer finish. But what do I know, I'd fish Eagle Claws if I had to.

Well my favorite size 1 hook is a ..er..well...a size #1 hook!

Ok, I couldn't resist!

I've never had a fish straighten a Gamakatsu hook on me, but then I've only caught several fish on them. The Owners hooks are great, but I'll fish with Gammis any second of the day.

As a matter of fact, if the water is very snaggy, I would use any sharp(ened) hook. That includes Mustad's Ultra Point, Eagle Claws' Lazer Sharp, VMC, and any other brand name hooks.

Looking thru my leader wallet the other day, I'd have to say my favorite size 1, or any size hook, are the ones I find and pick up off the gravel bars and beaches. They're economical and it gives me something to do as I cut off the old leader and yarn and sharpen and tie a new leader on them during TV commercials. I get my favorite corkies and spinners the same way. This way I also end up with the most popular brands and styles.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

You straightened out a bunch of Gammies?

What are you using for line?

I have yet to have a hook faliure in 40 years of fishing. I am not tied toa particular brand and I enjoy sharpening a hook.

Huh? They are the same hook..except the #2 is smaller than the #1.

Like them or not, the latest round of Vision hooks are a made out of a smaller diameter wire. Smaller diameter wire hooks tend to bend out more on snags and the bottom. In exchange, you're getting a sharper, more consistant point, for better penetration in to the fish.

I personally don't like fishing small hooks. The smallest I ever go in the summer is a #1 Vision.

I will say that I had a few #1's bend out on me on snags, but never fish. Since the hooks are cheap (even at retail prices), I just tie up a bunch and will cut off and replace any hook that gets moshed up on a snag or the bottom. I never bother trying to re-sharpen my hooks, and if they even remotely get dull, they are tossed and a new leader is yanked off of the leader roll.

I'm not telling anyone to go out and use Visions, but I wouldn't personally be using them if they were crap.

I have never, ever, never, (I swear to you) lost a fish due to a bad Vision hook. Never had one bend out on me on a fish, and have never had one break on me. Than again, I don't use small hooks (see below), especially double rigs with painfully small hooks. Seems silly to me when a single #1 works just fine.

Ask Stlhdr1 how many hundreds of fish I've put to the "Vision Test" in the last year, if you don't believe me.

I like Owners, but since they are not free for me, I don't use them...unless Stlhdr1 gives one to me to use!

Gammie's then Owner needle point's,I'm with Mooch & Parker I never try and sharpen my hook's.If it get's dull I tie a nother one on.The price one of the hook's mentioned above is around $0.20 per hook,@ that price who cares.I'm not gonna let .20 slow me down when I'm invested over $50,000.00 into this sport or should I say addiction.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

P.S. I've witnessed several vision's straightening out on there size 4 double's on both winter and summer's from a friends boat who had bought a 1,000 pack.He said never again.Take this info for what it's worth.

I have had the best luck with Mustad's 92553S- in any size. You can get them real sharp and have never had them straighten out on me,,,LB-53

definately vision!
parker hit it on the head with his post

Just curious if they straigtened on fish or snags...

It would take some serious pull to straighten them out on a fish thats hooked up to the bend of the hook. But, hook up a log with just the tip of any hook and you'll straighten it out with 4 lb test.

Oh wait you said #4's, that explains it... dude, those are trout hooks :p ... Use 1/0 thru 3/0 for salmon and steelhead. (especially if you're chucking bait)

My experience tells me there are many variables with bending or straightening out hooks. In other words, what type and pound test line are you using. What type of rod are you fishing with for the conditions. How big was the fish and how much pressure were you putting on it and what kind of water. I think that instead of blaming the hooks, sometimes we need to blame ourselves. Most of my fishing buddies all have different methods of setting the hook and I swear some of them almost jump out of the boat with their hooksets. Another thing to think about is where the hook was set in the fishes mouth, bone or soft cartilage?

Just my thoughts on the subject. Btw I fish all of the above hooks and like Parker said, if they are free, I will usually use them, but then again they must be of some quality.

Steve

Oh come now, FishNG1, it's much more fun to blame the hooks!

For years it was black #1 Gammy's until I tried the Needle Point #1 Owners! Dangerously sharp! Haven't bought Gammy's since. Expensive though.

BD

Here's an idea for the "double hook" guys. I have already tested it over a two year (season) test. Try a single 2/0 and your usual 2-hook set up. Keep a log...I did. I found that I didn't catch any more fish with double hooks than I did with a single 2/0. I have to keep reminding myself of that, especially when I'm going through a streak of losing fish. I had streaks of losing fish with double hooks, too. Right now I'm using eagle claw #1's and they are too small to get a good bite beyond the corkie diameter, and I'm not real sure they have enough allowance to get well beyond the jaw bone, even if I use just yarn. But I'm using them because I had two boxes just sitting around...stupid reason, as I am very unimpressed again by their performance. Bait users probably like the double hook tie up most because of the size bait presented (whether shrimp or roe), but since I don't use bait, I have no use for double hooks. Besides singles tie up quicker, store compactly, and release fish easier. If I could stand spending the money on those freaking over priced hooks, I'd use gami's.....in my opinion, a very well made hook.

Parker,
Look at the vision #2 and #1 and compare the ratio of length over diameter.
The #2 and smaller are narrower compared to the #1 and larger.

I fish very deep faster water using 2-3 oz weight, 15lb main, and 12lb leader Maxima.
Yes, I have to admit that I like to horse them in quick; more like "In the net less than 60 sec."

Do you guys know if Gammies manufacture two different versions of hooks; the good US export and the cheap third world export?

See, I bought a few hundred of them from the Swap Meet this summer at a dirt cheap price; something like $2.00 for a pack of 25.
I figured the guy selling these had "Collected" them when he was working for a Sporting good store. They all came in a new Gamakatsu package.

Oh, and the red paint comes off very easy.

Why #1's, Iron? In that kind of water you could easily fish 2/0 & 3/0's. It's not going to make any difference to the fish but you'd sure get the bigger hook gap and the stronger hook your looking for.
Call me jaded but I no longer consider winter steelheading to be a finesse sport. I was a cracker for way too many years.
Why not forget the #1's and get some real hooks?

That doesn't sound like the finish on your typical red Gammy. Maybe the dude pawned you off a bogus batch? Dunno.

You don't need no double-hook setup for drift fishing (you don't really need them sidedrifting either) but a 2/0 hook is going to sink a #12-14 corky and a small bait off eggs like you would use sidedrifting. A single #2 works well for that. Drift fishing is a whole 'nother story. It's not too often you can't use a 2/0 for drift fishing.