Panfish hook of choice

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ZelieSam
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2014/04/21 16:44:59 (permalink)

Panfish hook of choice

Seems like I've used nearly every hook on the market, but I've been trying to narrow down my hooks to a few choices instead of carrying half of Cabela's with me.  We fish almost exclusively with bait, and mostly small minnows, so these are regular hooks, not jigheads.  
 
To generalize when choosing hooks: super sharp hooks aren't necessary to catch fish... but they will catch you a few extra fish you might have otherwise missed.  They also take less force to get a good hookup and they seem to be easier to remove.  If I had to pick one size for most of my fishing I'd go with #4, but I seem to get better hookups/less misses with #2 for crappies.  If we're catching mostly perch I tie on a #4 for the same reason.  
 
My hook choices:
Laser trokar re-volve #2 - http://lazertrokar.com/products/tk220   These are wickedly sharp, super strong, and they don't seem to rust or dull.  They are expensive and they don't come snelled, but other than that they are probably my favorite hook.  Wish they made red ones.  
 
Tru-turn aberdeen #2, #4, #8 red - Snelled or just the hooks, I've always liked tru-turns.  Also packaged as mr crappie and other names.  Light wire red hooks, plenty sharp.  They are much cheaper than the trokars but they are much more fragile.  Using pliers to unhook fish tends to bend them up.  They will also bend and pull out of brush a lot of the time, which can be a good thing.  I keep the #8s around for bored wives and kids to catch bluegills.  
 
Are you particular about your hooks or are you just re-using your dad's eagle claw assortment pack?  Curious how much effort people put into the hook for their panfishing.
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    XtopwaterkingX
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/04/21 21:37:31 (permalink)
    I love both of those hooks an for a shorter shank option I use owner mosquito hooks for lots of diff species of fish while using live minnows. Sharp an light so hook sets with light resistance
    #2
    slabdaddy
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/04/22 15:31:56 (permalink)
    I like the Tru-Turn in #6 and #4. I also found some #8 red aberdeens that I love for threading Gulp Alive minnows. I don't remember what make they are, but they are perfect for that application. I'll have to check out the other hooks that you mentioned. I'd like to find an aberdeen that is the length of #4's but have the gap of #2's.

    “If you're in trouble, or hurt or in need - go to the poor people. They're the only ones that'll help - the only ones.”
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    FishinGuy
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/04/22 18:13:41 (permalink)
    For fat heads I like a number 10-6 GAM octo. For worms n blue gills I like a 4-1 good old eagle claw Aberdeen. I like the big 1 to keep the small gills away.
    #4
    Mags00
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/04/22 18:50:14 (permalink)
    #8 Gamakatsu Octo Circles for pretty much everything that bites...  Although for Crappie (When targeting them) I bump to a 6 or 4.  Less gut hooks...  I've started to grow on the Mustad Demon Perfect Circles also...
    #5
    ZelieSam
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/04/22 21:43:07 (permalink)
    Hmmm.  You guys don't have any issues with hookups with those tiny hooks?  My possibly flawed logic was that the #4s were getting spit out and the bigger hooks were harder to spit.  Crappies have huge mouths and all... and the #2s really seemed to help.
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    FishinGuy
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/04/23 07:32:55 (permalink)
    No issues that I'm aware of. Don't know why but I usually determine my hook size based on the size of the minnow.
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    dakota kid
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/05/18 18:34:25 (permalink)
    I like Aberdeens cause you don't need the hemostats to remove a swallowed hook. 
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    ZelieSam
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/05/18 19:38:51 (permalink)
    Used a bunch of these today in #4 with minnows and worms.  Switched to them because we were in the bluegills and they don't do well with the #2 revolves.  
     
    http://lazertrokar.com/products/octopus
     
    They worked very well.  Will have to get another pack or two to add to my hook box.
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    chauncy
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/05/27 07:03:29 (permalink)
    For minnow fishing, I use #4 tru-turns. I start with the gold but will always give the red a try. For perching lake erie, i use a #2 red tru-turn. Those perch cant swallow a #2 as easily as the 4 and 6's most people use. I double hook my bait also. Rarely need to use pliers to get the hook out.
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    FishinGuy
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    Re: Panfish hook of choice 2014/05/27 07:07:44 (permalink)
    Why tru turn over a regular Aberdeen? Aren't tru turns designed to spin when a worm is threaded on?
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