slow death hooks

[fishnranger]

hey guys i went out this weekend walleye fishing using the slow death hooks and on 4 occasions i would set the hook on a fish fight them for a few seconds and the hook would straighten out and loose the fish i was using a mad/heavy 7 foot spinning rod with a fast tip 3/4 ounce lindy rig weight 6 foot leader 8lb test and 10 pound main line fishing in 20 feet of water or less not sure if any of you guys have ever had this problem with the hooks straightening out or if its something with the set up that im using still new to these hooks but getting good results thanks for any help

[Huntbear]

I use nothing nut gammies..  never heard of the ones you r using.

[FC]

I use nothing nut gammies..  never heard of the ones you r using.

Same, every time I try a different kind of hook I end up throwing away a mostly full package of them.

[superdown]

    I use nothing but Gamakatsu.

[Curly]

If you're straightening hooks while using 8 lb test, then those hooks are really weak. 

[Button Nubbs]

I have tried tons of different kinds of hooks and find flaws in all but gammies. Every time I switch I end up coming back to ol faithful. I've only had 1 gammie ever fail it snapped at the bend while a summer run was doing the death roll next to the boat.

[PlateauNDN]

Hhhmmmm......Probably why they call them slow death?  They straighten out and the fish dies a slow death somewhere else instead of a fast death by your hands?

[fishnranger]

if gamakatsu made that style of hook i would use them it has a special bend in it and it makes the worm do a slow death roll check it out on youtube and you will see what im talking about

[Button Nubbs]

lighten your leader and drag maybe? go to a softer rod and take it easy on them? do they make a heavy wire version of the hook?

[fishnranger]

not that i know of the biggest i can find is size 1 but they are light so they work correctly

[Skillet]

I use these Mustad hooks for wally's pretty regularly now.  Special design for the action they impart, and they are a thin, thin wire.  And they are deadly when used right.

Two things I do differently than you do -
I use a lighter power rod that is just heavy enough to support the weight of your Lindy sinker.  Your med heavy with fast tip is like a crankbait rod - not enough give in it to help soften the shock of the fish doing their headshakes (especially the big ones).  I use a 7-1/2 foot medium rod with a slow tip.

Do not set the hook in the traditional fashion, but just "sweep" the rod forward until you put a decent load on the rod (see above lighter rod requirement).  If you're using the hooks right, you're pinching the worm off just behind the bend of the hook.  So, the hook is almost always pretty far down in the mouth by the time you pick up the rod out of the holder.  The thin wire will stick and land with a lot less pressure - you don't have to drive that point home too hard like you would with a heavier hook.  Use the thin wire to your advantage.

Of course, you gotta play the fish, too.  Can't horse them in on those hooks.  And everytime you get snagged, land a fish, or even miss a bite, check the hook to see if it's bent.  Once they bend, they seem to lose any chance at holding temper.  I toss a lot of these hooks after multiple hookups - I'm a sharp-hook fanatic, and regularly sharpen hooks during the day to keep that "needle point" touched up.  But these hooks rarely last long enough to get sharpened by me...

All that said, I use them a lot.  They just work.

[fishnranger]

skillet thanks for your input i will give those ideas a try i love the hooks they just flat out catch fish when nothing else does and you catch a lot of variety

[yelp]

I have caught 100's of walleyes on slow death hook..never had one straighten out.  Like skillet said it may be your rod set up..I use a flexible tip 8'6" rod and sweep set vs. hook set..  My rod has got some give.  Maybe I am catching dinks compared to your catches and that is why mine have never straightened out.  LOL   

I caught these last year on the slow death hook. 

[Hilltop123]

I just started using these hooks a few weeks ago, and like them!  You say your "setting the hook", when I'm fishing these hooks I don't, as one of the guys said already "use the thin wire to your advantage". These hooks seem to be already sticky sharp, combine this with the thin wire and hook setting is not required. As one of the other guys already said, play the fish don't horse them, loosen the drag. My wife and I have landed several fish 20" +, with the biggest a 27", all on slow death hooks, with no problems.

[fishnranger]

thanks for all the info guys now how do you guys rig yours do you use bottom walkers or lindy weights and do you use any beads or anything