Stinger Hooks On Grubs?

[MuskieKid]

I've had some luck using 4" plastic grubs on single hook leadheads. I'm considering attaching a "stinger" hook on the back-end to increase my hooking efficiency. If recommended, I'm Looking for opinions on the best way for attaching the additional hook, and what type of hook to use. Thanks-Tom


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[BigUgly]

Tom,
I don't think it's possible to use any type of trailer hook with a grub like that without having it either screw the action up or constantly foul the bait. I tried to rig a big Fin-s-fish with a trailer set up using really light seven strand wire (muskies and mono don't mix) and a smaller trailer hook. I was trying to get the bait to hook up better, well, hook up at all I guess. I was pretty proud of myself until I tried to use it. I'd would have been better off fishing with the insoles out of my boots. No matter what modifications I made the rearward hook totally took the action out of that bait. I think on a grub that size your best option would be to find or make some jigs with longer shank hooks. This would put the hook as far back on the body of the grub without interefering with the tail. Good luck.

Brad

[MuskieKid]

Great reply-thanks. Perhaps sharpening my hooks better would also help. Tom

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[MD Musky]

Musky Kid, I would not advise trying to add hooks to you grub presetations. Especially with grubs only four inches long. When a musky grabs a jig, it simply engulfs the bait and closes its mouth. The single fine shank jig hook should be pointing up and in perfect position to find some meat. Fine wire hooks do a better job of hooking, although you will not be able to horse a fish in. We have landed numerous fifteen to twenty pound musky on 1/8 oz walleye jigs and eight pound test. I have never had even a small jig hook straightened. Of course, you will have to set you drag accordingly. I think that your treble hook idea would constantly foul the line, snag often, and pick up too much debris. Have you been missing many strikes on jigs?

[Marv]

I've had many problems with hook ups on jigs. I'm using a six inch twister with a swimmer head. I've lost many muskies with this. One day I lost a 38" and a 40" on a jig (I seen them hit a couple feet from the boat). Than another day I lost one about 45", I had her on for a couple of seconds and she just came up to the surface and the jig just pooped out). I sharper my hooks super sharp and use 50lb. tuff line plus. I hit these fish extremely hard too. The only thing I can think of is it s like when a fish eats a wood bait and clamps down on it. Your not going to get any hooks into that fish. What i'm thinking the fish isn't ingulfing it but just sucking it into the front part of their mouth where all those hundreds of tiny teeth are and theres really nothing to get the hook into. I've had fish that just completely engulfed the jig and they are hooked in the corner of their mouth everytime with almost no hook set at all (fish hit right next to the boat). If any one has any info. or ideas i would apprieciated it, but I really dont think there is anythink your going to do about it. It just not ment to be.

[MuskieKid]

I hadn't made up my mind whether to go with a treble hook or single hook rig and was looking for input. I know on the bigger plastic reeper type baits that a single "stinger" hook is used. I have used Bass jigs with some success with the single hook lead-head and the hooking ratio isn't too bad. I found some big tube baits and have had some really good luck with them (they may be longer than 4"). I hooked a really big Tiger last night (felt like a log) and lost it. I reeled in the jig and it had a Muskie tooth on it. Pretty neat, but still skunksville. To increase my hooking percentages, I figured perhaps a stinger might work out. Sounds like it will cause me nothing but trouble according to the response I'm getting. I also have a concern that using a treble as a stinger may cause a lot of damage to a fish I would ordinarily CPR.

Thanks for the info.

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[deathfromabove]

one thing I have done in the past that worked well...out of pure frusteration. I had a long single eagle claw hook, I ran it through the grub with the jig hook and then attached both to the leader. Its a little tricky but it worked well and didnt ruin the action.

I have since switched to using jigs that are at least 3-5 inches long and they are pure gold.

CC

[MD Musky]

Although we hook and land quite a few muskies on walleye jigs, the hook-up rate goes down when we actually target musky on larger jigs. The biggest problem we have had is setting the hook too soon, too lightly. When they suck in a jig, you will feel a solid tap. If you are used to walleye jigging, you will usually set instinctively with the rod tip way too high. This causes poor hooking. It takes concentration, but you will hook up better if you lower the rod tip and pick up slack before setting the hook hard. I have seen this work well with the new cobra jigs and six inch mogambo grubs. It seems that musky bite down on these plastics and hang on. you actually have quite a while to set the hook.

[MuskieKid]

MDMusky: thanks for the tip. Could be I"m not giving them enough time. I'll give it a try. Tom

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[muskydude]

Kid, I agree with MDmusky 100%. You'vegot a long time to set the hook with rubber, I always reel down on them and set the hook with both hands on the pole. You can fish grubs with trailers though, but I dont think they would be necessary with a 4" or even a 6". with the 8" I use 40lb sevenstrand and wrap it around a hemostat to form a tight little loop, one that will just fit over the hook and barb of the jig. I push the trailer in at the base of the tail and tie the other end of the 40lb to it. then just slip the preformed loop over the hook of the jig and pull the trailer back. It takes a couple of times to get the right length but if you do it once or twice its pretty easy and you can tie 5 or 6 in 15-20 minutes. You can cut a small piece off the head of the grub and use it as a keeper too.


ScottB

[MuskieKid]

MuskyDude: Thanks for the info. I've thought about the larger grubs, but haven't tried them yet. I've fished for Tigers with small spider grubs for a while and just started using the tube type. They seem to be very effective. So far, I have not any had any "taps" at all when hooking up, but rather (as MD Musky) says, they are sucking them in. Rather than a tap, it feels more like a rubber band pulling or just resistance. As far as reeling the line down and setting the hook with both hands, I've been doing that. However, I've been using a heavy spinning rod (I feel they are better in deep water)with mono. I'm starting to think that the stretch with mono may be the problem with hook-ups. I have a friend that uses braided line on spinning tackle with good success and am thinking about doing that. I do have some good casting tackle for that purpose, but as I said, because of the deep water (casting tackle gets a "pendulum" effect) I use spinning tackle to get my lures further away from the boat.

Sounds like a good idea for another post-I think I'll put it on.

Thanks, Tom

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