Colored hooks for live bait

[night_eyes]

Usually when i fish spinners and lindy rigs i use the standard gamakatsu hooks..but i was at Cabelas the other day and picked up some of the new colored hooks. Green...red..orange..chartruese...anyone have any expierience with these colored hooks? Did i waste my $$ or are these things pretty effective?? And what color do you find most effective? Is there a best color to use with leeches..crawlers..ect??

[Ernie]

I have become a strong believer in using colored hooks for live bait rigging and slip bobber fishing. I have a full assortment of colors, with most being sizes 4,6,& 8. I will switch hook colors like I would switch jig/lure colors, looking for an edge. I picked up some that have glow paint, which I will try for night fishing the rocks at Mille Lacs.

I do not use colored hooks when I make my spinners. I think the spinner and beads are plently.

[Fin Addict]

I use almost exclusively colored hooks now. Red seems to be particularly effective. Nice for live bait rigs when you want a more subtle presentation but a little something extra to make them look at the bait. No beads, spinners floaters etc. Just the colored hook and the bait on a long leader 4 lb test seems to be nice when the fish are moody.

[Rick]

I agree with fin. Red was the only color I had, but drifting flats with crawlers with crawlers one day was slow, so I took off the beads and blades, and put a red Gamakatsu on, and it made a big difference. Now, colored hooks are there when I need them!

[FJH1]

Two years ago I switched to using Northland Fire-Eye hooks for live bait fishing. I really like the glow/pink color. I have utmost confidence in these hooks and that's what counts!

Best Regards,

FJH

[Greg P.]

You did not waste any money on the colored hooks! I use them all the time, and they do seem to outfish plain hooks. I use the hot pink (red), chartruse, and orange. I also like to add a Berkley crappie nibbler when slip bober fishing. Walleyes eat them up.

Another thing, the Gamagatsu (sp?) hooks are very sharp!!! I can't seem to tie one on without getting poked at least once. Good, quality product.

Good fishin'
Greg P.

[captjack]

Last fall I worked boatyard security at the PWT championship in Madison. In my rounds that long night I had chance to see what the pros had tied on their lines. Every one of the boats had red hooks tied on their live bait rods.
I got a chance to observe with 2 of the pros and they both used red #4 hooks with leeches. Neither caught a whole lot of fish but then nobody did.

[Jon'eye']

I have caught quite a few walleye this spring using the red and blue Gamakatsu on lindy rigs and minnows. The paint comes off after catching several fish, but man are they sharp! And they seem to stay real sharp after long use.

Good Fishing!

Jon'eye'

[REW]

I suspect that it is because of all the blood worms on Mille Lacs, but if you haven't already tried Pink give it a try.

Try pink hooks on a live bait rig and also try pink spinner blades when you are running spinners. They don't work all the time, but some of the time they will outfish everything else going.

Take care

REW