Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp jig hooks bending

[undguy]

This winter I made a bunch of jigs with 3/0 Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp hooks in an orangy gold color. I have used about a dozen of them this spring and have had every one of them bend or actually break. Some have broken on one decent size pike, others have caught 4 or 5 walleys and bent. Just a bad batck or is this typical of these hooks?

[Donnie Cox]

You might be pouring your lead at to low of a temp if the hooks are opening, If there breaking thats from pouring your lead to hot try to find the optimum temp, and it ussualy by trial and error. As far as the hooks are concerned there a good hook and treated at the plant to be soft so when you pour your lead it will temper them.

[undguy]

Thanks for the tip. How do you regulate the temp? I just have a little melting pot with no way I can see to regulate.

[Bakie]

I would suggest going to a 4/0 Mustad #32746BLN it's an ultra point & much stronger & will stay sharp longer they are chemically hardened. My personal favor it is VMC 3/0 #V7150BN Barbarian jig hook they are a heavy wire Vandium steel (tool steel) the thing I like about them is you can off set them or open the gap for better hook sets. i use them for Small Mouth mostly but have caught almost everything in Lake Erie's Western Basin on them. They are also a cone cut hook that you can resharpen unlike the chemically hardened hooks that once they are dull you remelt the lead & through the hooks away.
Just my opinion but have tried everything over my 59 yrs. of Fishing structure & you will have to file your molds so the hook will fit properly with the VMC Barbarians.

[slipperybob]

typical Eagle Claw hooks...

[Dabluz]

I'm very picky when it comes time to buy hooks and for some reason or another, I don't have any Eagle Claw hooks. They just don't seem to attract my attention. I have VMC, Mustad Ultra, Gamakatsu, jigs with Sickle hooks but no Eagle Claw.

[MarkG]

No Eagle Claw here either. Quit using them years ago. For the hook style I was using, too much flex. Kept missing fish.

Mostly Mustad for me sometimes Gamakatsu, ,at times others, but I always AVOID Eagle Claw.

[Dabluz]

I remember about 50 years ago buying some beautiful hooks for brook trout stream fishing. They were the first "octopus" style hooks I had ever seen. Made in Norway I think. They even had barbs on the shank to hold the bait and they were super sharp. I said to myself.....man....this looks like just the ticket.

Anyway....I use the hooks and darn it....I had trouble hooking fish. I finally noticed that these hooks did not bend but were simply "springy". When it came time to set the hook, the hook would open up when the point had to go through a hard part inside the fish's mouth. As it opened up, the angle of penetration would get too large and the hook would not penetrate past the barb. I guess they would have been great for someone using heavier line but I was using 4 lb test mono. Anyway....I quit using them and not long afterward, I didn't even see them in the stores.

They were sold in the Sears store in my town and came in little plastic containers like the pills we get at the pharmacy. A few years later, I came across another brand of hook that did that too. Great looking hooks but not tempered right.

I tie my own flies. Been doing that for over 30 years. I don't buy cheap hooks. Certainly not the Mustad hooks that come in little cardboard boxes. They may not cost much but I don't like them. However, they are still the most popular and some places sell nothing else.