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jakebargo

Trailer Hooks & Effectiveness on smallmouth

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Sure, two-hook flies could work as good as a single hook streamer but why? Big mouthed predators like large and smallmouth, pike... dont nip at a streamer, they inhale it. Two-hook flies have a good chance of hooking or at least damaging the gills. And theyre harder and more expensive to tie. So, why use them for smallmouth?

Truth told, I think the main factor I was considering was the use of the same flies throughout the year for both bass & steelhead. I have already scrapped that idea after all the input. No need to risk the resource with bad design and lazyness.

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Sure, two-hook flies could work as good as a single hook streamer ...

So, why use them for smallmouth?

Trailer hooks, or multi-hook lures, have always been used for the same reason ... short strikes.

 

When big predators are hungry, and rushing after prey, they push a bow wave ahead of themselves. Evolution has provided them with ways to "inhale" prey, but one thing that's always true, at the moment of the strike, the prey is in the predator's bow wave. This tends to push the prey away even as the fish is inhaling. Trailer hooks can, and do, catch more fish in these conditions.

 

I fly fish slower than conventional gear, generally, so short strikes are rarely a problem for me. As I said before, I've seen too many gill hooked fish on trailer hooks ... and rarely use them. But if you're stripping flies, or swinging them through current, there's a better chance of missing fish because of short strikes.

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I've never used trailer hooks on anything, preferring to shortening the offering closer to the business end of the hook. I also don't like to complicate the process and lengthening my time at the vise. However, what the heck give it a shot to see if it works.

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