Sickles: good vs/ bad

[fish_4_all]

I just some more sickle octopus hooks and I finaly see what a bad sickle looks like.

As you can see, the hook on the right has much more severe bends instead of the gradual bends of the one on the left. The first bend broke under light pressure in a fly tying vise where the otherswould deform and bend out instead of breaking. If you look really close the first bend is a kink instead of a bend and it is obvious why these hooks would fail fighting a fish.

The hooks are a 1/0 Matzuo Octopus hook.

I thought I would share this so those of you that use them will have a reference to see if you have gotten good quality sickle hooks or a bad brittle run.

Todd, thank you for making me aware of the differences so I knew what to look for. Would have sucked to lose a couple summers on these from a hook breaking.

 

[Diehard]

i recently bought some of these brand in a 2/0 jig hook. and recently caught an 11.5 lb sthlhead on one of these. i was also useing 8lb leader and by the time i got this fish netted it had almost got the hook straightened out i think the wire is just to thin or bad temper on these hooks because an 8lb leader should not be straightenig them out imo. i was going to bump down to a 1/0 but maybe ill just go back to my bullet proof owner hooks

 

[fish_4_all]

For sickle jig hooks you want the 3x wire ones. The light wire ones will never see my line for steelhead and salmon. I wish it was easier to get the heavy wire ones but I am still waiting to get them.

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

After using them for a little bit springer fishing last year I'll never use them again. They straightened out on me way to easily and cost me a few fish. It may have been a bad batch, but I've never had a Gami fail me.

 

[fish_4_all]

Never had that problem but then again I have bent tips and bent out Gamis before so maybe it is just part of the match the tackle to your fishing techniques. My sickles buried so deep straightening them wasn't ever an issue. But i fisha ll barbless so maybe that made a difference also. Grinding the barb off left a long point to go to the bend on any hook set. These were octopus hooks not jig hooks. Like i said, I will not use the regular witre ones for slamon nor steelhead. Way too light a wire and very likely to bend out under a good fight or pulling as hard as we need to sometimes on a nice fish with an attitude.

I did get ahold of captain hooks and they are going to replace the hooks for me. Replied in one day and were more than happy to do so. Even going to inspect the hooks this time.

For jig hooks I just got a big order from Pbug of Mustad 32833 and I doubt even a 50#+ Chinook could straighten them out.

 

[Gunga]

Which one of the hooks that you posted is the bad hook. i can't seem to spot the differnce.

 

[GungasUncle]

The one on the left is the good hook, the one on the right is the bad hook. If you look close, the one on the right has more pronounced bends, sharper angles. The one on the left has more fluid, rounded bends - and is less likely to break than the one on the right.

 

[ProfessorChromology]

That is good information. Thanks for posting!

 

[Gunga]

The one on the left is the good hook, the one on the right is the bad hook. If you look close, the one on the right has more pronounced bends, sharper angles. The one on the left has more fluid, rounded bends - and is less likely to break than the one on the right.

Thanks uncle mark glad that you could help.