Sickle Jig Hooks Over-rated?

[Hawnjigs]

I'd like some opinions. #6 & #4 are my best crappie choices right now, and #8 & #6 trout faves, but in larger sizes for other species I don't notice any advantages over other good hooks. I'll continue to use larger Sickles, but am observing that the supposed superior hooking and holding power might be exaggerated.

Lately, Gamakatsu 604 #2s seem to be effortlessly setting and hooked fish seldom unzip.

 

[AtticaFish]

Don't have a whole lot of experience yet with larger sickles, but i would say you are right, it is all in what fish you are chasing. In my experience, the softer mouth fish (crappie/gills/perch) are more suited for sickles but don't have an exact reason why, maybe just dumb luck so far. :-/ The river smallmouth and lake largemouth that i have hooked up on seem more likely to 'throw' a sickle jig than a regular bend. :huh: I can say for the river smallies i fish for - which do not average in larger sizes - the lighter reg. bend hooks get by. I do like the fact that i can bend the hook (not break it) with pressure if i get hung up. Come springtime, a friend & i are hoping to go after some walleye in a local river with the jigs i got from you - hopefully give some feedback one way or the other. Walleye are toothy/boney mouthed critters for sure!

In larger sizes - 1/0 & 2/0 - EWG hooks all the way... love them so far! LMB do NOT spit the hook on me with them as often. Like the wide gap as well.

Actually surprised by the #8 & #6 trout favorites.... what species of trout have you gotten feedback on? I admit i have very little experience with trout, but would place them in the boney mouth catergory in my mind. As a general notion, would rather a stiffer hook, harder hookset.

Sorry, i am mostly above the #2 hook target you were looking for. I use #2 regular aberdeens for crappie (both bait and jigs) but that is mostly because it is what is widely available for me locally. They work for me, but maybe that is just because i don't know anything different! Haha! - Russ

 

[Hawnjigs]

My trouting experience is limited as well, maybe a coupla dozen sessions in the CO mountains. Avoided current stockers in favor of wild or holdover rainbows mostly, and landing frequency with #4 & #6 Sickles seemed decent, trout being rather notorious for low hookset and high unzip ratios. Haven't tried the #8 yet, but smaller is often better for trouting. Have tried stiffer Ultra Point 2x #6 - not impressed.

Am interested in any size Sickle jig hook experiences.

Is the solid holding power of EWGs the result of the downward towards shank point angle?

 

[toadfrog]

A hook is a hook, If its set in the right spot you got the fish. If it hit thin skin its 50/50 chance on landing it. Mostly it boils down to marketing skills for hook MFG. Like the car you drive they all got four wheels and get you to where you need to go and that's the point.

 

[Pup]

I can say for the river smallies i fish for - which do not average in larger sizes - the lighter reg. bend hooks get by. I do like the fact that i can bend the hook (not break it) with pressure if i get hung up.

I know that interjecting here will be off topic a bit. But, AtticaFish makes a very good point here as it pertains to river smallmouth bass fishing. Light wire, rounded-bend hooks can be bent easily with pressure from braided or heavy monofilament lines. Reform the hook's bend and you can continue fishing. I haven't had any experience with the "wide-gapped" sickle hook equivalent of a #1 or #2 bronze round bend hook. Has anyone tried an Eagle Claw jig bearing a 570 jig hook lately? I tie with them regularly (#2s) and notice that they seem quite a bit sharper to me recently. These are more than adequate for use in my bass fishing and for those I tie for. Perhaps, Eagle Claw is reading our message boards for the opinions of tyers and fishermen regarding hook comparisons.

Sickle hooks do have a nice-looking "trendy" bend, often wider gaps per size presented, and nice points IMO. BTW, does anyone know why there are no standards among manufacturers for hook sizes (gaps) in the industry? This makes locating and purchasing jigs with equivalently-sized hooks much more difficult for me.

Just read Toadfrog's post and agree. The physics of a large force per unit area applied to a reasonably sharp hook point would seem, to me, to be adequate to drive the hook through the flesh and bone of most freshwater fish. I agree with his opinion of the marketing angle too.

I use small sickle and round bend hooks for crappie fishing and really don't notice much of a hooking and holding difference between the two.

 

[hhawkins]

Hawn - I like the sickle hooks myself. To me, they hold up better against the weight of the fish. I also like fishing with a circle hook. I think a better grab and strength, especially with cats when fishing at night.

 

[LedHed]

If Gamakatsu made a #6 or #8 90º bend hook – I would buy them.

Really miss the old school VMC… use to be bad a$$

Matzuo hooks are working out really well for the ultra light freshwater. Will be trying the saltwater ones out this spring.

 

[ScottV]

I use sickles for crappie and like them. For some reason I hook more fish in the roof of the mouth when using sickles. I also like larger hooks. I use a #2 on a 1/8 oz jig and a #4 on a 1/16 oz.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Funny, I would never use EC 570s for the reasons some prefer them. Matzuo Aberdeen round bend light wires were similarly soft in the #4 size I tried, with better points than EC(older).

Standard shank Aberdeen light wire gap sizes seem to be similar except for Sickle being slightly wider. With the heavy wire 90*, Ultra Point, Owner, Gamakatsu, all have their own unique gap sizing & shank lengths.

Circles indeed would be my choice for night bait fishing - in HI they used to be called "self setting". They also hold a live baitfish thru the eye sockets better than straight points.

Older made in France VMC minis were super strong. Gama 604s in smaller sizes would be nice - a #4 could be ideal for panfish prop jigs.