Screw lock pins

[Smalls]

Lately I've been putting Owner's center screw lock pins on all my Texas rigs. I got really tired of either my bait sliding down my hook, or using the toothpick trick.

They're relatively cheap, and they work.

Any downside anyone can think of?

[Oldfart9999]

They work well. I'm going to be tying a wire near the eye that holds the plastic on .
Rodney

[SFL BassHunter]

The downside is when the bait rips out of the screw lock, it RIPS the bait. So there is no screwing it back in unless you can take a chunk of bait off and screw into new plastic.

Other than that and if the bait is too thin to screw in, I see no real down sides.

[Bud Kennedy]

I like the screw lock hook set up.  Seems to me it provides a lot better alignment of bait and hook than a standard off set worm hook and you don't have to re position the bait as often.

[merc1997]

the screw lock with the correct hook will provide much better hookups, and you will not have a need to use such a big hook, because you no longer have plastic sliding down your hook shank blocking the hook throat.  i have professed this many times, and on the NuTech you tube channel, have a video called guide arms, hooks and pull lines that would be worth watching.

bo

[SteveTX]

I'm not a fan. I do use them some but if I can possibly use a quality strait shank hook that is where I am going. I don't think the screw locks are bad, but to me I don't like the flat side of the hook point or the fact that 180 degrees, or nearly that on a offset design of the point is blocked.

I prefer a strait shank hook like the Trokar 130. Properly Texas rigged Ill put it up against any other hook style comparing hookup ratios. The plastics stay on it quite well for me. Depending on what brand of plastic and the cover I throw into I can usually catch numerous fish on one bait.

Generally speaking I really don't have a issue averaging 1 fish per plastic that is what I bought them for and any extras is just a bonus. But it is nice to get a few more every now and then on one bait. Ya hear me Zoom? 

[merc1997]

I'm not a fan. I do use them some but if I can possibly use a quality strait shank hook that is where I am going. I don't think the screw locks are bad, but to me I don't like the flat side of the hook point or the fact that 180 degrees, or nearly that on a offset design of the point is blocked.

I prefer a strait shank hook like the Trokar 130. Properly Texas rigged Ill put it up against any other hook style comparing hookup ratios. The plastics stay on it quite well for me. Depending on what brand of plastic and the cover I throw into I can usually catch numerous fish on one bait.

Generally speaking I really don't have a issue averaging 1 fish per plastic that is what I bought them for and any extras is just a bonus. But it is nice to get a few more every now and then on one bait. Ya hear me Zoom? 

so, question.  what is there about a straight shank hook that make it rotate to the roof of the mouth?  i understand about the hook throat being open, but there is nothing design wise that makes a straight shank hook rotate to the roof of the mouth, at least as far as i have tested. 

what about the times that the keeper barbs on your hook shank catch it the bass's mouth first and stop forward motion of the hook???

just attempting to get you to really take a look at hook mechanics.

bo

[SteveTX]

Let me ask you what about a screw lock hook makes it rotate? I must not be talking about the same hook with a screw lock??? I wasn't aware any of them rotated?

My hook choice is not about rotation to me.  It's strictly a odds %.  For example I've had your jig not catch the top of the mouth a few times but a tremendous amount of times it does do just as designed. So your jig design had a great hookup % in the roof of the mouth. That is great but if you knew hypothetically you could make it do way better and still not get hung up by removing the weed guards are you going to say you would not remove the guards making it a open hook? Yeah you would because it's all about getting a hook in them period. 100% bite to hookup is the goal.

To me I'd rather have a great hook up % period. A open hook point has a better % chance of catching something vs a 1/2 closed hook point right? It's not even a question. So why would I want a hook point that again has basically a metal wire blocking it 180 degrees?

As for that plastic keeper keeping me from setting a hook. They better start making them from something besides that light weight stuff and much bigger to stop me from setting a hook. I'll take the odds of that little bitty plastic keeper losing me a fish vs 1/2 my hook point being blocked by the shank of the hook every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I don't care if it's in the side floor or roof. You can't catch them if you never get a hook in them.  I'll go with the higher hook up % every time be it my Texas Holdem hand, my stock buying decisions, or my hook style. As long as it is the hook that works for the situation.

I do use screw locks in like a Keitech swim bait or a Smash Tech Convict I use a screw lock. I'm not totally opposed to them they just aren't my everything everyday go to hook.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[merc1997]

Let me ask you what about a screw lock hook makes it rotate? I must not be talking about the same hook with a screw lock??? I wasn't aware any of them rotated?

My hook choice is not about rotation to me.  It's strictly a odds %.  For example I've had your jig not catch the top of the mouth a few times but a tremendous amount of times it does do just as designed. So your jig design had a great hookup % in the roof of the mouth. That is great but if you knew hypothetically you could make it do way better and still not get hung up by removing the weed guards are you going to say you would not remove the guards making it a open hook? Yeah you would because it's all about getting a hook in them period. 100% bite to hookup is the goal.

To me I'd rather have a great hook up % period. A open hook point has a better % chance of catching something vs a 1/2 closed hook point right? It's not even a question. So why would I want a hook point that again has basically a metal wire blocking it 180 degrees?

As for that plastic keeper keeping me from setting a hook. They better start making them from something besides that light weight stuff and much bigger to stop me from setting a hook. I'll take the odds of that little bitty plastic keeper losing me a fish vs 1/2 my hook point being blocked by the shank of the hook every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

I don't care if it's in the side floor or roof. You can't catch them if you never get a hook in them.  I'll go with the higher hook up % every time be it my Texas Holdem hand, my stock buying decisions, or my hook style. As long as it is the hook that works for the situation.

I do use screw locks in like a Keitech swim bait or a Smash Tech Convict I use a screw lock. I'm not totally opposed to them they just aren't my everything everyday go to hook.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

it is not the screw lock, but the type of hook that you attach it to.

bo

[merc1997]

yes, there are hook choice that will actually lift the hook up off of being flat, which is where the hook begins from in the bass's mouth.  how often would you suppose that a straight shank bare hook might come out of the mouth still laying flat and not hook anything?  more often than one thinks.

back in "yester year", i too used a sproat style hook for t-rigging, and i could not even guess at how many bass that i flopped over in the floor, and picked the bass up only to have the hook and worm fall out.  the hook point was not through the worm, but the worm was pulled down exposing the keeper barbs.  those keeper barbs were the only thing holding on the the bass.  they had stopped forward motion of the hook keeping the hook point from ever sticking anything.  the straight wall formed on an offset hook can also stop forward motion of the hook on the hook set.

any hook will catch something sometimes, but even hooks work mechanically when set in motion.  some hooks by their design will actually assist the bass in unhooking itself during the fight.

anyway, just some food for thought.

bo

[Smalls]

Ya hear me Zoom? 

To me, the fact that it's able to "swing", and plastics are usually, well... soft, seems like it shouldn't be in the way too much.

[SteveTX]

To me, the fact that it's able to "swing", and plastics are usually, well... soft, seems like it shouldn't be in the way too much.

My Zoom comment was on their bigger worms how they make them somewhat brittle and actually kind a break. Maybe someone from Zoom would see this and like to make them just a tad more pliable. The screw lock wont help when they break off in chunks.

Its not the screw lock that I don't like so much. The screw lock isn't what I see blocking the point of the hook. Its the way the open point of the hook is partially closed off with the shank of the hook. Its eye is always tipped inward over the business side (point) of the hook. The same reason I dislike EWG hooks.  Why anyone would want a hook with the hook point blocked by the shank is kind a baffling to me but they sell like hotcakes I presume because the make a "pretty" rig when the bait is on them.

Its just my preference didn't mean to derail the thread just because I have a different opinion that has proven to work better for me. Maybe its a bad idea for others. 

[Smalls]

Hey, whatever works, works. That's really all that matters.  We've all got preferences.

[Oldfart9999]

Re member the "Colt 45" cam action hook, I still have some collecting dust somewhere.
Rodney