# Good strong Jig heads for snapper?



## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

Hit Cockburn sound last night for a sunset troll and after dark SP session with the snapper.

No hits on the HBs before during or after sunrise (not sure how well they work after dark, though can't see why they wouldn't work on a near full moon night with scent added and vibrations).

My 5" jerk shad got slammed at about 7:30pm and sped of at an alarming rate of knots with plenty of head shakes making the 20lb spin outfit scream.

I put some more drag on, then some more as was concerned about it hitting stucture, then felt that agonising ping and it was all over. On winding in I found a snapped hook! I didn't have that much drag on and I don't think the drag stuck so it may have been a weak hook or the snapper managed to crush it in its mouth.

Heres some pics.

















judging by the teeth marks in the lead the snapper gave it a good mauling - so now I'm on the look out for another brand of jig heads - not been impressed with TTs, thinking of going over to conventional hooks and using a ball sinker up close for the bigger stuff.

Any suggestions welcome.


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

What's the hook size on the jig head?


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

Not sure - looks like a 5/0 or 4/0 to me. it was a TT 3/8 length fromn jig head to gape is 55mm. hook gauge is ~1mm


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

Had a similar sized TT snap on a much smaller fish than your one. I've gone back to Nitro's - they have a heavier gauge version.


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## Alster99 (Nov 20, 2008)

I had a fine guage Squidgie jig head straighten on me and losts a good fish because of it. You expect that when fishing fine guage hooks though.

Wouldn't expect it from a 4/0 or 5/0. You have reason to be annoyed I think.

I'll make sure I use Nitros come Snapper season.

Cheers,
Al


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## breamski (May 3, 2009)

TT jigheads and nitro jigheads use the same owner hook i think? Gamakatsu make reasonable jigheads


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

do u think its the hooks fault, or is it just that braid is so damn strong, has anyone straightened a hook with mono?


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

I'm surprised that the hook went before the braid and leader - I was using about 4m of 40lb fluro leader on 20lb braid so there was a bit of shock absorption. Certainly things would be much springier with mono.

I'm wondering if its the head shakes that introduce small deviation, but very high amplitude forces. The drag may not respond to these due to reel inertia effects etc. After the bust off I got snagged and under what seemed a small amount of pressure, the leader came away at the bimini so that may have had a hammering as well.

In hindsight maybe if I'd gone easier on the drag the hook may not have given way, then again I may have been ground into the rocks...thats fishing!


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

I use Owner wide gap plus worm hooks with the cutting point and run a splitshot of appropriate weight just infront of the eye of the hook on the loop knot bottom half. They always punch right through the cheek of the snapper every time and pliers are definitely essential for hook removal. Usually running either a 3/0 or a 5/0 hook for a 4" jerkbait or 5/0 to 7/0 for a 5" jerkbait. They snag lots less as well.
Basically unbustable these hooks and definitely are better than normal jig hooks.

http://www.ownerhooks.com.au/wormhooks.html

I gave up on TT's and Nitros with fishing being able to use the attached head for leverage and twisting hooks before snapping them.

Jack.


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Also depends on what angle the fish had taken the hook. Snapper, and even bream, can crush hooks so see no reason why they couldnt break ocasional one.


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

thanks for the advice will give the wide gapes a go...

- I thought it may have been crushed too, though was advised that the fracture shows it was a tensile failure rather than compression. I've had them straighten trebles before on me.


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## rob316 (Oct 2, 2007)

i found the squidgy jigheads very strong in the medium to large size....alot stronger than the tt , berkleys and nitro....also a little cheaper and a wider gap - which certainly helps with snapper...


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

Yeah I'm gonna check out the squidgie's I use them in small sizes as I've come across other brands being straightened be skippy in the no.4 or 2 size.

cheers
Matt

Still like the idea of making my own out of conventioanl hooks - may just try crimping ball sinkers onto a trace then attaching hooks to a cliup at the end - can then change hook size and keep weight the same. just not sure how badly this setup would effect the swim of the lure - worth a go though...


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## Guest (May 8, 2009)

breamski said:


> TT jigheads and nitro jigheads use the same owner hook i think? Gamakatsu make reasonable jigheads


TT actually use Gamakatsu hooks,and Nitro use Owner hooks. Owner is considered to be amongst the bestin Australia, but Gamakatsu is usually up there also. I highly reccomend contacting TT (especially seeing there is two people here that have had this happened) to inform them of the possible quality issue with the Gamakatsu hooks. TT are a great company, and would do there very best to rectify this should it prove to be a quality issue.


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

not a bad idea contacting TT - they might even give a refund on my lost snapper ;-) 
seriously though, worth keeping them in the loop


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

mattyoga said:


> Yeah I'm gonna check out the squidgie's I use them in small sizes as I've come across other brands being straightened be skippy in the no.4 or 2 size.


Been using the TT HW (heavy wire) jigs in 3/0 - 7/0 for over two years catching kings, snapper and trevs to 3kg and not had one break. Won't be changing any time soon


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## chrissy (Jul 7, 2007)

mate, go the nitros, way stronger. I've bent plenty of tt's before but no nitros ;-) 
I like the ones with the silver hook.


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## blaggon (Jan 14, 2008)

Nitro's with owner hooks 5/0 only way to go for the big snapps ;-)


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## dunebuggy (Dec 21, 2008)

Just a wild idea here but, *"if"* you were continually having hooks break like that I wonder if the following would work;
Could you buy the hook size you wanted in a double strength gamakatsu for example, and then get a large split shot sinker to crimp around the shank just before the eye?

No idea if that would work or be practical but it's just an idea that came to mind.


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

I have had 7/0 heavy wire gamakatsu's straightened and or snapped by decent snapper before a lot more than once.
I have moved away from jigheads off the shelf and configure my rigs to suit the application at hand. I am getting a really really good run from woner wide gap plus and daichi worm hooks in the heavy wire (suspect they are identical with different packaging.

I find jighooks can add leverage to a fish to destroy the hook either by twisting or straightening or snapping.

Jack.


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## mattyoga (Mar 30, 2008)

Thanks for the advice - Mangajack - with 'the configuring to suit applications' do you mean rigging the non jig head hooks in a dropshot or texas/carolina style? or do you make your own jig heads?

Am interested in hearing more - the snapper we've been getting lately are in the 80cm+ 6Kg+ range and make a mess of lots of terminal tackle so I think a significant uprating and maybe change in approach is required to nail the bigger ones.

cheers

Matt


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## Donutslayer (Jun 9, 2007)

For what its worth, i use sguidgy finesse heads, 2/0 3/0 in the 1/8 oz for water less than 10m. For deeper water i put a sinker about a foot in front of it. these are a short hook made of heavy wire. they work well.
To my mind there are very few jigheads suitable for big snapper. usually the hook is too big for any given weight or the shank is too long and they bend or break if you hook up at all.


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## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

Mattyoga, I tie a loop knot directly to the eye of the hook about 20mm diameter, on the tag end (always tie so the tag end is on the down side of the hook (shank side) I pinch on a splitshot of appropriate weight to suit the currents, depth and plastic. Sometimes once i am happy with the weight I will crimp the splitshot with pliers to create a wedge shape weight that vibrates similar to a blade lure does but on a smaller scale. I find the vibration does add some spice to the bait and you get more interest.

It is very critical to get the tag end on the shank side of the hook and as square to the hook as possible to avoid twisting that can occur. If you are using 20lb or heavier leader the split can go directly on the bottom side of the loop.

Jack.


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## simond11 (Aug 29, 2005)

I use TT's and never had a problem with them I agree with the others, though, and contact TT. 
Loking at the first photograph, I noticed that where the hook has broken, it shows a brown/tan surface colour. Is that rust? If so, then the hook would have been seriously weakened. Send it in to TT and let them decide what the issue is. They are a very good company and I am sure they will offer some sort of solution.
Cheers

Simon
Prowler 15


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