# Tarpon Hooks



## herrin (Sep 28, 2013)

Which hook do you prefer to tie on and why?


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## [email protected] (Aug 15, 2010)

Gomakatsu SL 12S


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## Martin239 (Jan 8, 2015)

1/0-2/0 Gamakatsu B10S stinger

It's sharp, black, moderately cheap, & has a huge gap.


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## Capt. Eli Whidden (Jun 7, 2012)

The gamakatsu SC15 is a fantastic hook that always seems to find its way in the upper lip, just where you want it.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Over the years I've used quite a few different hooks for tarpon flies. Years and years ago it was the Mustad 3407ss (the ss is not stainless -it denotes double strength -heavier wire...) for big fish and the Mustad 7766 for smaller fish. Both of these require sharpening and are cadmium plated. When I began tying for a shop down in Islamorada in the mid eighties they preferred the premium Tiemco 800s hooks (they're no longer available in larger sizes...). The hooks I currently use the most are Owner Aki and the Tiemco 600sp. All of my royalty tarpon patterns from Umpqua are done up on the Owner Aki hook. Aki is japanese for "yellowfin tuna"....

I know that many shops these days stock the Gamakatsu. As a result they've become popular but I'm able to go direct to Owner and buy the hooks I need by the 1000 per size so the Owner is the one I use day in and day out. None of my anglers have ever been able to break an Owner with a fish on....

I still favor the old 7766 for night time tarpon fishing - but these days they're hard to find at a reasonable price in size 1/0 or 2/0.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

Gamakatsu SL-12S is all I use.. They're around $.50ea in bulk 100pc packs. They're sharp, durable and get the job done. I've never had a problem with them..
I use 1/0 for smaller ocean side flies and 2/0 for larger EP baitfish and bulkier dark water flies.

I have also used the following with good results:
- Owner cutting point model 5311-121 in 2/0
- Owner Aki in 1/0 & 2/0


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## ethan.weber (Apr 26, 2011)

I use both the gamas and the owners and like both of them. For dark flies i like the black owner hooks and for light oceanside flys i use the silver gamas


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## brianacnp (May 18, 2011)

Any thoughts on the varivas hooks?


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Jr Fly, I've also fly fished for tarpon for many years, depending on it for a living back in the 90's around Boca Grande.  I am one of those people that if I find something that works well, then I will keep using it but also in parallel try to find something that works even better.  Constantly always tweaking what's good, trying to push the thresh hold and to have good alternates.

That being said, here's what I found to be the best for me for those bigger tarpon who's lips and jaw bones can be in the consistency of fiberglass.  Owner Cutting Points!  Of course they are Owner sharp (forged sharpened) and that's great to get it to initially stick like some of the other Owners and Gami's do.  But the Cutting Point is literally 3 knife edges that help drive that hook home.  Solid penetration!  That's the key to keeping that hook in.  And yes, knowing how to properly strip set the hook (no rod setting!)!  And of course, proper bowing, fighting techniques and boat side agility.  I can do a seminar on that subject alone.

You hear all these guys that say... "we had a great day fly fishing for tarpon!"  Well I guess any day you can stand over tarpon with a fly rod in your hand is a great day and privilege to do so, no matter what the outcome was.     But when you ask them "how'd you do?" and you hear things like "we jumped 4" or "jumped 6 and landed 1."  Sure that's a great day and if guided, then the captain has done his job putting them on the fish.  But aside from the flies and all the techniques needed, that hook is going to be a big deal on if you just jumped a few fish or landed those fish or that fish of a lifetime.  Owner Cutting Points!



Light wire for what they are doing but thicker than some others.  I like the Gami B10S Stingers for freshwater bass hooks (my favorite for that) but they will straighten out and rust fast if used in saltwater.  I would never use the stingers for poons unless it was used for those little micro canal poonies.  Stealthier than the SC15 (one of my favorite saltwater hooks, but not for tarpon) and way better penetration.  

Brian, Varivas are a good valued for an inshore hook when tying flies that you will get chewed up and need multiple flies of the same thing.  In other words, they rust faster and you don't want to keep reusing them and then throw them back in your fly box to rust up, which they will.  Same goes for the B10S Stingers.  I wouldn't use Varivas for tarpon because they can break.  So inshore fish are fine for Varivas since you don't need that much penetration or pressure on those fish.  Btw, Varavas 100% fluorocarbon is one of my all time favorite fluoros (thinner diameter which is great for a stealthy shock/bite leader).

Anyway, Owner makes a variety of cutting points.  I like the OCP SSW's 5111 Octopus hooks (or 5311 Pro pack) (eye turned up) tied snelled if I want a fly to tract perfectly straight (and love that semi circle effect).  They can be found at most tackle shops. But I like tying loop knots for most of my poon fly fishing.  So the straight eye is a preference. But doesn't meant I wouldn't use the 5111's. Btw, notice the twist in the hook! 

So.... ~Drum roll~.....  My absolute favorite tarpon hook for beach fishing, flats and general purpose tarpon fly fishing is the "super hard to find" Owner Cutting Point SSW 5180 in a 3/0. It's the Straight eye version of the 5111/5311, which, with a loop knot provides more holding leverage than the bend eye hooks.



They are that octopus semi circle (btw, I don't like circle hooks for fly fishing).  VERY hard to find and takes a while to get them in the mail.  They are thinner wire than the AKI's so they penetrate easier.  But being thinner, they need a little give on the pressure.  I've had 1 or 2 straighten out (during 10yrs of use of that hook for fly fishing) because I locked the reel down with big 140lb plus fish in 45ft of water, straight sticking it as it was heading straight to the pilings using 30lb tippet.  Other than that, they are strong and razor sharp and great for fighting fish on the flats and beaches under normal drag pressures.

For an easier hook to get ahold of for the smaller poonies, say between 10 to 40lbs, then the OCP Flyliner 5106 1/0 or 2/0 are ok (and not the Flyliner with the rings either).  But if you can find the 5180's in a 1/0 +/-, then they're the bomb!
  


The OCP AKI Hook Saltwater Special 5170 in 3/0 for regular tarpon flies or 4/0 for big bushy patterns and it also comes in a 5169 AKI Twist Hook Bait Hook, which I like even better.
  


They are super strong and will stick into something when sliding out of their mouth because of the twist turn of the hook.  I use these hooks for the mammoth poons where we are fishing around structure like bridges, dock structure and very deep water, where you need to put a lot of heat on the fish.  They are heavier than the 5180's, so they weight the fly down more.

On another note, I've used some OCP wide gap offset worm hooks (2/0) for some big bushy deer hair head/bodies floating patterns. and a OCP 1/0 straight shank worm hooks for Gurglers for smaller poons in the back country.  They work and stick good as well.   

I've had these Cutting Points hooks stick and hold in some of the most precarious places, including the outside of their jaw, top of their forehead, etc.  When they stick and penetrate, they stay.

Btw, I'm not a fan at all of any silver colored hooks for poons and have found that the black seems stealthier.  It could be coincidence, but I've experimented with big tarpon where I had the same flies, testing hook color only and had more refusals with the silver and more eats with the black.  But then again, that's just up here on the Gulf coast and not oceanside Keys.

You've paid big money on the equipment and the trip.  Don't compromise on the hook and let that be your weakest link on a fish who will seek out ALL your flaws!    ;D

Owner should pay me for the plug!   ;D


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## redjim (Oct 16, 2012)

Just recently I found some larger poons that allowed me to use some deceivers that were tied up with 2/0 Gamas SL 12S Trey Combs and they seem to penetrate better than anything else.

Anyone else ever use these?


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

redjim says.... "Gamas SL 12S Trey Combs and they seem to penetrate better than anything else."

Jim, better than what?


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## redjim (Oct 16, 2012)

For lack of experience I have always just followed the advice of Dr. Aaron Adams for most things tarpon related. I attended a meeting he put on and wrote down the hooks he liked in 2/0 and those are ones I had been using. He seemed to be very keen on the Owners.

Aki (5170-121)

Owner (5115-121)

Gama SW Series (275 5412-10)


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## gfish (Jan 14, 2009)

I had a bunch of the Gama Sl12s 1/0 points roll on me last year.
Im going to use some Teimco 600s this year and see how they work for me.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

I like the 600sp Tiemcos quite a bit -but you need to know that guides down in the Keys don't like them very much... I think the difference is that I'm using much larger tarpon flies on 4/0 hooks back in the 'Glades than what they use in the Keys - and my fish take really solidly. Here's a pic of one of the bugs we use....


Guides in the Keys complain of rolled points with the 600sp - we never have that problem with those hooks at all (but our fish are taking deep and we're hooking them mostly by feel instead of by sight....). My only real complaint about the Tiemco is that I can't buy them in bulk the way I can with the Owner hooks....


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Here's what I like about the SL 12S Trey Combs and the Tiemco 600's....  Their bend and shape!  Spot on to the Owner 5180, especially the Tiemco 600's.  Btw, I do like that thin point profile of the 600 and very sharp, but horribly expensive ($2/hook).  Anyway, those shaped hooks seem to stick and hold best for me over the years.

What I don't like about them is the silver/chrome finish.  Unless I'm using them on a sardine, threadfin or silver mullet pattern, I don't like em.  I think they show themselves more and found that you have to step down to a 2/0 or even a 1/0 before you can get them to eat it with a darker fly.  I haven't had that problem with the black chrome finish and can still get away with a 3/0 (better hookups and staying power, plus thicker for more strenght).

I hope if anyone else is reading this and wants to use stainless steel hooks on bigger tarpon, aside from hook color, the stainless steel is a softer metal than the black hooks, especially the gami's and Owners.  So the SS hooks needs to be thicker (hense, easier to see) or they'll bend quick.  Even then, they still bend easier than the others.  The Owners, Gami's and alike (clones) have more carbon in the steel and have a higher tensile strength (i.e. more strength with lthinne diameter).  So with SS hook points will roll and they will straighten out easier.

Here's the other advantage I've also found in the OCP 5180's, like with the 5111's and other Gami octopus style bait hooks....  They are offset (twist).  That twist/offset turn in the hook makes a difference in finding a place to stick into when the hook is sliding out of it's mouth.  I haven't found where the twist effects the tracking of the fly (Gulf coast flies that is).  But I DO have a new worm hatch fly that there's nothing to it, that I'm DYING to try but will miss the hatch for sure this year.  So I don't know how that will track.  But then again, if you've seen those lil buggers swim, I don't think that'll matter either!   ;D  Oh well, next year's bucket list...    

I learned about the knife edges on the point from a talk with Stu Apte way back in the early 90's where everyone use to fish with those 7766's that Capt Bob Lemay talked about.  Stu found that sharpening the edges from the point to the barb, using a file in a very specific direction, in a triangle shaped with the edges as sharp as knife blades.  He said made the difference in driving that hook home, and it did.  

I remember doing up a few of those hooks and taking a piece of 100lb mono (that's what we use to use for leader back in the day), tying to each hook (straight stock and modified hook), taking a piece of solid hard oak and then wrapping the mono around my hand and pulling each hook into the hard oak, using about the same pressure.  The stock hook when in halfway from point to barb tip, but the modified hook buried the barb, on all 3 tries using the same amount of pressure.

I later went to the octopus style hooks when both Owner and Gama came out with them.  But when Owner came out with the Cutting Points, I was stoked, remembering back to the modified hook Stu did!  I did the 100lb mono/oak test with several of the top brands...  and the Cutting Points won hands down.  That being said, I've had seasons where I personally haven't lost a fish due to the fish throwing the hook.  There's a lot to be said about that.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Capt Lemay, that fly reminds me of my attroushly large mullet fly and the "Dalburger" I came up with (night fly).   ;D

It also reminds me about the days where we use to fish with baseball bat size mullet, free lining them on the surface with conventional gear back in the day and watching those poons come up and explode on them!   ;D

Makes my regular flies I use look like potato chips!   ;D



To the rest of ya'll......    [smiley=smashfreakB.gif]     Just kidding!   

You guys have fun with whatever you do and go whip a poon into submission!


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Oh and one quick thought to keep in the back of your mind before poon fishing.  Always check the sharpness of your hooks.  If you use a tarpon fly multiple times, ESPECIALLY with "chemically" sharpened hooks like needle points, and throw it back into the box, you'll find that the point will corrode, even rust and become dull (even if nothing touched it).

Will needle point hooks work with tarpon?  Sure, especially flies tied on hooks right out of the package and a good hard strip set!  But use the same fly over and over as you're rifling through flies to see what they'll eat on multiple days. THEN they decide to eat that fly after the tip corroded, which causes it to be thrown or just not initially stick good.  Feel it or use some good reader glasses or magnifying glass to see what I mean. 

Without rinsing in fresh water first then drying it out before sticking it back into the box, they will corrode.  I usually keep a warm bottle of water out of the cooler and do a quick rinse then throw it in a separate vented bag to dry out (away from my fly box).  Then, when I get back, I'll re-rinse it out with warm fresh water, squeezing the water out with a paper towel.  At that time I'll put a touch of unscented coconut oil or palm oil on the point of the hook and then allow the fly to air dry out (usually over night) before I put it back in with my regular flies.  That's how you keep the tips lasting longer.

NOTE:  Do not use a hair dryer (back at the house or motel) to dry out your flies cause any hair spray smell will cling to the fly and will cause the fish to turn from it.

IF, you have a fly you really like and the tip has gone bad, then you can buy one of those small hand held hook sharpeners and touch the tip back up to par and then lightly touchig it with a little Sally Hansons Hard as Nails.  It wouldn't be as good as a new point, but that fly might be the difference between an "eat" or not.  And THAT, my friend is the best moment in tarpon fishing......  "the eat!"


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Tonight I have a first timer from England and we'll be tossing flies at babies in Biscayne Bay (average 20 -40lbs and we'll be looking at every one of them on the strike....) back to the ramp at 1 Am. Saturday and Sunday it's back to Flamingo where we'll be hunting the big fish again where a 10 wt is a tiny rod. This time of year when I get a cancellation it's with a sigh of relief since I'm just not an iron man any more.....


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

You and me both Bob.  I'm feeling sorry for ya!  That'll wear out a 26yr old professional football player for sure!   ;D
If your still married to the same woman, then she's either a saint or she's ready to boot you to the curb!   ;D  
My 1st wife decided she had enough (which was fine cause the fishin was better than listenin to her  ;D).  
But these days, I don't subject my new wife to those schedules anymore, being a civilian an all!


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## herrin (Sep 28, 2013)

thanks for all the replies everyone, I appreciate it


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