There are certain advantages to using choosing single hooks especially for big powerful saltwater fish with hard bony mouths such as sailfish.
In some cases, single hooks stay connected better than trebles.
Here are some good reasons for using lures with single hooks
While trebles may offer more initial hookups, what happens after a fish is hooked provides some advantages to singles.
- Hooked fish are more likely to stay hooked with singles
- Once hooked, a single hook is much longer than the three small hooks on a treble. Where a treble point might poke into a jaw, a single can go completely through, making it much less likely to be thrown during head-shakes and jumps.
- Singles, being not only larger but also thicker, won’t bend or straighten nearly as easily as most trebles.
- Singles are vastly better for releasing fish with the least damage compared to trebles.
- Anyone who has ever attempted to unhook a lure with two sets of trebles from a big powerful trashing fish will understand the damage that can be done onto the fish, the amount of time required often result in the fish being unfit for release and the dangers posed to the angler. A single hook can be removed much more quickly and easily.
- Some of you have probably have had a hook from a treble lodged in your hand or seen that happen to someone.
Years of On Water Experience
Sailfish or fish with similar super hard bony mouths are notoriously difficult to hook. Even more tricky when they are species that jump a lot including tarpon and barramundi to name a few.
From our many years of experience and the thousands of sailfish we’ve caught, single hook is definitely more advantageous for sailfish than trebles AND we have found a twin-hooks and single hook combination even better (see images below).
We’re now seeing more and more manufacturers selling their lures equipped with single hooks rather than trebles.
As always, remember to use high-quality hooks on your lures. I’ve seen many fish lost to inferior hooks and split rings.
So what about you? Do you still use mostly trebles or are you starting to switch to singles?
