Light Wire Hooks and Fuji Concept Guides

[EC1]

Hi everyone, Hope everyone has had a good fishing week unlike, me.

But I've got two questions for all of you walking and talking fishing gurus:

 

1. Light Wire Hooks on Jigheads - The ones that bend so that you can straighten them out when you get a snag to retrieve your lure.

How useful are they in a fisherman's arsenal? I bought a large quantity of them over the course of last year, and only to find out that they bent very easily especially when larger fish were hooked. After I found out about that fact, these jigheads have been collecting dust since. Is there a proper way to use these hooks without for fishing and not straightening them out on a fish? Or should these go in the garbage can by now?

 

2. Fuji Concept Guides on Rods - I am in the market for a new rod in the next couple of weeks, but does anyone know what the Fuji Concept Guides do for a rod? Does it affect casting distance / backbone / Line breaking ? Do you feel that the Fuji Concept Guides are necessary for a rod that you plan on keeping?

 

Thanks in Advance for any input you guys have on these questions

EC

[OhioFisherman]

Hook quality on jigheads can be a real issue and it basically comes down to the old saying, "you get what you pay for". I used jigheads all the time and was unhappy with the quality of hooks, same issues, the standard hooks in most inexpensive jigs straighten too easily.

 

I started making my own jigheads years ago, when it was a lot harder to find jigheads with better quality hooks. I also adapted some of my molds to accept larger sized hooks than the standard ones for the mold.

 

For general use I use Mustad 32746BLN hooks, a light wire hook but with more strength than the standard hooks. i have land carp in open water up to around 35 pounds on them with no issues. Not a hook I would recommend for fishing around heavy cover though, I have lost bass 4-6 pounds trying to bulldog them away from cover, they will bend but not easily and tend to spring back into shape.

 

A reasonably priced hook though,like 10 bucks a hundred here stateside, 70-90 a thousand depending on size. Gamakatsu 604`s are hard to beat, a bit pricier though, like 32 bucks a hundred, or vmc barbarian`s, not sure of the pricing on them any more, like 16 bucks for 70?

 

Expect to pay 2.99 to 4.99 for 4 or 5 painted jigheads already made and painted unless you buy in bulk.

 

http://lurepartsonline.com/cart.php?m=prod...etail&p=402

 

http://lurepartsonline.com/cart.php?m=prod...list&c=1968

 

http://lurepartsonline.com/cart.php?m=prod...list&c=1368

 

A stateside source, you may have someone up north with similar items.

 

I used the mustads for fun fishing, didn`t lose fish on them often, tournament days the gammies or vmc no hook issues, don`t want to lose them if they count.

 

Can`t help you with the rod eyes, I used what they came with.

Edited March 30, 2009 by OhioFisherman

[jace]

1-usefulness of the bendy hooks probably depends on the type of fish you're after. Fish that thrash around in the water will probably get off more often than with a stiff hook. I know i've lost fish on normal hooks that bent during a fight, I don't have any use for soft hooks designed to bend.

 

2- fuji concept isn't a type of guide, it's more a method of determining guide type and placement on a rod. You can get fuji brand "concept" guides in probably 1/2 a dozen types from the cheapest "Alconites" to the most expensive titanium framed SiC's. I'm not sure if gold cermets are sold with the concept label or not...now that's an expensive guide! You can build a fuji style Concept rod without using "concept" guides. The difference between fuji concept guides and typical guides is frame height. Fuji Concepts are generally lower on the blank and the tip ring sits flush with the blank rather than 3-5mm off the rod. Like i said though, you can use a concept idea with any brand of guides as long as you follow the theory.

 

Casting distance is improved with a concept layout because the rod's energy is not wasted swinging big heavy guides. The main idea is it lowers the weight on the rod tip using small guides so the energy of the casting motion is transfered to the lure rather than absorbed by the weight of the rod.

 

Another element of the Concept system is lower frame guides reducing torque on the rod when there's a lot of line tension.

[Spiel]

From the horses mouth, Fuji Concept

[solopaddler]

The fuji concepts are indeed a "type" of guide. They're a mid frame guide, in between the old high frames and the standard low frames.

As is the case with high frames I don't believe the mid frame concepts perform better than standard low frames.

In fact not only do the low frames perform as well, they're stronger.

 

Now that said I've got concept guides on most of my rods LOL! (I like the way they look )

[EC1]

Thanks for all the info everyone!

I think I will be using these hooks a few times this year, but if I lose anymore fish on it, They are going in the garbage

 

As for the rod guide help, looks like I will be getting a rod with the Fuji Concept this year

 

Thanks again!

[BillM]

I just use braid and straighten out all my tubes jigs if I get snagged No special wire needed!

[EC1]

Oh billM

I'm trying to see whether these hooks that straighten out still have some use. I think I would rather give my hook / bait away than to let a big fish straighten out my hooks and then losing the fish!

 

And do you guys think that loosening the drag even more before the hook flexes will keep these hooks from bending?

[OhioFisherman]

Loosening the drag will help, but if you are fishing around heavy cover expect to lose some fish,

[jace]

The fuji concepts are indeed a "type" of guide. They're a mid frame guide, in between the old high frames and the standard low frames.

As is the case with high frames I don't believe the mid frame concepts perform better than standard low frames.

In fact not only do the low frames perform as well, they're stronger.

 

Now that said I've got concept guides on most of my rods LOL! (I like the way they look )

 

 

It's more the idea than the guides themselves. The "Concept" is the methodology of laying out guides and how to choose them, and that in itself doesn't require guides labeled as "fuji concept" guides. It can be done with any guide set but they happen to make guides that optimize the concept setup. For example, you can easily do it with just about any modern AmTak or Pac Bay guide because they are not any taller than proper fuji concepts. But, for the running guides on the top section, you would have to drop down to their single foot fly guides with inserts..which they both have. Bag it all up and you could tag it as a set of "Pac Bay Concept guides". That's what fuji has done...besides come up with the idea.

 

Have you tried micro guides? I'm just getting into them now, I mean nothing on the rod but micros including the stripper. I'll wait until after this season before i settle on what i think of them. I've only gone down to 3's. I have a few rods from last year with single foot #5 titanium frame fly guides with inserts and thought they were great. Only one rod had one guide pulled off the blank, not bad considering how small they are and how rough i am with my stuff.

[solopaddler]

It's more the idea than the guides themselves. The "Concept" is the methodology of laying out guides and how to choose them, and that in itself doesn't require guides labeled as "fuji concept" guides. It can be done with any guide set but they happen to make guides that optimize the concept setup. For example, you can easily do it with just about any modern AmTak or Pac Bay guide because they are not any taller than proper fuji concepts. But, for the running guides on the top section, you would have to drop down to their single foot fly guides with inserts..which they both have. Bag it all up and you could tag it as a set of "Pac Bay Concept guides". That's what fuji has done...besides come up with the idea.

 

Have you tried micro guides? I'm just getting into them now, I mean nothing on the rod but micros including the stripper. I'll wait until after this season before i settle on what i think of them. I've only gone down to 3's. I have a few rods from last year with single foot #5 titanium frame fly guides with inserts and thought they were great. Only one rod had one guide pulled off the blank, not bad considering how small they are and how rough i am with my stuff.

 

Can't say I disagree with your thoughts....but the fuji concept guides are different. As mentioned they're a mid frame guide.

[rhare]

Oh billM

I'm trying to see whether these hooks that straighten out still have some use. I think I would rather give my hook / bait away than to let a big fish straighten out my hooks and then losing the fish!

 

And do you guys think that loosening the drag even more before the hook flexes will keep these hooks from bending?

 

 

 

Ironicly I had a similar issue this weekend. I was using a Owner hooks and every time I would snag they would bend with the strength of the braid.

I'm used to fishing Steelies with light set ups so I never really have had an issue with this.

I found the integrity of the hooks was totally spent when they had been bent. I lost so many fish from bent hooks this weekend, or just big fish strightening them.

 

Eventually I loosened the drag way off to keep the hook from strightening. Felt weird but it worked.

My suggestion would be to get hooks that fit the scenario, if your using braid wire hooks might not be a good idea.

[jace]

Can't say I disagree with your thoughts....but the fuji concept guides are different. As mentioned they're a mid frame guide.

 

 

I guess i was focusing too much on what Concept setup is and what the guides are. I agree, as we both said, they are different height than typical guides, so i guess there really isn't a disagreement. sorry if i made it soudn that way.