Getting sick of sickles...

[AWMiller]

I don't know what to say or how to say but it's got to be said.... I'm starting to get sick of sickle hooks!!

Don't get me wrong... I love the concept of the hook and it works well! What I'm sick of are the hooks breaking. Now those that have been tying with these for quite some time already know that there are some quality control issues from the manufacturers overseas. But I swear, out of the last couple of hundred jigs I've tied up, I've had 27 hooks to break while STILL IN THE VISE!!!

I'm even getting reports from folks I've sold jigs to stating that the hooks are breaking on them and I just hate putting out a product with my name on it when I know these issues exist.

But a thought hit me.... would one color of sickle hook be stronger and more reliable than that of a different color? Is the black chrome stronger than the red or the bronze?

What do you think?

[Barnacle Bill]

Where are you getting your hooks? I bought 1000 of them some time ago from Cabela's and have never had one break.

[laserdoc]

AW, We went through this issue about a month back. One color would not have anything to do with the breakage, Skip has had this problem with the breakage. He sent me the hooks and I sent them to the owner of Matzuo. I get my hooks straight from Matzuo and have never had a hook break on me.
Where are you getting your hooks from? The hooks are made in Korea and then sent to China to get packaged.
If you could save me the broken hooks,I mean all of them! If you have the box they came in I need that also.
The breakage comes down to the temp in the heat treatment of the hooks. They use a sand bed.
IM me and we can discuss this more. I will try to get your broken hooks replaced for you

[waxnslabs]

Try ordering from [email protected] ( ebay seller too) I use him, and a local tackle shop here in West Monroe does also in which was owned by a crappie guru. (Bobby Phillips, The Honey Hole) Been pretty good hooks. I've had no problems.

[skiptomylu]

I don't know what to say or how to say but it's got to be said.... I'm starting to get sick of sickle hooks!!

Don't get me wrong... I love the concept of the hook and it works well! What I'm sick of are the hooks breaking. Now those that have been tying with these for quite some time already know that there are some quality control issues from the manufacturers overseas. But I swear, out of the last couple of hundred jigs I've tied up, I've had 27 hooks to break while STILL IN THE VISE!!!

I'm even getting reports from folks I've sold jigs to stating that the hooks are breaking on them and I just hate putting out a product with my name on it when I know these issues exist.

But a thought hit me.... would one color of sickle hook be stronger and more reliable than that of a different color? Is the black chrome stronger than the red or the bronze?

What do you think?

Most of the ones I broke tying were bronze so I ask for black now and I also bet the ones you are breaking are #4?

I have changed over a lot of stuff when I can convince them to use a #6 because when tying them they always seem to bend a bit easier. I don't know why, but they do.

I have got through the ones I bough that broke and have not had as many break lately. I did break one yesterday, but it was not from a new batch. I think there was some heat treat trouble at some point that made a lot of bad hooks get on the market.

Now you know how I was feeling from Jan-May, but the new jig heads I got were not near as bad about breaking.

I am pretty sure the I have not broke gold or black hooks yet as I remember. I do also use their regular bend hooks for that style hook when someone wants them and have not broke any of them yet.

It makes no difference who you buy them from and it just depends on what box they buy and I know Tommy Crenshaw has no idea if his are in that trouble or not and maybe he has been lucky with the ones he bought. I don't buy from him as every jig head I ever bought from him was loose and had to turn them into a pill head to tighten them. After our little trouble he would not reply to my messages.

Skip

[waxnslabs]

I buy bronze ones from Tommy, # 4, not a problem yet. Pretty sure if they were breaking someone would have complained to him and he would know being that the best sporting goods stores buy from him in this area. I guess I just got lucky and got some of the good batch the past year.

[Fatman]

Had some with over sized legs that I sent back to laserdoc, but if they know or can find what batchs of hooks were mis-tempered they should put out the lot numbers from the box's that went out and replace them.

This would go a long way towards comments on the internet.

Fatman

[cadman]

I don't know what to say or how to say but it's got to be said.... I'm starting to get sick of sickle hooks!!

Don't get me wrong... I love the concept of the hook and it works well! What I'm sick of are the hooks breaking. Now those that have been tying with these for quite some time already know that there are some quality control issues from the manufacturers overseas. But I swear, out of the last couple of hundred jigs I've tied up, I've had 27 hooks to break while STILL IN THE VISE!!!

I'm even getting reports from folks I've sold jigs to stating that the hooks are breaking on them and I just hate putting out a product with my name on it when I know these issues exist.

What do you think?

I just bought mine from a guy who deals directly with the manufacturer. They were black nickle or chrome nickle. I have similar issues. I did not want to use these hooks from past experience. AWMiller I sympathize with you as I'm in a similar situation. I have an excellent product, and it's a shame I cannot rely on a hook to do the job. I don't want my name to be associated with an excellent jig but hooks don't last. It got down to me telling my customers that I will not guarantee hook breakage if they insist on these hooks. I don't tie jigs, these are going straight into a mold and being poured. I was getting complaints from customers about breakage when they were using them. It's a shame you have to tell customers of possible problems. I do this only for several reasons, #1 I don't want people telling me about the problem later and #2 I don't want to be replacing broken jigs with hooks for free. That's a good way to lose a lot of money and customers. If they know upfront they can't complain to me. I don't expect anyone here to help me with this problem as I didn't buy these from anyone here. But this isn't the first time I've had this problem.....Just thought I would add to my displeasure with these hooks......................Oh well.

[OKSTATEjiggy]

I have never used a sickle hook, land 90+ percent of the fish that bite my jigs with regular hooks, and probably avoid more hang-ups than I would with a sickle hook.

[skiptomylu]

I have never used a sickle hook, land 90+ percent of the fish that bite my jigs with regular hooks, and probably avoid more hang-ups than I would with a sickle hook.

Oh I don't think there is any doubt that you will have more hang-ups with Sickle hooks.

Skip