best sickle hook?

[jackie53]

"EAGLE CLAW HOOKS ARE THE ONLY HOOK MADE IN THE USA. THATS WHAT IT SAYS ON THEIR LABLE.I know you can,t believe everything you read. The Lazer Sharp is a pretty sharp hook!!!! TROKAR'S will hurt YOU they are sharp!!!!!

[jackie53]

"www.eagle claw.com

[RonDon]

Some EC are made in USA without a doubt but have heard some are comin from Mexico.... Guess thats better than china. Hopefully im wrong though! The boxes of 570-5's no longer say made in USA on them. The boxes of lazer sharp 570s i have are no where near as sharp as a matzuo.

[skiptomylu]

I am with you RonDon, don't use red as it does come off every brand made and I too prefer black nickel, but at times I do also use some bronze. Just to give an example I have a customer here in Toledo Bend that started with me about 3 years back, last spring I got him to try the lightwire hooks and he came back and told me they cost him 2 big crappie! GE also told me at that time that was the first crappie he lost in the last 2 years, ever since I got him to try Sickle hooks.

I say everyone to each his or her own and yes some dont like them, but that would be me!

[fish_4_all]

I don't have crappie experience with them but I will say this. I fish a LOT of salmon and I have never buried a hook deeper in the roof a big Chinooks mouth than I do sickle Octopus hooks. These fish have rocks for mouths. The sickle jig hooks I have used have been buried deeper than any round bend I have ever tried. I also like them because they have the turned in point that helps keep me from getting snagged up and keeps the fish from getting snagged on them. Nice quality when you are fishing the rivers and have a couple hundred fish stacked in a deep small pool.

That being said, IF I could count on the quality sickle hooks would be the only ones i ever used. I have gotten about a 30-70% quality/to pour quality with them. Terrible ration but the companies I deal with have been great taking them back.

[Fatman]

I've used just about every brand of jig hook out there, Mustad, EC, VMC, Owner, Trokar, gammies etc. I still have a bunch of the old stock Mustads and EC's. Totally agree about the red coming off the hooks - every brand red hook it comes off.

In some threads over at TackleUnderground the guys are talking about the new Black Pearl finish Mustads and how well they're working out and not rusting. Gonna try some when I get some cash saved up.

YES - the quality control on Matzuo's sucks!!!!!!!! A few days before I pour I'll dry fit sickle hooks in my molds to make sure they fit right - takes time but doesn't slow me down when I start pouring. If Do-It would listen to it's customers and elongate the eyelet hole it wouldn't be all that much a problem - but I know alot of folks are real nervous about screwing up their molds to make the alteration. Just nick the back edge and you'll have a lead covered eyelet!!!!!!!!

I havent' seen the big increase in catch ratio between the regular aberdeens and sickles - it's 50/50 for me right now so I pour with the hooks I have. But IF I get more sickes they'll be bronze or black nickle.

[skiptomylu]

One word of caution on Sickles, there was a stretch of time that I got some that had a really poor heat treating and the darn hooks would break even when I was just tying them. Must have had 50 to 100 over a month break while tying. I just hope I caught all of them at the tying stage, but feel I probably didn't. Since that time, several years ago I have not had that issue again. Hooks with different size barbs, or barbs even on the wrong side of the hook yes, but I don't see that as enough to change back to hooks I don't like which are dull Mustad and EC regular bend hooks. I do cary some regular bend hooks and some are EC, but if I can get them when I order I get Matuzo round bend hood because they are sharp too.
I have plenty go EC gold hooks for the guys that like Gold hooks and lots still do. I aim to please the customer and try not to push or judge and just do what someone ask. Usually after they try Sickle hooks they want them next time.

[crappiedoc]

BN sickles from Matzuo seem to have their best plating. I have round bends from them and really don't care much for them. The plating breaks off when heating to dip, (it splits right where the lead ends) it breaks off cleaning the eyes out, and if you adjust the bend it splits then also. I haven't had these problems with their sickles. I did get some EC-570B's and honestly love them. I do pour some gammies when guys request them. I used the 114's and 604's and I'm convinced that they are by far the best hooks made, but even at wholesale when you break some off your talking paper not pennies. VMC's BN hooks sure seem to take the elements though, I've got a few in the bottom of my boat for a year now and they look like they did when I poured them. I only wish they had a better point out of the box. Wouldn't even know which Mustad hook to try, the older ones had a tri-point like Owner and I didn't care for those either. I hold a jig above my thumbnail and drop it, a good sharp hook will stick in my nail, there's not many brands that stick but the gammies, sickles and 570B's sure do.

[skiptomylu]

Gamakatsu are my favorite hooks, but they are so high cost. I use to be a dealer for them back in the 1990's and sold a lot of hood, but even dealer price is much higher than Matuzo so for crappie jigs I will take the Sickles. If I fish a minnow/jig set up like at night or summer fishing I have a jig on the bottom and about 18" above that I use a Gamakatsu #1 or 2 Drop Shot hook. I just love the hooks for this. I still believe everyone should use what they like!