3 Hook plug discussion

[Monty]

For awhile I was taking off one of the belly hooks on three hook plugs. After a bunch of e-mails exchanged with Rip-Plugger, I have pretty much changed my mind.
Basic thoughts:
- Its more difficult handling a fish with an extra set of hooks to deal with (I'm OK with this).
- You get some weird hook ups when two sets hooked up (feel sorry for the fish, but I like more hook ups).
- You get better plug coverage as Rip-Plugger has pointed out to me.
I had a few trips last year when I was getting solid hits and not hooking up, also lost a bunch of fish. So I took the advice of Rip-Plugger and put the barbs back on all my hooks and added the third treble on the three hook plugs. Hook-ups went up and less lost fish
So I am back to three hooks
Here are a few pics of three hook plugs (and some two hook for comparison).

A couple of Rip-Pluggers


Bob Hahn and (BC?)


Bob Hahn and Montauksurfcaster


(Don't know and Eel Punt


Don't know and Beachmaster


A couple more of Rip-Pluggers

[BassBuddah]

Ripplugger does nice work, Monty. Love those bunker patterns. You're lucky to be his honorary plug destroyer.

I kind of agree with the 3 hooks. The only time I think it makes a great difference is toward the summer's end when the water is very warm. You stick a fish in a lot of places and it bleeds too much, it may die on the release. I would say 3 hooks are ok up to water temps of 70's. Anything below that and the fish should do ok. I don't have any studies to back that up, though, just my experience.

[Monty]

What do you think on that second pic (the two Atoms), would you put the second hook on the top plug?
Last year when I started using Rip-Pluggers plugs late August/September), I caught mostly stripers with them. We shall see what happens this year, I tend to get into blues early on.
MOJO.

Ripplugger does nice work, Monty. Love those bunker patterns. You're lucky to be his honorary plug destroyer.

I kind of agree with the 3 hooks. The only time I think it makes a great difference is toward the summer's end when the water is very warm. You stick a fish in a lot of places and it bleeds too much, it may die on the release. I would say 3 hooks are ok up to water temps of 70's. Anything below that and the fish should do ok. I don't have any studies to back that up, though, just my experience.

[DarkSkies]

Bob Hahn and (BC?)





Yeah Monty I would put a treble on that black one, it looks unbalanced without it. Did you swim it without the treble yet?

[Rip-Plugger]

Ripplugger does nice work, Monty. Love those bunker patterns. You're lucky to be his honorary plug destroyer.

I kind of agree with the 3 hooks. The only time I think it makes a great difference is toward the summer's end when the water is very warm. You stick a fish in a lot of places and it bleeds too much, it may die on the release. I would say 3 hooks are ok up to water temps of 70's. Anything below that and the fish should do ok. I don't have any studies to back that up, though, just my experience.

Bassbuddah,


thanks for the kind words,,,
experience is pretty much what says it all!
my experience will be shared when Monty can post it.

Cheers

R-P

[Rip-Plugger]

Bob Hahn and (BC?)





Yeah Monty I would put a treble on that black one, it looks unbalanced without it. Did you swim it without the treble yet?

Ditto!

[Monty]

By Rip Plugger:

I have heard on another site from guys with many years of experience
that a plug with 3 hooks should have the middle hook removed.

I have heard this over and over and always thought WHY?,,,
Doing such a thing never made a drop of sense to me at all yet so many
guys did it from others advice.
so,
Last season[fall] I began to pay close attention to plugs that had 2 and
3 hooks.
The plugs with 2 hooks had this wide gap between hooks while the 3 hook
plugs did not.

I always was a semi-scientist type when it came to such things and no
matter how much I tried I could not come up with a viable answer to
removing the middle hook from a plug that was designed to have 3.

With bass it is harder to see but with choppers it is much easier,the
plugs that had 2 that got hit soild and the fish was not hooked left
teeth marks BETWEEN the front hook and the tail hook.
granted some did get hooked but more did not.
Bass do not always hit head first as many seem not to know. They do hit a
prey item any way they can and perhaps orient it for swallowing head
first but it is not always taken head first.

I found this out using a new capt bills atom plug,same color but 1 has 3
hooks and the other has 2. The one with 3 hooked and landed many more
fish than the 2 hook design, which had lots of hits as well but missed
hooking fish because where the fish hit there was no hook.

This was enough for me to believe my theory that if a plug has 3 hooks
and you want to land fish then leave it on where it was designed to be.
As for 2 hook plugs well, they need another.

In my picture here,you can see 2 of my own plugs, 1 @6 inches with 3
hooks and 1 @ 7 inches or so with 3 hooks.
The hooks on the smaller plug are 2/0 VMC's, the one with 3 hooks has 3/0
VMC"s.

You can see when I design a plug with 3 I try to keep only a very
small space from the end of the hook to the eye of the next hook below
it, usually only 1-1/4-1-1/2 inches while the plug is hanging vertical.

Some of you may ask why?,,,it's to eliminate as much "dead space" as
possible.

Now, some of you may be wondering what is dead space?,,

Dead space is the area between hooks where a fish can bite and let go
without getting hooked.
Such a plug with lots of dead space, in MHO is a plug that has the
potential to allow you to miss good hits much more than a plug that has
it's bare areas covered with a hook.

Believe it or not, the smaller plug in this shot seems to have it's hooks
too close together but it actuallity, it's form here follows it's
function. This plug has brought more of the hits to shore than most other
plugs I had made at the time. The hooks do not tangle at all.

The other plug is new so I cannot say it has done the same, I will keep
attention on it though.

So,I,,we would like to hear what the rest of you say about this concept
and if you have any ideas about it, please post them, we love hearing what
others have/want to say about this subject.

Stay well,warm and get your gear ready!

Rip-Plugger

Heavy-Hooksetter

[surfstix1963]

I feel if the hooks are spaced far enough apart where the two trebels do not get caught together leave them alone if they are continuously getting caught on each other I remove them some plugs they just put them too close together and RP does nice work.I am goofing around with plug kits to see if I actually want to venture into this.

[Rip-Plugger]

careful Stix,

you're gonna get addicted!

[surfstix1963]

Yeah thats what I'm afraid of RP I'm going to try rattle cans on the kits before I get too crazy may have to buy them from you I do not know if I have the knack for this.

[Rip-Plugger]

Yeah thats what I'm afraid of RP I'm going to try rattle cans on the kits before I get too crazy may have to buy them from you I do not know if I have the knack for this.

Rattle cans are what I use besides a brush,I ain't the fancy type,I actually like plain/simple.
take your time,let things dry well and it will come out nice!
hahaaa,you can buy from me anytime,if you see something you like and I am willing to part with it you can get it.

stay well m8

[surfstix1963]

I'm liking those rip pluggers and fat mullets nice plugs do you have a catalog and price list haha. Have a good one.

[Rip-Plugger]

I'm liking those rip pluggers and fat mullets nice plugs do you have a catalog and price list. Have a good one.

Hi Stix,

the Rip Runners,rip splitters and fat mullets are all my own designs that I invented myself.
catalog?,price list? Stix,,now you are getting too fancy!!
if you like something just ask,I ain't too shy to reply!


cheers
R-P

[surfstix1963]

Just messin with ya RP but your plugs are nice work different not the same old song and dance they have a defined body shape to them.Take it easy.I won't get into the buying thing on here I'll shoot you a pm.Getting my camper ready to hit the road locally for the year.Then April 15th start fishing.

[Rip-Plugger]

Stix,

you almost made me think about a catalog,hahaaa,ok then anytime ya want m8.
enjoy the camping and the fine fam.

R-P