type of hook makes no difference at all. if you used a dull bent hook on a good biter it will be in its stomach every time. a piece of barbed wire would do the trick. i've yet to hear of someone who is completely discusted because of a bad hook. personally if you are going to use lots of hooks, the cheaper the better, especially for winter steelhead. i use a 6/0 vmc for salmon and buy them in 1000 quantity for $70.00 lets say i used a gamakatsu at .25 a piece, thats alot of dough to break off on a snag or cut-off on a dark fish that swallowed it.