Anyone have photos they can post showing single hook set ups for Kwikfish? Any thoughts on the wisdom of changing the hooks from factory trebles to single siwash. I have seen several theories but not many photos. I had a STS issue showing several photos but lost it.

Mine go like this split ring on the belly hooked to a bead chain hooked to a split ring with a owner treble on the end. Don't have any pics, but might be able to come up with some tonight. A buddy of mine just changes out the stock hooks with owner trebles. No extras for him. And he caught two on friday.

Kris

Kris

Thanks....I take it you remove the rear hook? I was reading about how single hook set ups are more likely to get into the fish's gills....I was thinking about replacing the trebles but like the single treble idea. thanks for the info

Finegrain

On the Kwikies with a Siwash running off the belly and the tail how often is it that the belly hook is the one that hooks up versus the rear hook?

I wish I could tell you, but I haven't yet had a chance to put any of what I've been learning from others about Columbia Kwikfish to the test for myself.

I have heard every recommendation from 1 Siwash off either eye, to 2 trebles. My experience with digging trebles out of a fish's mouth is enough to make me steer clear of them in any circumstance, especially when I have kids on the boat that want to "help". As for the single off the tail vs. the single off the belly, my hunch is that the single off the tail ends up waving around so far back from the strike zone that it is possible to swing around and get the fish in the eye or the gill. 25% of the Columbia springers are ESA-listed nates. That's another reason I can't in good conscience keep the trebles on there.

I personally am going to run 2 singles Gami 510's. They will be on barrels running off of a split ring off each eye. 50" of 50# mono is then tied directly to the front eye.

Here is that second picture. Note how a single or treble off the belly eye can be placed so it ends up almost back at the tail:

I do it just like silver hiltons picture, except I swap out the belly hook with an owner treble ..... Ross

Once they CHOMP this, it's all over!

gutz..picture did not come through....

The trebles actually seem to be less of a problem on mortality than some of the single hook set ups according to some experts. They say the single hooks get swallowed deeper and in some cases into the gills....

What I want to know is whether someone has enough springer experience to say that the single hook set ups are superior to the standard double trebles. I think the single hook rig was started for rivers with regulations prohibiting trebles. I know on the Kenai in Alaska I used Kwikfish behind a diver and standard double trebles years ago...don't know if it is single barbless now or not.

Try ifish. There are guys on that board with 20+ years of springer experience.

Well, Grandpa, I don't know if my experience is sufficient. I'm just a beginner at this. Started fishing springers in 1985, and got 28 fish to the boat last year. What do I know, I'm just a commie punk.

In my experience, it's about a wash between trebles and siwashes. The jury is out on the 510's. I think trebles connect with more fish, but I think I lose more during the fight. Siwashes seem to lose a few more (maybe 5 to 10%) on the initial strike, but once they're on, that fish is dinner. Siwashes are lots easier to get loose from the fish and the net.

I for one do not worry about running a plug with siwashes. I seem to miss about 20-30% of the strikes with either hook type. The 510's have not yet proven that they improve on that. The 510's are new to my boat. Thus far, they are 1 for 2, and the lost fish could well have been my error.

I should add, more than 3/4 of my plugs have singles on them.

I see of lot of you guys on both boards are fans of bead chains. Has anyone ever had a bead chain failure while fighting a big fish? I remember someone posting that he had a barrel swivel failure once and decided to go to 200# barrels on his K-16's. I know chains come in different lengths (4 bead, 6 bead, etc), but do they come in different "tests" like swivels?

I remember as a kid plunking eggs from the bank for silvers at Eagle Rock (Kenai) when the bead chain on a banana weight came apart during the fight.... and that was only 10-12# test! I swore never to use a bead chain "in-line" ever again.... from then on we rigged that type of sinker free-sliding. That was almost 30 yrs ago.

Time has a way of helping you to forget, though, since the past few years I've been using chains "in-line" again for salmon in the bay/ocean here in Washington.

I am with S.H. on siwash hooks.We started using them last year.What a difference when you have to release a fish.
I haven't noticed a difference in hook up rates.
We leave the rod in the holder till the rod is down and bouncing.
Siwash hooks also make wrapping bait easy

Doc, Yes the bead swivels come in two different # test 35 and 75. I always get crap for using the 35# ones. If you think you can break them Take a halibut rod and tie the swivel off to something solid and try to break the swivel also where so saftey glasses .....Ross