Guys I have been thinking bout some things lately and one that keeps coming to mind is, are Gamies really worth the 24.99 per 100 that you are paying? I mean sure I am a firm Gamie beleiver and probably always will be but, if I gave you a dozen VMC octopus's red in color and a dozen Gamakatsu Octopus's red in color, both size 2 and let you fish with them for an outting, how many of you honestly could tell them apart from one another. I have used VMC's in the past and use them quite often, and have been very satisfied, but is there really something behind the .24 a hook that Gamakatsu's carry? I am just curious if the extra money I am paying is because it costs more to print Gamakatsu on a package then it does to print VMC... just a thought... Eric W. how did you do on the Zipperlip that you were fishing this weekend? we boated 2. I got Nik Miller into his first ever steely, bout half way down the river... 12 pound hen, chromer! call me and we can talk bout it.

Andy http://The_Steelhead_Solution.homestead.com

Andy
I could tell the difference and would through both away for mustads.

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Marty
www.steelheader.net
marty@steelheader.net

Gama is the best without a doubt!!!!!!!!

I have used the VMC's for about a year now and have found that they are soft. The points are soft and so is the shank. I have been hung up on the bottom and found that when my rigging pulled loose the hooks were bent, bad, and this with 10# leader. I have not had the same results thusfar with the Gamis, and they are sharper out of the package. I liked the VMCs, until I finally decided that they were costing me fish.
Hey Marty, what kind (model) of mustads are you using? I'd like to try some as Gamis are rather expensive.

Gamies are the best but I don't feel they are worth the money. I have used Mustad 92553 number 4s and 2s for 12 years and have had very good success. In the past 6 years or so they were called Accu Points and came in red but they may be under a new name now but they are still Mustad 92553. These hooks are very sharp and although they do dull quicker than a Gamakatsu they sharpen much easier. I don't feel my fishing has been compromised by using these hooks that are one third the price of the designer hooks. And I have caught enough large steelhead on #4 92553s to make believers out of most the people I fish with. Just my .07 cents worth not my .24 cents worth.

bring on the big natives

[This message has been edited by David Finet (edited 02-07-2000).]

[This message has been edited by David Finet (edited 02-08-2000).]

Shep
Mustad 9236e is the model number. These are a fine wire extra strong hook. Because of the material they are made of they hold the point better than any others. Unfortunately they have gone the way of the Ray bobber, plastic okies and hardwinged glo-glo's. They are not available anywhere anymore. (Have made calls all over the country trying to find them) They hold a point better than gamie's. My Brother and I have done tests to compare the two along with heavy fishing abuse. Of course you need to sharpen the hooks unlike the gamies. I was able to get a case of hooks when my local hook supplier went out of business, but my brother wasn't


Gamies are a good out of the box hook, but once they lose there point its time to retie.
Gamies are a chemically sharpened hook. Now if gamies were made of the same material, then chemically sharpened, they would be outstanding. Gamies have made good fishermen out of many fishermen, who couldn't or wouldn't sharpen there hooks previously.

Vmc hooks are the biggest piles of .... on the market.

Eagle Claw makes some good hooks, but don't know the numbers. They also make some bad hooks so be careful which ones you get.

I have never used owner or vision hooks, but would try them if I had some.

Since none of these hook companies sponsor my site, I speak without reservation!! (I can be bought.....but it won't be with cheap hooks...hehe)

If anybody finds the Mustad 9263e hooks email me immediately!! (for the brother)

Tight lines

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Marty
www.steelheader.net
marty@steelheader.net

Andy, no comparison. Like shep mentioned, VMCs are too soft for general use. I've consistently bent out #2's using 8 lb ultragreen.

I will add that VMCs are still part of my arsenal though. Spots I fish with extremely snaggy pocket water like Tokul, Gobar, Upper Sky and the Lyre. In this case Gamy's are too strong. I like using a short 12 lb leader tied to a #2 or #1 VMC. When it snags I can usually pull it free. A quick shape-up with the Leadmaster and a couple of strokes with the file, and I'm back in biz. Note: I'm cognizant of the fact that I'm usually attached to metalheads with a weakened hook, so I play them lightly.

Gammies get my vote. 25 bucks for 100 hooks. So, you're going to risk a bent hook or a shallow hookset for a quarter? Give me a break.

Gammies can't be beat for sharpness out of the pack or for their point holding ability. STS printed a test a couple years back which put Gammies at the top of the heap (sharpness, point durability, shank strength) with Owners and Visions coming in a close second.

Want to risk not hooking a fish to save a quarter? Be my guest......


Fish on...........

I've used owner hooks, and they really are sharp.What I didn't like is after bouncing
around the rocks for awhile the tip breaks off and there impossible to sharpen again,so I went back to gammis and put my oweners on the shelf,GAMMIS FOREVER !!!!!

I think gammies are worth the price.(heck if you consider the cost of a fishing trip $25 isn't that much) I have used VMCs and find them soft, I have had eagle claws break on me. Gammies are sharp out of the box, and if they go dull, I have been able to sharpen them with a little work with a hook file. though the resharpened point is not as strong as a new point out of the box. Sharp hooks are the key, and can mean the difference between a good take and a nice fish.--mike

To me this topic is along the lines as, "Top end rods." I would rather spend a little more money on Gamakatsu's and know they are the sharpest, than save $15 bucks and know I skimped and bought cheap hooks. Do I catch more fish on Gamakatsu's probably, but I can't say for sure. Do I feel more confident about fishing the best.... you bet. If I were to hook a 20 pound pig and loose it due to a weak hook, I would be really upset. Same with rods, line and all terminal gear. I want to put myself in the best position to be successful.... I feel that is what fishing is about? Putting yourself (and your kids) in a position to hopefully.. hook and land good numbers of fish on a consistent basis.

I don't have many hobbies, Fishing, Golf and water skiing.... I don't mind spending $25 on hooks..... considering what my boats, trucks, and other toys cost.

TH
www.thcustomrods.com

Andy,

I'm a mustad man myself(92553), however I do use gammies as well. They are definately a great hook and very sharp out of the box. The thing I like about the mustad is it has a slightly longer point which I feel gives me a better landing ratio, and allows me to use the hook longer after sharpening it several times. I think the mustads might be a bit stronger as well. I don't think you can go wrong with either hooks, just make sure you keep them sharp at all times, and never reuse a hook after bending it on a snag as it will come back to haunt you. Tight lines!

I'll add my 2cents - with a twist. After using mostly Mustad (including the thin wire) - I now use only Gamakatsu. The twist? I sharpen every hook with a metal file - and believe this results in more hook ups (including a high number of accidental foul hook-ups in the tail and side body: fish really do try to whack the bait first with their tail!). I definitely believe filing improves the hook. The best fight I ever had was a 3 hour tug of war with a 42# chinook - foul hooked in the tail. In regards to cost - I also recycle my Gamakatsu's - which I never did with Mustads or VMC's. At about two bits each, it's worth it, and I find no appreciable loss in 'fishability.' Also, I must say I like Gamatkatsu colors: black and chartreuse being favorites. Hope this helps/adds to the discussion.

NO DOUBT, GAMMIES ARE THE BEST THING GOING!!
BY THE WAY, MY LAST HUNDRED COST LESS THAN 16 BUCKS AT A FLY FISHING STORE THAT WAS GETTING RID OF ALL OF HIS MEAT FISHING GEAR.
SHOP HARD!!!

You guys are killing me. I switched from gammies to VMC's. I bend plenty pulling out of snags but have never lost a fish do to the strength of these hooks. I also find that because they are softer it's easier to put a good point on them when they get dull. I probably go through about three hundred hooks a season and feel the savings is worth it. Until VMC's start costing me fish I'll stick with them.

Andy, you're starting out as a businessman and you have a couple of objectives. First, you want to gain a reputation for making a quality product. Putting the best -- either by reputation or reality, it doesn't matter -- components into your rags sends the message 'this rig is of high quality'. For that reason alone I'd go with the Gammi's and advertise (even if the printing costs are higher). Second, you need to make a buck out of your business so there's always the temptation to save 0.15 a hook because that might double your profit margin on a rag. True enough, but if you can convince people that you're putting out a top quality product I think you can add another 0.15 to your price (per hook) and people will pay the difference. (Look at the premium Maxima sells Chameleon and Green for yet people pay the difference for what they believe to be superior quality.)

To answer your question, I use Gammi's drift fishing for all the reasons cited above. I also have boxes of 100 Eagle Claw Lasersharps in reserve in the usual sizes should I run out of the (smaller boxes or packets) Gammi's on a given trip. Lasersharps are fine if you sharpen them first. But why take that extra time when we're talking pennies in a sport that costs big bucks -- especially if you value your leisure time at something more than minimum wage, not to mention the enjoyment of hooking and landing fish. (I like sharpening hooks in front of the tube, but enough is enough.)

I also fish VMC trebles exclusively in my saltwater fishing. I also agree with what everyone's written about them: softer, bend more easily but also very easy to keep razor sharp, too. I've noticed that the last batch of VMC trebles I received (I buy a couple hundred a year) were very sharp out of the box: I didn't have to file them at all. At least in the trebles, if you're concerned about hook strength, you can go to 2x, 3x and 4x VMC's. (However, the extra weight can throw off action in your plugs so be careful.)

Thanks guys I was just curious to see what everyone else thought. I use Gamakatsu hooks on all of my products! I only use VMC's in the small snaggy creeks that I so often end up fishing!

Andy

If you like gammies, then try Vision hooks, there 1/2 the price and same quality, made of high carbon steel and chemically sharpend. They come in red or bronze. They sell more hooks to guides in the state of wa. then any other manufacturer, everyone one the cowlitz is using them as well as guides everywere else. superfly