Hays hooks?

[TROPHY SPORTFISHING]

Any of you guys tried the Roddy Hays hooks? Thinking of switching over to them from the 7691 mustads. These would be used in lures only still 7731's in the baits. Any difference in hook up ratios or pulled hooks? Let's here some feed back.

[Captain Fred Archer]

Absolutely top flight hooks for lures or bait.

STRONG! Strongest hook that I have ever found. The worst stress that we put on a hook is when we leader and put the boots to and go for tail-hooked thresher sharks that we take pretty green because we intend to release them. My buds and I have been using them for a couple of years now and we haven't been able to even come remotely close to hurting one and we use them over and over again. One that I know of on a lure on a charter buddy's boat has accounted for more than thirty threshers and it looks new.

SHARP! The only big game hook that I will fish with without sharpening it first. It has the deep penetrating needle style point. The barb is small, but I reduce it to almost nothing - just my way. Stays sharp, too.

A MEAN BITE! The shape is unique and has a big, open, then slightly closed bite to it for excellent hookup ratios and more importantly, landing ratios.

EXPENSIVE! But no moreso than other stainless hooks and more than worth the money.

MANUFACTURER DOES NOT SELL LONGLINERS. No big deal to many, but it is to me. Mustad is a big time supplier to the longline industry and I have a hard time buying sportfishing hooks to release billfish on, while they are peddling huge numbers of longline hooks and even reels, etc. to the longliners who kill each and every one of those same fish that they catch. A personal choice there.

We still sell and rig with Mustads because of the cost, but we rig and sell a lot of lures and bars with Hays Hooks to customers who want them.

Here's a tail gunner stiff rigged lure and one of our hook rigs for spreaderbar chasebaits with a Hays Hook for big tuna and marlin. Check 'em out closely if you haven't seen them before.