Becoming a better angler means something different to everyone. It might mean putting enough meat and eggs in your freezer during the spring run to last you until the fall run. Or it may mean something more subtle. Adjustments. At least for us primary small river finesse all around anglers I do believe it’s the small, subtle changes that are more likely to ensure success on a regular basis. I was inspired to write up this article/tutorial on properly offsetting a siwash hook on a spinner or spoon because I’ve discovered through meeting more and more anglers that many of you…maybe even ‘most’ of you aren’t taking this absolutely necessary step before making your very first cast.
When on a trip to the Oregon coast last season I was listening to a few guys in the crew talk about losing fish. I listened more. It turns out their land to hook ratio was around 30 percent pretty consistently. Then I noticed the KND Sprocket spinner hanging off the tip section of the rod so I took a closer look. The siwash hook wasn’t offset. You could look at it dead-on and it became a straight line. Completely straight. A hook that isn’t offset, even with a barb, is much more likely to pop out during a feisty battle with an angry and panicked chrome bullet experiencing a near death experience. It’s your job to offset that hook so the experience becomes certain death. 🙂
What the hell am I talking about ‘offsetting’ a hook? Think about your standard octopus bait hook you use for your typical steelhead and salmon needs. You notice how the shank and tip section are ‘offset’? That’s what I’m talking about. It ensures your hook is less likely to bust out. It’s that curvature that the offsetting creates that allows a PROPERLY SWIVELED (hardware+split ring+swivel) piece of hardware to rotate during the fish fight without breaking free.
Here’s a very simple set of instructions through some pics I snapped here in the Man Cave that should help you accomplish this. Just be mindful to keep the tip of the hook free from the pliers when offsetting.
PICTURES OF A SIWASH BEFORE AND AFTER OFFSETTING: HOW TO PROPERLY OFFSET A SIWASH HOOK
Wow I never thought about this Chris but it makes perfect sense. I was always kinda curious on why the octopus hooks were offset. Thanks for the help. Ill make sure and do this from now so i wont have another lost fish again. That is when I catch one lol.
We’ll get some together in July.
Great Article my friend.The Photos helped so much..You are a true student of the fishing world. We gain so much knowledge from you …. FANTASTIC ..
REEL Lifestyle you are WAY TOO KIND! Thanks for always taking the time to pump me up.