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[losos]

X2. Using for the last 4 years. Mostly size 2 and sometime 4. No single issue.

My confidence in Owners got shaken after last time when hook got bent on chum.

[Spawn Sack]

As others have said, the gammys that come barbless suck IMO. I don't know why they come shaped differently than the barbed ones. Years back I bought a few bulk packs (25 hooks I think) of barbless gammys in #2, #1 and 1/0 I think. I SWORE I was having more fish spit the hook than normal.

I talked with the guys in Searun and they were like, yeah they are a good seller but we don't really like them either. So I gave them to a buddy and he was thrilled! I went back to the gammies with the barb. I always crush it right flat and if it looks a tiny bit suspect I give it a few swipes with a chain saw file.

I find the gammy barbless hooks are excellent. Also tried the mustad ultra point octopus hooks and liked them as well. This season I've been using the Owner super cutting point. They are EXPENSIVE but I really like them. Have had almost no fish spit the hook.

I fish a lot more jigs and colorado spinners etc than I used to so the odd time I fish roe or whatever I want a good hook!!! Also I used to fish a lot of fast water rocky spots up river and lost a lot of gear, so cheap hooks were a lot more appealing. Now I fish more in the lower river and don't lose a lot of gear although of course it happens here and there.

I would say best octopus hooks for the price are gammy barbed, and best hooks period are Owner super cutting point.

[243Pete]

Gami's are ok, quality seems to have gone down as the last batch of size 1 barbless hooks and I had to resharpen some of the points with a ceramic SpyderCo triangle sharpener to get that nice needle point back.

I noticed a major difference between the barbed and no barbed size 4 Gami's, the point just before the point on the no barb hooks seem to be more "circular" or smooth curved from the major bend(hook gap) to the hook point, while the barbed ones have a more "straight" or faster bend like the sickle hooks does. I'm just going to make a wild guess but the barbed hooks have a better retention shape due to that bend while the more circular shape of the no barb hooks seems to allow fish to throw or pop it out more easily.

[kalex60]

Owner Cutting points have the best bent imo the needle points have a different Temper on them and seem to straighten easier and get dull faster never had a problem with the cutting points

[VAGAbond]

I have had no problems with Gammy barbless.  I just put a #2 barbless in a vice and forced it with some pliers.  No problem.

I have used Matzuo sickle hooks quite a bit.  They are soft and tend to straighten. They do hook and hold well on fish but I find they result in a lot of foul hooked fish.  They tend to straighten out on snags and that can be an advantage for retaining the rest of your gear but you do have to replace the hook after every tangle with a snag.

I had one batch of Matzuo hooks that were not soft but brittle and broke at the slightest stress.  They lost me some good fish before I tested some samples with pliers and discovered how brittle they were. That batch were slightly different in shape than the usual sickle hooks with sharper bends.  I wonder if these problems are not the result of counterfeit hooks getting into the market?  There are counterfeits of just about everything else.

[dennisK]

IMO the Gammi barbless are pcs of ****... they straighten out with 8lb leader like nothing, i bought one pack once by mistake and will never ever buy them again. I strictly run #4 Gammi's in barbed (pinched of course) and have never had an issue.

It's not the Gammi; it's using a size 4 hook on a 30 pound fish. Totally inappropriate hook size. 1/0 minimum.

[firstlight]

It's not the Gammi; it's using a size 4 hook on a 30 pound fish. Totally inappropriate hook size. 1/0 minimum.

If the 8lb leader holds,shouldnt the hook also?
I would expect to break the 8lb line before straightening any hook.

[firstlight]

Just got back from the store and very disappointed in the Gammi 2/0 Siwash hooks.
Definitely not the sticky sharp like im accustomed to on there #2 Octopus etc.

[Noahs Arc]

Went to the Vedder today with my shiny new sickle hooks. Boy did they look good under that float but no love for me. Fished until it blew then went up to the hatchery. There's some big brute coho swimming around in there.

[ktt]

I vote for the Owner cutting points.