Most know the Biblical passage, “Physician, heal thyself” (Luke 4:23). By the same token, should a fisherman hook himself? Most of us hook ourselves plenty, and it’s more dangerous now than ever. Hooks are thinner and stronger, and some are coated with teflon, Xythan, or other slick substances for quicker, easier penetration (Ouch!).

New tempering processes developed in the past five years made hooks stronger with half the metal than those of six years ago. Razor sharpness with less steel to drive into a fish leads to more solid hookups, meaning premium hooks are really the way to go. Too expensive? First ask yourself how many walleyes you lose at the net or somewhere en route to the boat. Premium hooks may not land them all, but most fish that are lost shouldn’t be, wouldn’t be, if a couple more dimes were spent per hook.

The point is (pun intended), don’t just select for sharpness. Most hooks can be sharpened enough—even cheap hooks. Instead, look for hooks that penetrate quickly. Quick setters aren’t just sharp, but constructed with small-diameter wire and short small barbs. They may or may not be coated with a slick substance like teflon. And finally, if the hook has the strength to hold big fish without straightening (the trademark of premium tempering), it’s a winner.

Walleye fishermen require only a few styles of bare-bones hooks for bait fishing. Unlike bass fishing, most of the plastics used for walleyes are presented with jigs. And most bait tactics call for minnows, leeches, or crawlers. That’s it, with the possible exception of a waterdog or two. With so few bait styles to deal with, a basic selection of hooks within a short range of sizes works wonders.

For crawlers, most experts prefer Aberdeens and octopus or salmon-egg-style hooks (medium shank, upturned eye), though I personally prefer common baitholder hooks with a downturned eye, even for snelling. For leeches, the same two styles are generally best. For minnows, Kahle (wide-bend) hooks serve nicely. And for crankbait replacement hooks and occasional big-water spinner duty, a few premium trebles round out the repertoire. That’s it. Well, almost.

Some interesting alternate styles have recently appeared on the market that work great for walleye-style rigging. Most are premium hooks some experts prefer over the traditional tools of the trade. So lighten that death grip on your wallet and hook thyself with something made to do it right.

New Points

Mustad’s line of Finesse Hooks made a big splash with bass fishermen over the past two years, allowing them to use the same big hooks with light or heavy lines. To accomplish that, a hook must be thin, yet strong. “A special tempering process gives 30 percent more strength to the steel,” says Mustad U.S.A. general manager John DeVries. “That’s how we can offer strong wire in small diameters. The process was developed in 1992, and we’ve been improving it ever since.”

Mustad also offers walleye hooks in this line, including the Finesse Split Shot Hook, a baitholder, and a snell hook (refer to the chart). The Split Shot Hook has a straight, medium-long shank, a wide bend, and a chemically sharpened needle point. It’s ideal for pitching bait on split shot rigs, or for tying special spinner rigs for crawlers or larger minnows. The light weight and large gap on this hook make it an excellent alternative hook for spinner rigs with large baits that need to flow over weeds or snaggy bottoms. Mustad’s suggested retail price for the Finesse Hook is $3.59 for a pack of 5, while the rest of the Finesse line runs five for $3.79

George Large of Eagle Claw says the new Featherlite series is also the product of an ultramodern tempering processes. “This new temper creates a stronger hook from smaller-diameter wire,” Large says. “The Featherlites come in two styles: Heavy Wire and Finesse. Finesse hooks are scaled down in diameter, but retain the same gap clearance on a shorter shank. In order to maintain the strength and integrity of the hook bend while dropping the diameter and shank length, strong steel is needed. There’s a fine line between a brittle hook and a soft hook, and the Featherlites split the difference with strength to spare.”

The new Featherlite L7042 (available in sizes 8 to 2/0) is designed specifically for walleyes. “We beefed up the old style 42, which was a long-time traditional favorite among walleye fishermen. And through micro grinding, lazer sharpening, and nickel teflon coating, we’ve arrived at what we think is the best walleye hook on the market. This hook was actually designed as a kind of homage to the loyalty of the walleye market.”

Also in the Featherlite Heavy Wire category is the L7741, another alternative style that walleye fishermen will like. The offset point and bend is reminiscent of the Kahle style, but with a straight eye and a nickel teflon coating to ensure faster penetration. “We’ve already had a huge response to the Featherlites from walleye fishermen,” Large says. “The price is in line with what walleye fishermen expect to pay.” Ten packs of all the new Featherlites (except the nickel-teflon trebles, style L754G-2, which sell in 5 packs) retail for approximately $3.30.

Gamakatsu introduced a new glow-in-the-dark dip coating for the octopus, their most popular walleye hook. Glenn Young, sales representative for Gamakatsu, says the new hooks come in all sizes, #8 through #3/0. “The coating covers everything with the exception of the point, which remains bare for better penetration. We’ve also added fluorescent pink and orange to our spectrum of colors. We have people climbing all over us for these new colors.”

Gamakatsu creates needle-sharp conical points on all their hooks. Suggested retail for regular octopus styles (snelling hooks) is $3.40 for a pack of seven. The same pack of seven in the new dipped glow or fluorescent colors sells for $3.80.

Owner, who also imports Japanese hooks, introduced the new 5115 SSW (salmon-steelhead-walleye) snelling hook as a cost cutter. Still a premium hook, the 5115 needle-point sells for about half the cost (suggested retail is $2.75 for a pack of 10) of the classic 5111 knife-edge snelling hook ($5 per pack of 10). “This needle point is made with a slightly lighter wire,” says Dennis Yamamoto, product manager for Owner. “It’s as sharp as any hook on the market, but sharpness isn’t always the main consideration. The cutting edge of the 5111 has less surface area as you move away from the point. Sections are cut out (one factor that raises cost), reducing friction and creating acceleration in the hookset. It sets faster than any needle point—even our own.”