Dear Hook Manufacturers,

Your treble hooks are not getting the job done. Yes, I'm talking to you Owner, Gamakatsu, VMC, Mustad, and others. Swimbaits are getting more and more popular with each passing year and fishermen across the country are swapping out their hooks for premium models, 2x models, larger models, etc. There's money to be made here on treble hooks.

The problem is, big bass keep bending out and/or breaking your hooks! I'm talking about 2x Gamakatsu magic eyes, 2x Owner black chrome's, Owner ST-36's in 3/0 (yes 3/0), Gamakatsu Round Bend Bronze, and the stock VMC's on the Slammer and Triple Trout. Its happened to me and its happened to my friends. You've got a huge fish on, the adrenaline is pumping and then for no apparent reason, the fish falls off. You bring your bait in and the hook is bent straight. How can 25lb mono be stronger than your metal hook?

So please, make us a better hook. One that is available in dull bronze, grey, and flat white. Get rid of the shiny black models. Yes we all know they look pretty, but shiny is really no good. Make a hook that is razor sharp but not too thick in the shank. Keep the gap on the hook in line with a standard treble. We all know that 4x hooks are out there but shrinking the hook gap by 1/2 as a way to make the hook stronger isn't what we need.

Use the Gamakatus round bend treble as a benchmark for your hook sizing and use the Owner ST-36 as a benchmark for sharpness. Put a decent sized barb on it and sell it in 7/0 on down to #2. Test the hook with 25lb mono with 150 feet of line out and make sure that under no circumstances the hook bends or breaks, ever. If you make this hook swimbait fishermen will be forever in your debt.

Regards,

-Rob Belloni
www.calfishing.com