Aquadream Hooks - part 2

[jbdba01]

I guess this thread can be a reference to this thread and certainly this one.

I'll post a follow up from Aquadream, but I thought I would see if anyone else had similar issues.

Two weeks in a row that I've actually had fish break the hook. Not straighten, but break. Granted the one today was an upper slot red (maybe over slot), but the fish was pretty much beat. It had four really good runs from the kayak. Needless to say I wasn't a happy camper.

The hook is breaking at the screw. You can see the eye of the hook still on the spoon.

On a fishing note I got on 2 snook, 3 trout , 1 flounder, and landed 1 red...friggin' hook cost me a double slam. My neighbor caught 3 reds, 2 snook and 2 trout. He caught most of his on gold spoons. I caught mine on spoons (live pinfish, chartreuse) , plastics (riptide rootbeer & white 3" mullet), threw the spook as well - still not figuring it out (no bites, 1 blow up). Not many photos as they were mediocre fish. My neighbor had better fish 27" snook and lost a bigger one; couple lower 20's reds. We haven't hooked into the bigger trout yet.

Yeah...it was blowing about 10-15, so we can't complain. Water was REALLY dirty at Cockroach.

[TRKpoker]

I would believe it is a simple problem with physics. The screw is holding the hooks at the weakest point of a hook. The metal was bent the most at the eye. Holding it there against metal would be a nice spot for a fish to bend it and pop it. Normally hooks stretch at the bend in the hook BUT in this case the eye is held against metal not by a fishing line. A violent shake of a fishes head would put a kink in the metal of the hook rather easily and greatly weaken the strength of the hook. BTW how tight is your drag?

[jbdba01]

I would believe it is a simple problem with physics. The screw is holding the hooks at the weakest point of a hook. The metal was bent the most at the eye. Holding it there against metal would be a nice spot for a fish to bend it and pop it. Normally hooks stretch at the bend in the hook BUT in this case the eye is held against metal not by a fishing line. A violent shake of a fishes head would put a kink in the metal of the hook rather easily and greatly weaken the strength of the hook. BTW how tight is your drag?

I agree with your premise of it's the weakest point; however, based on the fact that they are pitting and two broke something seems amiss. If anything beef up the hook. Kinda like Dave/Rik said - if I spend $17 ($6 spoon in my case) on a lure why do I have to beef up the hook - spend the extra dime and beef it up. If need be charge me $6.10.

I fish 20# leader and ohero braid 20#. I fish a fast action rod - which should make up for the headshakes... On the flats my drag is loose enough that the fish can pull drag somewhat easily. Kinda hard to describe via the interweb.

Later that day I landed a 19/20" red on a different Aquadream spoon (live Pinfish finish) on the same rig and didn't tweak the drag. I didn't have any issues. Actually the drag was working harder as I dropped anchor. I was letting the bigger fish pull me around a bit - the water was wide open where I hooked up.

[Rik]

You're holding your mouth wrong.

[TRKpoker]

My guess JD (after I thought about it for a bit) is your drag is not that important. A tight drag would make it happen faster but it is a design flaw. The binding of the eye of the hook means any twist in any direction is on the weakest part of the hook. If a thin flat rubber washer on both sides of the hook eye would mitigate this if not remove it. There has to be a tiny amount of give or the hook will bend and work.

[jbdba01]

My guess JD (after I thought about it for a bit) is your drag is not that important. A tight drag would make it happen faster but it is a design flaw. The binding of the eye of the hook means any twist in any direction is on the weakest part of the hook. If a thin flat rubber washer on both sides of the hook eye would mitigate this if not remove it. There has to be a tiny amount of give or the hook will bend and work.

I hear what you're saying, but not so sure I agree with it. I have some white spoons that are several years old and there haven't been any issues with it. It seems awfully coincidental that all of this just started happening. Especially 2 weeks in a row. I'll contact Capt Mike after today - figure I'll give some folks a chance to say "Yeah that's happened to me too."

I'm thinking that there must have been a really big batch of bad hooks, he switched hooks/manf, or the manufacturer changed something. I guess the take away is that it's a good lure that I like to use, but if it's going to keep breaking hooks I'm done with the hook, maybe the lure altogether. I watch my neighbor and son bring 'em in on Johnson Sprites all the time for 50% less. I like the Aquadream's because I thought they were bullet proof - now I don't think that they are.

We spend way to much time and money trying to get on that one big fish - and to lose it on a bad hook really is inexcusable (IMHO). I can't remember breaking a hook ever - bend yes, break no.

[ChrisR]

Is it only happening with reds? Did you get a look at where the fish were hooked? If the spoon was inside the mouth, or at a strange angle, it is possible that the fish was chewing on the spoon, or that it's crusher could have gotten to it. I've had reds crush plugs when it got far enough inside their mouth. I've not had any problems with the Aquadreams spoons that I have, but I haven't bought a new one in a couple of months. Maybe I bought right before a bad batch of hooks. It stinks to hear of people having issues with them, because I like them a lot otherwise.

[Manning]

Had the exact same problem in one of the PFTS events last year. Got a big hit and then nothing but the spoon.

[jbdba01]

Correct only on the reds it has broken, but I target reds 90% of the time with these spoons. I've had some success with the big snook on them, but not much with the trout. So...I would say 90% of the time I'm targeting reds with the spoons.

The gold one seems to work on the snook best.

Reds will eat any of 'em - green, white, gold, live pinfish...

I've no clue where they were hooked; never got close enough to get a good look.

I can tell you I looked a bit closer at the spoon and not many fish had been caught on it. It wasn't all scratched up like I expected. After replacing the hooks, I took a couple shots of what the reminants of the hooks looked like. Seems to me it was a victim of rusting and pitting again.

[ADLCapt.Mike]

Thank you for bring this to my attention. The problem is the hook. We
discovered that we had a box of defective hooks from Eagle Claw when I had a
fish break the hook on a spoon that I was using. I use these spoons too so I
don't want any problems either. We changed all of the hooks that where
sitting on the shelf but we were not sure how many defective hooks got out.
We are now using Mustad 34009 stainless steel hook and I am currently
looking for an even stronger hook. I'm glad this came up on the forum.
Please spread the word that if anyone experiences any problem with a spoon
let me know. I will gladly send replacement hooks to anyone that wants them.
Let me have your address and I will send you the new hooks asap. Capt. Mike, Aqua Dream Living.

[jbdba01]

Well boys and girls, that's about as official as it gets...Capt Mike posting the reply. If you have issues contact the source, and he'll "hook you up" - pun intended. Official email address is here.

[The Below Average Angler]

Capt. Mike is a class act. I sent him a picture of me with a Biggie snook that was caught on one of his spoons, and he had it on his site in the photos section in less than a day! The spoons kick ass.

[BigFlyReel]

Good in theory - but I emailed Capt. Mike on 8 October, and have yet to receive a reply...

[jbdba01]

He was pretty quick for me - like hours. Did you check the junk/spam folder? The email address I have is:

[email protected]

[BigFlyReel]

Just sent another email. We'll see...

Greg

[Walt_Trident13]

Well it happened to me. I was hoping I was gonna be one of the lucky ones. But after my first cast yesterday my new Aquadream spoon comes back with no hook.



Who do I talk to? I purchased 3 of them so I'm sure they will all end up like this so I'll need to replace all of the hooks.




Thanks