Lure Malfunction on tournament day!

[RobRed]

Pre fished for the IFA on Saturday and fished it Sunday. Pre fishing, My partner was able to land a solid trout coming in at 8 1/2lbs 29" 1/2 using Strike Pro's hunchback "op22e". Back to the same spot on Sunday we grinded out wade after wade. Im sitting on 27" with no trout he's on a combined 41"
giving up on my trout Im hoping to place with my red. On the last wade of the day fan casting my go to lure which was Strike pro's purple smoke to a wind blown spoil island I get a solid hit and the fish is running towards me and Im reeling trying to keep up. The red makes it within 4ft of me and blows out. Fights on! ripping drag a few head shakes and the slack in the line. I reel in my line thinking my knot slipped or he spit the hook. No he ripped the whole dang hook out , Split ring and all. Thats Just the way these things go I guess.
I will continue to use these baits. They have produced for me in the past and im sure they will in the future. Just wanted to share with yall.

[railbird]

is that a deeper diving bait? How deep does it go?

[HydraSports]

No, it runs just under the surface creating a "wake". Killer baits. Notice the 4x VMCs, that is a necessary post purchase upgrade.

Sounds like too much drag and braid for that hunchback.

[RobRed]

Originally Posted by HydraSports

Sounds like too much drag and braid for that hunchback.

I knew this would be mentioned and although makes some sense. This isn't my first rodeo with these baits.

1.Larger reds have a tendency to roll on this bait, this causes a bind on the hooks which leads to reds spitting or ripping the hook out so you should switch out hooks and use a Light drag.

2. To much braid? Don't you think that maybe my leader or my uni knot should of busted before the split ring ripped out?

[HydraSports]

Originally Posted by RobRed

I knew this would be mentioned and although makes some sense. This isn't my first rodeo with these baits.

1.Larger reds have a tendency to roll on this bait, this causes a bind on the hooks which leads to reds spitting or ripping the hook out so you should switch out hooks and use a Light drag.

2. To much braid? Don't you think that maybe my leader or my uni knot should of busted before the split ring ripped out?

No bro, not saying that, for sure the bait should have held. I love those baits as well.....when I get a chance to fish. I had the same issue in the chandeleur islands. Trout absolutely destroying the stock Owner hooks. Had to change them out.

[fishcatchr]

I lost a tourney a few years back because of these baits. I was an idiot and didn't change out their stock black owner light wire hooks. We needed a red to put us in the money for the tournament. I got into a school of some really fat upper slot fish. On three consecutive casts, I lost three big fish due to hooks straightening out. I didn't have the drag too tight, and was babying these fish. It was the sickest feeling in the world knowing that I just lost a few thousand dollars because of some cheap hooks not doing the job.

[moganman]

As much as they charge, these baits should hold up better than that. The hunchback is a really good bait otherwise. They dive a little beneath the surface. Depends on how fast the retrieve is.

[Smackdaddy53]

For a lure that price they should have an inner wire like offshore baits so no fish could pull the eye out and they should come with xxhvy hooks or at least hvy. Ridiculous that lots of baits now have to bd modified to hold fish. A pack of 12 owner stinger 2xhvy hooks is like $3 so why wouldnt every lure or at least expensive ones have them?


-mac-

[JimD]

Strike Pro's hunchback "op22e"

Notice on Cabella's they make two sizes of this bait. Did you use the larger or smaller bait? Do they use the same size Hooks and split rings on both sizes?

Was it a new lure out of the box or one that has caught a few big reds? Seen big reds just tear up the #4 s on spook jrs before and wreak damage on the split rings but not seen the eye pull out before.

I would send it back to the company or at least call. They may send you a new one or two.
For 10$ there should be a connecting wire for problems like this.

[RobRed]

Originally Posted by HydraSports

No bro, not saying that, for sure the bait should have held. I love those baits as well.....when I get a chance to fish. I had the same issue in the chandeleur islands. Trout absolutely destroying the stock Owner hooks. Had to change them out.

I gotcha.

Originally Posted by fishcatchr

I lost a tourney a few years back because of these baits. I was an idiot and didn't change out their stock black owner light wire hooks. We needed a red to put us in the money for the tournament. I got into a school of some really fat upper slot fish. On three consecutive casts, I lost three big fish due to hooks straightening out. I didn't have the drag too tight, and was babying these fish. It was the sickest feeling in the world knowing that I just lost a few thousand dollars because of some cheap hooks not doing the job.

I don't believe they are cheap hooks. I think they are just not strong enough. I actually use those hooks on my freshwater baits.

Originally Posted by Smackdaddy53

For a lure that price they should have an inner wire like offshore baits so no fish could pull the eye out and they should come with xxhvy hooks or at least hvy. Ridiculous that lots of baits now have to bd modified to hold fish. A pack of 12 owner stinger 2xhvy hooks is like $3 so why wouldnt every lure or at least expensive ones have them?


-mac-

I dont know the inner workings of this lure but I can say I have landed so large Reds and never had had this problem. As far as the cost I dont mind changing the hooks out. I do it on all my hard baits. I think the cost arrives from import fees, molding, and paint. Better hooks would probably just mean higher lure cost.

Originally Posted by JimD

Strike Pro's hunchback "op22e"

Notice on Cabella's they make two sizes of this bait. Did you use the larger or smaller bait? Do they use the same size Hooks and split rings on both sizes?

Was it a new lure out of the box or one that has caught a few big reds? Seen big reds just tear up the #4 s on spook jrs before and wreak damage on the split rings but not seen the eye pull out before.

I would send it back to the company or at least call. They may send you a new one or two.
For 10$ there should be a connecting wire for problems like this.

I use the smaller one mainly. The hooks are not the same on the two.It was a new lure The purple smoke has been my "goto" bait so I keep a few new ones because Roy's isnn't open at 5am whenI decide I need things.
I spoke with the guys over at "SERIOUS TACKLE" and they were more than gracious with fixing this and Strike Pro will continue to get my business and I hope yall continue using this lure it's a great bait this is just one of those things.