Anyone used instinct hooks?
Submitted by black gen on Wed, 2016-06-08 12:01
Has anyone used instinct hooks for bottom fishing
I generally use mustad big guns but a few people have told me they like these hooks
thoughts??
thanks
sunshine
Posts: 2626
Date Joined: 03/03/09
Penotrate 3X
Half the price or less than most ....about $7 for a box of 25 sharp and bloody strong.....
Cruise Control
Posts: 973
Date Joined: 03/11/10
I use the Penotrator hooks
I use the Penotrator hooks from Rigmaster. Good strong sharp hook but tends to suffer from surface rust quite quickly. But it is only cosmetic, doesn't appear to affect performance.
beeroclock
Posts: 746
Date Joined: 22/08/12
I only ever use large owner circles for bottom fishing but
i thought i'd grab a pack of instinct 8/0 circles to give em a go. I thought they are a good sharp hook and they caught fish but a bit light gauge and bendy for me using them with 37kg reef gear so i use them on the mrs 15kg combo she got a nice dhuey and some pinkies with them they were fine didnt bend
brenz
Posts: 2182
Date Joined: 15/06/06
Stick with quality, these
Stick with quality, these hooks can sometimes be very unreliable to be honest , not going to go into it too much , but if you can afford better quality stuff i would.
This is based purely on my opinion and time using them .
flangies
Posts: 2549
Date Joined: 11/05/08
You get what you pay for.
You get what you pay for. Better than mustad but no where near the same quality as owner or gamakatsu.
jng
Posts: 488
Date Joined: 03/08/07
Used them up at Exmouth and
Used them up at Exmouth and we had a few straighten. But then again we are fishing locked drag.
Humpback
Posts: 103
Date Joined: 15/01/15
instinct hooks
Yes
Rubbish
Oceanside Tackle
Posts: 2803
Date Joined: 23/07/09
Stick to reputiable brands
Gamakatsu and Owner ALL the way.
Oceanside Team - Specializing in Jigging for demersal, Super Deep Fishing and Cockburn Sound Pink Snapper.
Don't forget to ~ Like us on Facebook ~![](http://fishwrecked.com/sites/all/libraries/fckeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/thumbs_up.gif)
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dano83
Posts: 790
Date Joined: 25/05/12
I've once had the tip snap
I've once had the tip snap on an owner hook on an 860mm dhu That I landed, thought stuff that.. so bought a few hundred of a cheaper brand off evil bay for a trip up north as I loose lots of terminal up there on the cliffs and they are half the price, they were excellent..bit flimsy but never bent or snapped one
Shimka
Posts: 465
Date Joined: 06/02/14
I've never had any probs with
I've never had any probs with instinct hooks. That said I still prefer to use owner & gamakatsu when possible.
On a side note instinct fluorocarbon is garbage. Stiff, bad memory & crap to tie knots in.
Ush
Posts: 200
Date Joined: 04/04/14
I had black magic KL 6/0 give
I had black magic KL 6/0 give way on a good snapper. The tip that curves inwards simply broke off! Also using Gamas, interested to see what Owners are like.
Got keen?
catchalittle
Posts: 1875
Date Joined: 04/09/08
Black Magic KS7/0 OR KS8/0
Black Magic KS7/0 OR KS8/0 hooks have never failed me and have pulled up some stonker fish with them
Nathan
dawsy
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 16/12/14
Please note 'real' circles
Please note 'real' circles arent meant to be sharp as they are purely designed to hook the jaw hinge, not penetrate the mouth like a J-hook. Real circles are an 'automatic hook'. By rights, true cricles should swing off a loop, or solid ring. I prefer to keep circles for deeper water, or a floater with a squid, or occy on it. Striking pulls a true circle out the mouth of the fish. Circles are a non-strike hook.
![](http://ep.yimg.com/ay/tackle/owner-5363r-mutu-circle-ringed-hook-22.jpg)
Be sure to choose a hook suited to the line class you are fishing. Standard hooks are going to bend on big fish using a tow rope for fishing line.
If Im fishing a light line class, I prefer a finer gauge hook for easier penetration. Choose your hook according line class, like you should a rod.
20 years ago we had trouble with tarpons on Samson fish, so we went to short shank oshaunessys on 24kg before braid was invented. These days, if I have to fish 50lb line on bigfish Ill use say a heavy shank Mustad Big Gun in a 9/0.
I love the Instinct tarpons. I carefully gang them by slightly opening bare minimum the 'carbon' eye enough to slip the barb in. Too much messing on carbon and the hook will snap. Carbon is not really designed to gang. It can be brittle. I use a pair of side cutters to open ever so gently.
If you have a carbon hook that has been even slightly bent, replace it immediately.
If you are snapping hooks, time to step up a guage.
Owner circle with solid ring for hinge and swivel. Commercials use solid ring for better hook up ratio. Thats what you want in a hook above all, a good hook up ratio. If you are using say 100+lb mono, try a loop with say, a crimp instead a tight knot. Pleasenote crimps can reduce line breaking strain by as much 50%, so stay high 100lb+ line on rig.
dawsy
Posts: 65
Date Joined: 16/12/14
Ive been using a 3/0 stinger
Ive been using a 3/0 stinger to get better penertration with finer guage on pinks picking with boney mouths shore based using 30lb line class.
Nothing has snapped so Ill keep goin with it. A lot of fish being hook around the front the gob where I might of missed them otherwise.
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
Been using Shinto lately,
Been using Shinto lately, got reds on them up at gnarloo recently and none straightened. Using PE 5 and going hard and they were as good as new
heaps cheaper too. Bluewater stock them not sure who else
Marineboy
Posts: 845
Date Joined: 14/03/14
Hooks
for the past 15 years I've been using mustard tainawa hooks, caught everything from King George to sambos and dhuies on them, never bent one and they are cheap at about $23 for a box of 100. Bullet proof..
My spots are so secret even the fish don't know about them !
Jason P
Posts: 521
Date Joined: 16/02/13
Mustad Demon circle hooks,
Mustad Demon circle hooks, work a treat and reasonably priced, won't touch a Owner hook after snapped 3 of them, the steel is extremely hard which its downside makes them brittle. Rather have a bent hook that still holds than snapped hook.
DM306
meglodon
Posts: 5981
Date Joined: 17/06/10
I wonder what make of hook.
I wonder what make of hook they where using on the drum line up at Mindarie, from the size of the hook on the front of the grubby West Australian it was a fair sized hook.
Did the hook have a flaw or it there one very very good size GW out there, or was out there.
Breaking a hook of that size would take a bit of doing.