We all did the “double take” when we saw the price tag of the super sharp TroKar hooks that hit the market in the past year. Approved by the pros, but not necessarily embraced by rank and file bass anglers, they had a different look and they had a heck of a point.
But while the pros have continued to rely on these pricey terminal tools (Hey, the Professional Anglers Association, PAA has added Lazer TroKar as a sponsor to their Tournament Series) there have been a few naysayers. The most common complaint: when driven into rock, seawalls or other hard bottom material, the points were said to roll.
I talked to long-time fishing partner Jim Emmett, a former clubmate who has been making lures for 40 years or so, and the first thing he said when he heard the comments was: “All sharp hooks roll over.”
With the exception of the Owner Cutting Point, and perhaps the X-Point, most sharp hooks have a long taper to the tip that is not reinforced. In TroKar, this issue has been addressed to a degree, according to Chris Russell at Wright & McGill. “We know the very first batch that went out August and September (’09) had extra long points on some of the hooks. The Flippin’ hooks TK130 for sure. We immediately corrected that and all tests internal and from the pros show the hooks shipping today and still as sharp and much stronger on the point stopping the roll issue.”
Certainly, some complaints may have been motivated more by price point than any real concern about penetration or strength. As Russell noted, “We have been selling TroKar very well across the US and it has so far seen very few issues. Bass Pro could not be happier with the product or the sales based on their Spring Classic store events.”
He even confirmed the assessment of my friend the longtime lure-maker, saying, “At the end of the day your buddy (Jim) is current, every hook will dull or roll if struck on a rock or other hard surface. Trokar’s are crazy sharp but not invincible.”
3 Responses to “TroKar hooks: making their point known”
I presume you’re talking cutting point hook? All the needles bend. A popular hook among the pros is the heavier TroKar flipping hook–widely used now on tour. It’s a space race out there. Not everyone has a TroKar sponsorship. If the guys think it’s an advantage, that’s what they’re going to use.
Rolled a hook point? That’s what a good file is for! If you aren’t rolling a few points, even on the best hooks, you aren’t, banging bottom, rocks, or branches, and definitely not setting the hook enough. I put at least one stroke on ALL my hooks, new or not, before I fish them. It takes them from “hmmmm sharp hook” to “OH S#!+ now THAT’S a SHAAAAAAARP hook!! I’m able to ‘reel set’ on a lot of fish, and along with tying knots I have huge confidence in, I haven’t broken one off in a LOOOOOONG time on a hookset.
So do the new ones roll? I am an Owner fan because they hold a point. I might try a Trokar but I think all premium hooks are very sharp. I have broken far fewer Owners because of their extra hardness than bent points more flexible Gammis. Why pay so much more for a Trokar that has the same problem as a Gammi?