Matsuo Hooks thumbs down from me.

fishin_magician

fishin_magician

Well-Known Member
Fished some Octopus Hooks and a couple of other models by Matsuo......they're sharp..and they'll hook fish, however, I'm unimpressed by them relative to a Gamakatsu--they lose their sharpness even faster than a Gami... Stick to the Gami's. Also tried some Owners recently...not impressed...the bulk Gami prices are very hard to beat and Matsuo and Owner just don't offer them in decent quantity at reasonable prices. Stick to the Stainless Mustads for keeps and your choice of Gamis if you're a tyer (like me).. and forget the rest.
 
notice the Matsuo hooks are cheaper..
maybe trying to buy their way into a market already dominated
by other brands ??
 
I agree, it's hard to beat Gami's. However, I've been trying out the Matzuo sickle hooks this winter and I like them. I've been using the sickle siwash hooks on my spoons and the sickle octopus with my hootchies. I seem to be getting a high hook up percentage but what I've really noticed is that hardly lost a fish once hooked up. Who knows, maybe the same thing would have happened with Gamis too.
 
I'm not real impressed with the Matzuos either. Ran them over the sumer and am switching back to the Owner cutting points I usually use.
 
quote:Originally posted by r.s craven

notice the Matsuo hooks are cheaper..
maybe trying to buy their way into a market already dominated
by other brands ??
Click to expand...


They are cheaper because of quality control... It is more cost effective and easier to throw a few hooks out than it is to pay people to sort through them to QC the finish or bends/cuts. That's why there's a price difference... Most guys would think because a hook cost more means it is better than the other.

The QC guy for Matzuo hands selects the wire each run of hooks at the factory and the grade of wire is better/stronger than most "big guy" manufactures out there. No quality issues there.

If you noticed the hook point on the Matzuo is not only longer, but narrower too. That's the reason they might go dull quicker than the norm. However, a quick whip of the sharpening stone will fix that. To keep them from corroding, hit the point with an indelible pen... works like a charm.

Every hook out there has a pro and a con. It boils down to what the consumer wants and willing to pay for it.

I have been running the Sickles for nearly 5-years and haven't lost a fish yet on them yet. That's a bold statement, but the truth. Personally I could care less if the hook rusted solid, I'd still fish it because of holding power... There's not another hook out there that holds fish like the Sickles.

Matzuo has a bigger hold on the market than most think. They are just now getting too overly popular over on this side of the coast.. Must be a good reason for that.



www.CaptainDownriggins.com
 
I've consistently been very happy with the Owner cutting point style hooks. The only downside to them is that once they get dull you pretty much have to scrap them as the cutting point style do not re-sharpen well.
 
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