Open siwash - not closing. AARRGGHH!!

[drivel]

I think I am doing something wrong!

I have a bunch of different open siwash hooks that i have attached to hoochies and spoons and such. I use channel lock pliers to close the eye of the hook as tight as possible, but the eye doesn't quite close fully (especially on the thick 5/0 dark blue mustads) and there is a little gap left over. Then....the eye gets caught in the net while the fish is thrashing around. Then.....you hear me swearing and snarling while I spend precious fishing time extricating it from the net. Happened three times this morning off the north arm.

Any suggestions?

cheers
d

 

[Tidal Chaos]

Use a vise to close them when you are home if you have one, it will close them tight, when you use pliers the steel tends to spring out slightly when you release the eye, with a vise you can slightly over tighten so the steel doesn't spring out.

 

[Grace underfire]

The good news is the problem is happening in the net. Those are the best ones to have.

 

[fishin_magician]

Rotate your pliers/vice grips slightly towards the shank of the hook with the open end of the hook facing up. Do it in one steady slow motion and use BIG channel locks. I use Blues and I love how sharp they get!

 

[tykkyt e blue]

Try using electrical crimping pliers that have more power than channel locks - squeeze hard closing the eye on a practice hook until it breaks the eye - then not quite so hard on the ones you hope to actually fish with -

http://www.kleintools.com/catalog/c...utting-tool-non-insulatedinsulated-connectors - is an example

 

[Aces]

vice grips

 

[drivel]

Thanks for all the advice!

Mr. Magician, I tried the bigger channel locks and a change in my attack angle. Worked perfectly.

Gonna try the vise suggestion next.

cheers
d

 

[fishin_magician]

Thanks for all the advice!

Mr. Magician, I tried the bigger channel locks and a change in my attack angle. Worked perfectly.

Gonna try the vise suggestion next.

cheers
d

Yes, Vice Grips work great too!

Keep on slayin'

 

[Tsquared]

Drivel--Have you tried bending the tail end of the eye slightly out of alignment with the rest of the eye, which allows you to bend it slightly past the rest of the eye, then you bend it to close the gap and the eye will close tightly(absolutely no gap), no special pliers needed.
T2

 

[Degree of Freedom]

Use a gaff

 

[Seafever]

I like vice grips.......as said "offset" the closure angle when you do it so you get no gap when finished.....

Even though using vice-grips I close slowly and gently and try to do it all in one movement.....

Stainless hooks are often a bee-otch though......some will just snap and fall apart while closing no matter how you do it......I dislike stainless for the reason being you never know when you've got a "micro-crack" in the eye.......you can't tell by looking.....

But later on when you replace the hook and open up the old hook eye.....it will just fall apart right in front of you......

and you think "Geez...what if I'd been trying to land a big fish on that?".....