Northwest Fishing Reports

Anyone use Matzuo octopus hooks for salmon/steelhead? How do they compare to Gamakatsu?

Are we talking about the sickle style hooks? As a barbless hook, I really like the way the sickle hooks hold a fish. I still have some hoochie rigs tied with Gamakatsus, but for all of my barbless siwash applications it's Matzuo sickle hooks. Many of my kokanee and trout rigs sport Matzuo sickle hooks in both octopus and siwash styles. The only thing that I don't like about them is that the eye of the siwash hooks is tempered which makes closing them a PITA! Gotta heat them with a lighter, match or torch to soften them up or they can crack/break when you clinch the eye shut. Then again, the same holds true for the Gamakatsu hooks, they are tempered from the point of the hook all the way to the eye.

I love them they are all I really use . Cabelas you get 25 1/0 hooks for $3.99 can't beat that price, but I would not use them just because of the price. They are awesome hooks. Do a google search and you will see I am not the only one that feels that way. Yes, you will find the die hard gami people and you will find the die hard owners people, and if they are the same exact price out of all 3 I would use owners but when you get 25 instead of 5or 6 for the same price, well I will take the matzuo sickle hooks anyday of the week. Oh and notice that gamakatsu is now making a octopus hook that looks just like the matzuo sickle hook. Sickle hooks are awesome!!

I love the hooks it is mainly all I use I got 600 hooks in different sizes 1/0, 1/2/4/6 I got them shipped for about 30-35 bucks and they tossed in some spares also...

And as stated above they hold on to fish!

G-Man wrote:Are we talking about the sickle style hooks?

Yup, looking into the sickle octopus. Trying to cut costs...looks like they will be half the price of Gamakatsus. Thanks for the info guys, I'm going to give them a go for steelies this year.

Matzuo sells some pretty inexpensive trout & salmon sickle hook assortments. I think I paid about $5 for a 42 hook assortment of 2/0, 1/0, size 1, in half red and half chrome. I also use the smaller sets that are glow hooks they sell as a walleye assortment for trout.

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I've used the sickle in my kokanee leader ties and they seem to work quite well.

Anyone use these style hooks for steelhead jigs?



It's a light wire hook, so a little more bendy like normal mustad hooks. Bought a pack hoping they would be a bit stronger like the gamakatsu jig hooks I've been using.

I use them under a bobber and they keep fish on

3foot- I use that style of hook for my bead head jigs but i dont use the light wire, the ones i found are actually pretty heavy.

and sickle hooks for barbless fisheries are ssssooooo nice.

The sickles are great, not a huge fan of the round octopus matzuos.

Steelheadin360 wrote:3foot- I use that style of hook for my bead head jigs but i dont use the light wire, the ones i found are actually pretty heavy.

and sickle hooks for barbless fisheries are ssssooooo nice.

Darn, it looks like I ordered the wrong kind. Would hate to lose a trophy fish because of it. It's definitely not the same material as the octopus hooks I have. I think those are carbon steel. Oh well...guess I have some new bass jigs I'll be using for these hooks ;)

I love matzuo hooks, however I guess they are no longer making the heavy wire sickle jig hooks. 'They are still making the light wire sickle jig hooks. If anyone can find the heavy wire sickle jig hooks let me know, Captain hooks hsa 1/0 still last I heard but no other sizes left. My new favorite jig hook is the mustad 32833 2x strong salmon/steelhead hook!! Great hooks, I love them. Super sharp and no worry of bending hook. Try them and you will like them!!!!!

http://washingtonlakes.com/forum/viewto ... 30&t=16992

this is another sickle hook thread. with a very nice link

Looks like they don't have the heavy wire or 2x strong jig hooks anymore , not even in the 1/0....must have sold the last of them. The light wire bend a little too easy, just like all the other jig hooks that are not heavy wire or 2x strong. With small jigs, 1/8 and 1/16 I use #1 hooks and need them to not bend so heavy wire is a must.

goodtimesfishing wrote:Looks like they don't have the heavy wire or 2x strong jig hooks anymore , not even in the 1/0....must have sold the last of them. The light wire bend a little too easy, just like all the other jig hooks that are not heavy wire or 2x strong. With small jigs, 1/8 and 1/16 I use #1 hooks and need them to not bend so heavy wire is a must.

Matzuo's theory is that the hooks are so sharp that the fine wire goes in further. I have used them for pinks and not a problem. I have Matzuo jigs I used for chum. Kokanee kid didn't bend the ones he used but I did. He got his fish in and I didn't. So I feel that I was not getting a good hook set. I am 5'2" and he is over 6'. Which may have help in the hook set.

With a thinner wire Matzuo hook, one should be able to get the hook into the fish to the bottom of the bend. Once the hook is buried, you aren't going to be able to straighten it out unless you are using heavy braid and fighting a stump or a rock. For the jig fishermen, a fine wire hook works better. You are typically using a rod with a softer/slower action and setting a fine wire hook is much easier on that kind of setup. Plus the slower action of the rod will help keep the hook(s) from tearing out of the fish during the fight.

G-Man wrote:With a thinner wire Matzuo hook, one should be able to get the hook into the fish to the bottom of the bend. Once the hook is buried, you aren't going to be able to straighten it out unless you are using heavy braid and fighting a stump or a rock. For the jig fishermen, a fine wire hook works better. You are typically using a rod with a softer/slower action and setting a fine wire hook is much easier on that kind of setup. Plus the slower action of the rod will help keep the hook(s) from tearing out of the fish during the fight.

Except that it doesn't. Any salmon or steelhead worth it's salt can straighten a wire jig with no problem. Pinks can even ruin a wire jig in nothing flat. Save the wire for the Bass.

i like them for smaller fish, i really like the design, but the low price comes at a cost, the hooks and jigs eventually straighten out under pressure, gamis and owners are pricey but they never straighten.