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Stinger hooks aren’t required every day or for every jigging situation, but on those tough bite days a stinger hook will make a noticeable difference in the number of fish landed.
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For most of my
adult life I’ve had a love/hate relationship with stinger hooks. Any walleye
fisherman who has put in his or her time fishing stinger hooks knows exactly
what I’m expressing here. Stinger hooks help us catch more walleye, but they
are clearly a pain in the butt cheeks!
Besides catching
more walleye, stinger hooks have the annoying habit of catching on just about
everything else including the river bottom, landing net mesh, in the boat
carpet, on fishing gloves and literally everything else they come in contact
with!
A little
discussion on how I deal with the question of “to sting or not to sting” seems
appropriate considering the best jig fishing of the season is almost upon us.
STINGER TECHNOLOGY
Before we dive
into when to use a stinger and when not to use stinger hooks, we need to first
touch base a little on stinger hook technology. To be frank, most of the
stinger hooks on the market are next to worthless. Stingers tied on steel
leader material and or heavy monofilament line are way too stiff to be
effective walleye jigging.
The stiffness of
the stinger hook robs the minnow of that natural flip action that triggers
strikes. I look for stinger hooks tied on 10 to 12 pound test fluorocarbon or
monofilament line.
The most
productive size treble hooks for walleye stinger fishing tend to be No. 10 and
No. 12 size hooks. When targeting exceptionally large fish a No. 8 hook size is
acceptable.
COLD WATER
A stinger hook
can be used anytime an angler is fishing a jig tipped with a minnow, but
clearly the biggest advantage comes when fishing in cold water and lethargic
fish. Early and late in the season when the water temperatures are 40 degrees
or below represent the ideal conditions for stinger hooks.
In warmer water,
most of the time the bite is going to be good enough that a stinger hook can
only marginally improve fishing success. That stated, on those days when the
fish are seemingly “closed mouth” a stinger will hook and land fish that would
otherwise be missed. This tidbit of knowledge holds true regardless of water
temperature.
In other words,
stingers are most useful in cold water, but they can also be useful in tough
bites no matter what the water temperature or time of year.
HEAVY JIGS
The other rule
of thumb involving stinger hooks plays to the jig size. In general the heavier
the jig used, the more likely a stinger hook will improve fishing success. I
generally fish stinger hooks on 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 and 3/4 ounce jigs.
When fishing
lighter jigs normally the fish has no trouble inhaling the entire jig and
minnow. Larger jigs are more difficult for walleye to suck completely into
their mouth and hence best used with stinger hooks.
ATTACHING THE STINGER
Different
stinger hooks attach to the jig in different ways. Some have small clips that
can be attached to the “eye tie” of the jig or a special stinger hook loop
molded right into the jig. Others slip over the hook point after the minnow has
been added to the hook.
For some time
now I’ve been using a fairly unique stinger hook produced by Golden Gator
Tackle. The GGT stinger features a slip knot tied in combination with a small
bead. The angler slips the small loop over the hook point and pulls the stinger
up tight to the hook shaft by pulling on the stinger. When it’s time to
re-bait, simply grasp the bead and pull gently opening up the loop so it can be
slipped off the hook point.
This unique set
up in stinger hooks technology also helps to keep the minnow from working loose
from the jig hook. I typically fish the three inch models with a No. 12 treble
hook.
TYING YOUR OWN
For those
anglers who enjoy making their own fishing tackle, stinger hooks can be tied up
in a jiffy. To get started anglers will need a good supply of No. 10 and No. 12
treble hooks, some small clips, line connector sleeves and some 10 to 12 pound
test fluorocarbon line.
An Egg Loop knot
is ideal for attaching the treble hook because it helps the hook lay straight
on the fluorocarbon line. At the other end the small clips that fly fishermen
use so they can change flies rapidly are ideal for attaching the stinger hook
to the jig eye.
For most walleye
fishing applications the stinger hook should be approximately three inches
long. Shorter stinger hooks tend to position the treble hook too close to the
jig hook to significantly improve the hooking ratio.
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Walleye are notorious for being light biters and bait stealers.
Using a stinger hook when fishing minnows in cold
water conditions can and does put more fish in the boat.
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SUMMING IT UP
It’s true that
stinger hooks are a pain to deal with and create more work for the angler.
However, it’s also true that using a quality stinger hook helps walleye anglers
land more fish.
To sting or not
to sting is a personal decision every walleye jigger will eventually be faced
with. What separates the men from the boys in this discussion is the knowledge
that stinger hooks really do help catch more fish when used in the right
situations.