I’ll readily admit that bass fishing hooks aren’t the most exciting thing to read about, but I couldn’t help but spread the word about this specific hook. I’ve had an opportunity to test this hook for several months and I’ve put it through just about everything you could imagine. After countless fish catches and lots of casts, pitches and flips, I can confidently say that this is one of the best soft-plastic hooks I’ve tested in many years.
I’ll quickly take you through its most noteworthy characteristics.
The Mustad KVD Grip-Pin Soft Plastic Hook is available at the following retailers:
A perfect balance in diameter
Perhaps the most frustrating issue when I’m choosing a Texas rig hook has been hook diameter. The thin hooks have great hook penetration on longer hooksets but the heavy gauge hooks require more force to penetrate the fish’s mouth. It has always kind of left me in a weird conundrum. Do I want to sacrifice distance on my hookset or risk flexing or bending a hook during a close-quarters hookset?
The Mustad KVD Grip-Pin Soft Plastic Hook gives me the best of both worlds, in my opinion. It’s diameter is exactly what I look for and it allows me to use it in any situation, really. I’ve used this hook casting to deep brush, pitching to shallow cover, skipping docks and fishing big worms offshore. No matter the distance from my rod tip to the hook, I have enjoyed an outstanding hookup ratio.
The Grip Pin doesn’t tear your plastics
I’ve messed around with similar-type designs in the past, but had a real problem with the keeper tearing the heads of my baits while rigging them. If you notice in this photo, however, the Mustad KVD Grip-Pin Soft Plastic Hook is angled appropriately so it keeps your bait completely intact throughout the rigging process. The hole is no bigger than what a traditional hook would make.
It’s ridiculously sharp
Although this is a heavier-wire hook than many hooks, it has a slimmer, chemically sharpened hook point that aides in quick and efficient penetration on the hookset. And before the question pops into your mind, no; I have never had a single point roll over on me while testing these hooks.
While I’ve primarily used this hook for shallow-water pitching, flipping and casting, I’ve also tested it with several other techniques. It works extremely well for soft jerkbaits and floating worms and has a big enough bite to handle big, bulky plastics quite easily.
Final impressions
Your bait will stay in place with this hook and you will save money. Even better, you’ll never sacrifice your hookup ratio because it cracks ’em on every hookset. It took me a while to try these, but I wish I would have been using them long ago. If you haven’t tried ’em out, I strongly suggest doing so.
The Mustad KVD Grip-Pin Soft Plastic Hook is available at the following retailers:
