The VMC Spinshot Neko Hook does what a product has to do if it’s to make a name for itself in the overpopulated fishing tackle world; it solves a problem… a couple of them, in fact. Line twists can be extremely frustrating when using a drop shot, especially if you’re casting into stiff wind or if your soft plastic isn’t rigged perfectly.
The Spinshot Neko Hook eliminates line twists and also gives anglers an easier way to rig and re-rig a dropshot. Let’s take a closer look at the Spinshot Neko Hook to see how VMC accomplished this.
Swivel
VMC used the hook eye along with a small piece of bent and twisted wire to form what amounts to a swivel. A light tensile wire runs through the eye of the hook, with a line tie formed by the wire about the eye and a tight spot to pinch the line below the eye.
Labeled as a “line pinch”, this tight bend in the wire below the eye attaches to the line the same way many drop shot weights do. By simply running the tag end of your line through the line pinch, you can wedge your line up into this narrow gap and secure your drop leader line without tying a knot.
Easy to rig and re-rig
To rig a drop shot with this hook, you still tie a knot to the swivel above the eye of the hook the same way you would tie to the eye of a normal drop shot hook. But, because the tag end is cut off there, the re-rigging of a drop shot is far simpler with the Spinshot Neko Hook.
Now if you lose a drop shot weight and part of your drop leader, you can simply pull the broken piece of line out of the line pinch on the Spinshot Neko Hook and then take a new piece of line and snug it into the line pinch below the hook eye and pull the other tag end up into the line pinch of your drop shot weight.
When doing this, it’s a good idea to tie a simple overhand knot in both ends of your leader to keep the line from slipping through the line pinch of both the hook and weight.
Hook design
The hook VMC used for the Spinshot Neko Hook is their IKE Approved Neko Hook, minus the acrylic around the eye that is used to protect the knot, which is unnecessary with this hook since the knot is tied to the swivel instead.
This is a super sharp and strong hook for its size, perfectly suited to use with spinning gear and able to hold up to anything the line you’d be using it on could handle. With two other offerings in the Spinshot lineup (a more circular dropshot hook as well as an EWG version), this Neko hook opens up the Spinshot design advantages to a whole new group of soft plastics and set of techniques.
The bottom line
The VMC Spinshot Neko comes in a four pack for $4.99. For the more advanced angler, this product offers a fantastic hook incorporated into a new design that eliminates line twists, so the price is reasonable for sure. For the novice angler, this new design helps you rig a drop shot easily and more importantly re-rig one effortlessly, which saves time and frustration and makes it worth the price tag as well.
Eliminating line twists, simplifying the rigging process and offering a quality hook in addition for a reasonable price, VMC has carved out a sweet little spot all their own with the VMC Spinshot Neko Hook.
