When trout nip the tail of a fly or grub without getting hooked, add a stinger hook. On a Metal Head Fly, clip a number 4 ring eye hook over the fly hook, bend facing the opposite way, so a trailing point rides in the tail. On a grub, tie 2 inches of 10 lb fluorocarbon to the bend of a Mustad Slow Death Hook and add a tiny treble past the tail. Match your hook to the bait: slow death for worms and plastics, octopus for bait, ring eye for soft plastics.
What is a stinger hook and when do I need one?
A stinger, or trailer hook, is a second hook that rides at the back of a bait. Cal adds one when trout come in and jerk on the tail of a fly or grub once, twice, or three times without committing. A trailing point turns those short striking window shoppers into hookups, so you land more of the fish that bite.
How do I add a stinger hook to a trolling fly?
Cal takes a number 4 Eagle Claw bronze ring eye hook and clicks it onto the fly's existing hook with the bend facing the opposite direction, snapping the ring eye past the barb so it cannot slip off. It rides smoothly into the tail of a Metal Head Fly, putting a hook point right where nipping fish grab.
How do I add a stinger to a grub?
Rig the grub on a Mustad number 2 slow death hook as usual, then tie about 2 inches of 10 lb fluorocarbon to the bend of that hook and tip it with a small treble. Under water pressure the treble sits just beyond the swimming tail, so tail nippers get pinned. Cal used a number 16 treble he had for PowerBait.
What is a slow death hook and why use it?
The Mustad slow death hook is a fine wire ring eye hook whose distinctive bend makes a threaded nightcrawler, grub, or leech rotate through the water. Originally a walleye hook, it is Cal's number one trolling hook for worms and soft plastics. It comes in size 1 and 2, and he runs the red version.
What is an octopus hook used for?
An octopus hook has an upturned eye that maximizes the bite, the gap between point and shank, so a small light hook still gets a deep purchase in a fish's mouth. Its short shank and light wire make it Cal's choice for floating baits like PowerBait, and it is the hook used on kokanee double hook rigs.
What is the Mustad number 4 bronze ring eye hook good for?
It is Cal's versatile soft plastic hook, used for Trix Worms and Trix Minnows and for trolling nightcrawlers. Because bronze is soft, he can kink the shank to add rotation, or open the eye to build a stinger and bend it shut. It holds fish so well he sometimes struggles to remove it.
How do I match a hook to my trout presentation?
Match the hook to the bait. Cal runs a slow death hook for worms, grubs, and soft plastics that should rotate. He uses an octopus hook for floating bait like PowerBait. A number 4 bronze ring eye handles Trix soft plastics and doubles as stinger stock. A bait holder hook is mostly for stream worms.
Watch the technique
Stinger hooks and hook selection for trout FAQ
They are short striking, nipping the tail and hair without taking the main hook. Cal beats it by adding a stinger hook at the back of the fly, which turns those window shoppers into customers and puts more fish in the box.
The Mustad slow death hook. Its bend spins a threaded nightcrawler, plastic grub, or leech through the water. It started as a walleye hook but has become one of Cal's most used trout trolling hooks.
The slow death hook comes in size 1 and size 2. It is available in bronze, black chrome, and red, and Cal prefers the red ones for his finesse worm and plastic trolling.
The upturned eye maximizes the bite so even a small, light wire hook gets a deep, secure purchase in the fish's mouth. Cal uses octopus hooks for floating baits like PowerBait and on kokanee double hook rigs.
Cal uses a Mustad number 4 bronze ring eye hook for Trix Worms and Trix Minnows, and also for trolling nightcrawlers. The soft bronze lets him kink the shank to add rotation or reshape a bent hook.
Tie roughly 2 inches of 10 lb fluorocarbon to the bend of the slow death hook holding your grub, then add a tiny treble. Water pressure holds the treble just past the tail, hooking fish that only nip the end.
Cal notes that modern hooks from Eagle Claw and Mustad are top notch, and technology has made even value hooks very good. Choosing the right hook type for the presentation matters more than paying for the highest end wire.
