If you've actually spent a long day on the water wondering why the particular walleye just aren't biting, you most likely require to try mustad slow death hooks . It's one associated with those simple gear changes that truly makes a massive difference without requiring you to learn some overly complicated new method. I remember the particular first time I saw one of these hooks; I think this was a manufacturing error. It's obtained this weird, aggressive kink in the particular shank that looks like it obtained stepped on. Yet once you find it in the drinking water, everything clicks.
What is the Slow Death Style?
Most hooks are designed to remain straight and maintain your bait looking, well, natural. But natural isn't often what triggers a strike. Sometimes, walleye are simply lazy or finicky. They'll adhere to a crawler for a mile and never commit. That's where the mustad slow death hooks come into play. That unusual bend in the particular hook isn't simply for show; it's designed to make your nightcrawler rewrite.
When a person thread a piece of crawler on to that kinked shank, the whole point starts to corkscrew through the drinking water. It's a rhythmic, wobbling, spinning movement that walleye simply can't ignore. It doesn't look like a healthy worm swimming along—it appears to be something distressed and simple to catch. It provides a bit of flash and a lot of gerüttel that a regular straight hook simply can't replicate.
Setting Up the Rig
The particular beauty of this setup is that it's incredibly low-maintenance. You don't need a fancy motorboat or a $500 rod to create this work. Most people run mustad slow death hooks behind a bottom bouncer. A person take your main line, clip on the bottom bouncer (usually 1 to 2 ounces depending on the depth), and then run a fluorocarbon leader regarding 3 to 4 feet long.
At the finish of that head, you tie on your hook. That's it. No beads, no blades, simply no extra junk. Sometimes, I'll add a single small bead merely feel like the fish desire a tiny place of color, yet usually, the lift and the worm do all the heavy lifting. The most important thing to remember—and We cannot stress this enough—is to make use of a high-quality ball-bearing swivel. Since the hook is designed to spin, it may absolutely ruin your fishing line with twists in case you don't have a good swivel in the mix.
Just how to Bait This Correctly
This particular is where a lot of people screw up the 1st time. You don't just poke the hook through the particular worm. You want to thread the nightcrawler up the eye of the mustad slow death hooks , covering the knot and the shank. You want regarding half an inch to an inch of the worm tail trailing off the back of the hook.
If you depart a lot of worm dangling off, the fish will just nip on the tail and you'll miss the particular hookset. If you don't thread this up far good enough, the worm won't spin. You're looking for a perfect "L" form or a small curve that mimics a propeller. Just before you drop it down to the bottom, dangle it close to the boat and give it a little pull. If it's spinning in a nice, tight circle, you're golden. If it's just hauling straight, adjust the worm and try out again.
Speed Is Everything
The name "Slow Death" is a bit of a free items, but it's worth talking about. A person aren't supposed in order to rip these things through the drinking water. The sweet spot is usually in between 0. 8 and 1. 2 miles per hour. If you go too quickly, the worm might rewrite so violently that will it just appears to be a blur, or worse, it'll rip right off the hook.
I actually like to use my electric trolling motor to keep an excellent consistent, slow pace. If there's a bit of wind, occasionally I'll just go, but you have in order to be careful that you're moving fast enough to keep that hook revolving. In case you stop moving, the mustad slow death hooks just sit upon the bottom, and then you're just fishing with a weirdly shaped hook plus no action.
Why This method Wins on Tough Days
We've all been there—the sun is high, the water is cup, and the seafood are being incredibly stubborn. On days like that, a huge, fancy spinner rig may actually scare the fish away. It's too much sound. The mustad slow death hooks offer a "finesse" edition of a power fishing technique. It's subtle, but the movement is usually erratic enough to trigger a predatory response.
I've seen days exactly where five boats are usually all hovering more than the same reef, and the just person catching anything could be the guy using a slow death rig. It's usually the difference in between getting a "sniff" and actually putting seafood in the livewell. The particular walleye see this, they track this, and that spinning motion eventually just gets on their own nerves until they will have to chew it.
Picking the Right Size and Color
Mustad makes these types of in some different coatings and sizes. Generally, I stick along with the bronze or the red. Will the color of the hook issue when it's protected in an earthworm? Maybe not, yet I love the reddish colored ones because they look like a little bit of blood or an injury once the earthworm gets beat up.
In terms of size, a #2 or a #4 is pretty standard. If I'm using smaller "pinch" worms or bits of crawlers, I'll go with the #4. In the event that I'm using large, fat Canadian nightcrawlers, the #2 means a bit even more "bite" and maintains the hook from getting buried within the bait.
Dealing with Collection Twist
I actually mentioned this previously, but it's well worth a deeper dive because line perspective can end your own fishing day pretty quickly. Even with a swivel, in case you're trolling mustad slow death hooks for six hours, you may begin to see several coil in your leader.
Every hour or so, I like in order to pull the rig in and let the leader suspend free for a second to untwist. Also, check your bait frequently. In case the worm will get shredded or photo slides down the fishing hook, it may cause the whole rig in order to wobble awkwardly instead of spinning cleanly. A clean spin means less twist and more fish.
My Final Undertake It
A few million ways to catch the walleye, and everybody has their "secret" lure. But when you look at the tackle boxes of the benefits or the guys who survive the water, you're almost assured to find the pack of mustad slow death hooks . They're inexpensive, these people don't take upward much room, and they work when almost nothing else does.
It's not a magic bullet, of course. You will still have to find the fish. But once you're upon them, having that spinning action inside your arsenal is the game-changer. It's a relaxed way to fish, too. You just put the particular rod in the holder, keep your ship moving slow, and wait for that will rod tip to start dancing. If you haven't tried all of them yet, grab a pack before your next trip. Simply don't forget the pivots, or you'll become spending more period untangling line compared to actually fishing.