I got a hold of Mike Shaw the day I posted that other message, and he seemed very nice and offered to replace the lure. He did state that the lure is totally sealed before painting, so that is not an issue. I had to do a double take the next day at the hooks, and I was mistaken, they were not bad. I had one point on the rear treble that was not very sharp, but otherwise they were ok. On my second day out with the plug I tuned it, and it seems to be running OK so I'm not going to bother sending it back. I just wonder why these and most big lures don't com with a split ring to tie to. I don't see another MS slammer in my future but I have been eyeing those Generic trout lures and the 12" Castaic trout.