I need to relpace the hooks on a few 7" slammers. Will it affect the action if I go to heavy? I want to use 1/0 Owner 2x trebs. But I wasn't sure If they might be to much for such a small and lite bait? I would use 1/0 round bend gamakatsu trebs but I don't want to risk losing a pig to a hook bending out. I will use the lighter hooks if the action will be impaired. Anyone have any experence with this? Thanks Seth B.

If you use a heavier hook like the 2x Owners you may notice that the bait will sit a little bit lower in the water and not have as much kick in the tail. Whether that's acceptable to you will probably come down to your confidence level in the lure.

For example, I have some Slammers that I put heavy hooks on and they still "look right" so I fish them like that. I have a 9" bait made from a heavy piece of wood that really sinks down deep. It works perfectly with 4x hooks and it gets bit like this no problem. I use it for striper fishing in the surf where heavy hooks are a must. I have other ones that don't "look right" to me when I put heavy hooks on them. My favorite 9" is like this - it just doesn't have the right mojo with owner hooks of any strength rating so I only use 2/0 gamakatsu on that one. Maybe it would still get bit with heavy hooks but my confidence is shot when I look at how it moves with heavy hooks, so I don't use them.

I hate to give a vague answer like this but each Slammer is unique in the way they move, the cut of the wood, the weight of the wood, etc. It really helps to just do a little experimentation over time and find what works best for your individual lures. That probably sounds a bit crazy but a Slammer lasts a long time so you'll have plenty of opportunity to tinker over time. Some of my best baits are about 7 years old now :) When fish one bait long enough you'll know exactly when it's swimming right.

Hey Rob, Thanks for your input. I will try a coulpe differnt split ring/hook combos and find what works best for each bait. I guess it's time to invest in some split ring pliers. Thanks again Seth B.

P.S. confidence is everything.

Split ring pliers are a great investment :) I find that I'm more willing to change hooks because I have a good pair than in the years past when I didn't have a good pair and it took a long time to change out hooks. Late in the day when you're tired and your hook is dull, changing it out can make all the difference.