Nomad Madscad hooks?

[pjstevko]

Do the hooks on the Madscad need to be replaced for SoCal summer fishing?

If so what brand and size do you recommend for the 115 size lure?

[jurelometer]

Madscad hooks seem pretty good to me.  BKK LoneDiablos. Not cheap hooks. 

The split rings are fancy but on the small side. That is surely intentional to fit the hook eye better and minimize the effect on the action. Plus it looks cool and attracts humans

I personally wouldn't mess with the hooks or rings unless there are multiple credible reports of failure, which seems unlikely.

If you go up on hook and ring sizes, you need to ensure that the hooks don't tangle with each other or the leader when casting.

Removing the belly hook can be nice for C&R.  Your bite to hookup ratio will probably go down.  I make my own plug very similar to the madscad, and it swims nice with a just a single tail hook.  Assume the same is true for the Madscad.

-J

[philaroman]

pure conjecture...  just going by online photos:
the eyes on the lure body look kinda' delicate
would worry about them becoming "weak link"
if you beef up the replaceable rings/hooks

[jurelometer]

pure conjecture...  just going by online photos:
the eyes on the lure body look kinda' delicate
would worry about them becoming "weak link"
if you beef up the replaceable rings/hooks

Pretty sure that the larger Madscads are through-wired. I think it starts with the 115.

[Keta]

People have told me the barbs were too small so they changed out the hooks.  I would not do it.

[boon]

There are some very, very good fishermen out there that believe the barb does little to keep a fish on your hook, and if anything hinders penetration if you hit something tough. Mostly useful for keeping bait on the hook.

[jurelometer]

There are some very, very good fishermen out there that believe the barb does little to keep a fish on your hook, and if anything hinders penetration if you hit something tough. Mostly useful for keeping bait on the hook.

Mostly agree.

Not claiming to be very, very good, but I fish mostly barbless on lures and flies. 

Barbs do hinder penetration when going through bone. Some of the modern hook designs utilize mini/micro-barbs for this reason.  Lack of penetration is usually the root cause for hooks straightening out.  Hooks are much harder to straighten if you are pulling against the bend instead of the point.

With lures, barbs mostly help when the fish is in the air, headshaking.  Otherwise, barbs do little to nothing to help keep a hook in a fishes mouth if there is any sort of tension on the line.

My $0.02

-J