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Texas Fish and Game’s Blog
Posted on: Sep 15, 2009
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris
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Just got back from a fishing and hunting excursion to New York. Yeah, I know…New York?
You’re thinking bright lights and big cities but I experienced the Finger Lakes region and lots of forests and agriculture.
I had the great pleasure of fishing Owasco Lake near the town of Auburn and caught some nice lake trout. On the second day of our fishing we had some motor problems and ended up drifting into some shallows why we waited for help. The water there is super clear and there were hundreds of perch feeding in the shallow grass beds. The problem with this some fish can be super finicky in clear water and in fact they kept stealing our worms and small pieces of cut bait.
To correct the problem I broke out some Eagle Claw Circle Bait Hooks and started catching the small perch and rock bass immediately. Nearly every fish that hit ended up getting hook. With the standard j-style hooks we were using we maybe got one fish per 10 strikes. The circle hooks made a big difference. You hear very little about using circle hooks for panfish but that is about to change. They are not only great for conserving catches of big fish by hooking them in the corner of the mouth but also increase the number of fish landed.
The author and a beautiful yellow perch caught on an Eagle Claw
Circle Bait Hook.
With Eagle Claw Circle hooks, the large number means larger hooks.
Striped Bass Conservation Efforts
Posted on: Apr 06, 2009
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris
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We recently teamed up with our friends at the North Carolina Wildlife Commission to educate anglers on catch and release of Striped bass in the Roanoke river – Read on for more detailsUse of Barbless Hooks Reduces Striped Bass Mortality
RALEIGH, N.C. April 2 – For those who are gearing up for another striped bass outing on the Roanoke River, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is reminding anglers to use a single barbless circle hooks or lure with a single barbless hook when fishing in the upper river from April 1 through June 30.
While anglers can make their existing hooks barbless by crimping down the barb with pliers, the Wildlife Resources Commission, in partnership with Eagle Claw, are handing out barbless circle hooks to anglers fishing on the river this spring. Informational cards with a single barbless hook attached are available from Wildlife Enforcement officers, fisheries biologists and creel clerks working in the vicinity of the river from now until the end of June.
Small, non-offset circle hooks, preferably ones with the least amount of distance between the hook point and shank, are the best for reducing striped bass mortality. Studies show that striped bass caught on small, barbless circle hooks are usually hooked in the jaw, which means they have a much greater chance of survival after being released than fish hooked in the throat or gut. This is particularly true as the weather and water warm.
According to Chris Russell, Eagle Claw marketing and product director, the company has been conducting circle hook research and working with a wide range of conservation groups for the last 20 years. Their findings show about a 95 percent lip hook rate and an 80 percent reduction in gut hooking. Their research also shows that non-offset circle hooks are helpful in reducing gut-hooking even further.
To promote the use of barbless circle hooks while fishing for striped bass on the Roanoke River, Eagle Claw provided 5,000 Lazer Sharp barbless circle hooks, which have an approximate retail value of $2,500, for striped bass anglers to try out this spring.
“This is a high profile fishery and many of the fish are crucial to the spawning efforts of future generations of striped bass Russell said. “Since anglers come from a wide area to fish the Roanoke River, they can see the success of using a circle hook and apply its use to their home waters.”
Until the end of May, the Commission is posting on its Web site, , weekly fishing reports from the Roanoke River every Thursday afternoon. Click on the Roanoke River Fishing Report link on the home page.
Also available on the Web site is a pocket-sized information card on releasing stripers safely; a series of questions and answers on striped bass fishing; locations of free Commission-managed boat ramps on the Roanoke River; and striped bass fishing tips.
For more information on fishing in public, inland waters, call the agency’s Division of Inland Fisheries, (919) 707-0220 or go the website at www.ncwildlife.org
New Sponsorship
Posted on: Mar 31, 2009
Posted in: Lazer Sharp, News From Chris
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Lazer Sharp hooks are proud to be the new sponsor of National Bass Anglers Association’s Red, White and Blue Championships – Now called the Lazer Sharp Challenge Divisions – Red, White and Blue
We are excited to be a part of this strong weekend tournament group. These guys take bass fishing very seriously and it may be the place where some of today’s top Pros got their start. check it out at www.nbaa-bass.com
Think you got the stuff to be a top tournament angler? Sign up with NBAA and fish a few of these events in 2009.
See you on the winner’s stage!
C
Eagle Claw Pro Staff Meeting
Posted on: Nov 21, 2008
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris
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We had some of the top Bass Fishing Pros in the Denver recently for a hook Summit we called “Red Sabre”. The meeting was designed to focus our efforts on new product introductions for 2009 and beyond, all based on new hook designs, improvements, and advancements.
Attending were Shaw Grigsby, Gerald “GMAN” Swindle, Brent Chapman, Chris Elliott, and Dave Mercer. Along with these top pros and TV celebrities we had Greg Waldron, head of sports and fishing for Disney World resorts in Orlando.
We spent a couple days locked up in a room talking nothing but fish hooks. As you can imagine we got some great feedback and fantastic ideas on how to make Lazer Sharp hooks better then ever. What I learned is this is a great group of guys. Both fun to be around and very knowledgeable on bass fishing and how hooks play a huge part of their success.
I thought it would be fun to share a few photos from the event. As you can see we found time for some fun as well. Enjoy the photos and take a look at the video Dave Mercer shot while he was here
www.factsoffishing.com/videoblog.php?id=36
Eagle Claw Pro Staff Wins Again
Posted on: Jun 20, 2008
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris
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Bill and Julie Kunzeman Eagle Claw’s Top Catfish Pro Team Won at this years Bass Pro Big Cat Quest in Paris Tennessee. As a husband and wife team from Illinois they travel all over the country chasing the big cats.
Bill and Julie won this event using the Eagle Claw SF400 Starfire rods and Lazer Sharp 8/0 circle hooks.
Great Job on the first place win!
Hot New Swimbait Hooks
Posted on: May 09, 2008
Posted in: Hooks, Lazer Sharp, News From Chris
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If you have not heard all the talk of swimbait hooks and the great new baits to go with them, you need to get out more. A few companies have hooks like these on the market but none better than the one from Lazer Sharp.
These cool new hooks have a weight positioned on the shank making them swim perfect with the new, thick body baits. We also added a one of a kind barbed keeper to the front for easy, straight running, rigging that no other hook maker offers. Add to that a huge gap for the biggest of baits plus a side turned eye and a Lazer Sharp point and you have the best swimbait hook – period!
These bad boys are available in 3/0 thru 7/0 and you can get ‘em in a 3 pack or assortment kit with extra goodies included like a free sample of Nitro Grease.
This new technique is being used by top pros in the Bass, Walleye, and Saltwater markets across the country. The best thing about them – they catch all kinds of fish and are easy to rig and use. Our team has been testing them in the field with great results and I can tell you first hand this system works.
Give them a try – now available at Big 5, Dicks, Cabelas, and Bass Pro plus local retailers across the country.
Chris
