But, weâre here to talk hooks, so here are his five favorites.
Originally published Jan. 2012
This thin-wire hook is his go-to for many soft plastics. Itâs got a classic OâShaugnessy bend that he says goes into a fishâs mouth easily, but takes some effort to dislodge. He usually has to resort to pliers to unhook bass that bite a bait armed with this hook, but he doesnât mind. âThese are awesome; I rarely lose a fish with them. I got a lot of the Elite guys throwing these â even if they wonât admit it!âSizes range from No. 1 to 4/0, and he uses the lighter sizes for drop shotting and the wider gaps for Texas and Carolina rigging.
âThis is the most important hook I use,â he says. âI put it on all of my reaction baits â crankbaits, rattle baits and the like.â These trebles have a shorter shank than traditional trebles, which keep the points of the hook closer to the bait, effectively pinning the fish to the lure. âThese are double strong hooks, so theyâll never bend out on you,â he says. âPlus, the fish has a lot less leverage when he bites the bait, so he canât hardly throw it when he shakes his head or jumps. These are the best trebles made â ever.â
This hook is what Martens uses to flip soft plastics. He prefers it over the monster-gapped hooks because this hook penetrates a fishâs jaw; there isnât a lot of hook showing on the outside of the bassâ mouth, which, in turn, can get hung on logs, grass or other debris. He will, however, open up the point a bit to expose the tip more. If flipping with heavy braid, Martens will snell this hook. âIt has a good size barb on it and holds the worm really well. Iâve never straightened one out, even boat flipping 6-pounders.â
This hook is what Martens uses when heâs nose-hooking drop shot baits or wacky worming. He uses 1/0 most often with 12- to 14-pound-test line. If heâs fishing lighter line, he goes with a No. 1. Heâll open it up a bit for a better hook up ratio.
Despite its name, Martens doesnât flip heavy cover with this hook. He says the super-wide gap will grab detritus as itâs dragging bass through heavy cover. However, he says itâs the best flipping and pitching and soft jerkbait hook there is â if the cover is sparse. âThe barb is perfect and the gap positions the point in just the right spot for a perfect hook set,â he says. âI bent the original Heavy Cover Flippinâ Hook out of a Superline Worm Hook, gave it to Andre Moore and he had Gamakatsu make it into the BMF. Theyâre great hooks.â This is his choice for Texas and Carolina rigging thick soft plastics as well.
