Kevin Van Dam Forums

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gamakatsu_Finesse_Heavy_Cover_Hook_4pk/descpage-GHSM.html
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Gamakatsu_Super_Heavy_Cover_Flippin_Hook_4pk/descpage-GHSF.html

Anybody use these yet? I’ve read the hook keeper on their Heavy Cover flipping hooks was junk, so I’m wondering if it’s fixed with these. I know the hooks will be quality, but I’m a bit unsure of the keeper.

I hated the bait keeper on the Flippin hook that I just gave up on the hook itself. After 1 hookset the bait keeper would slide down and never stay in place after that. I would slide it back up and then pitch my plastic in the water and work it and immediately it was back down again, pulling the bait down with it.

I have since switched to the Trokar flippin hook and love it!

I tried that hook last year.  The hook is solid, and has a welded eye, but the keeper sucks. I think I read some were that Aaron Martins help developed that hook.

It looks like there’s some thread wrapped under the wrap on these, so I think they probably heard the many complaints about the keeper on the Heavy cover hook. I can’t imagine a company like Gamakatsu getting as many complaints about the keeper on the old hook(and there’s a lot of them out there) & not fixing it on new versions. I’ll be making an order at TW when they have their 15% off Memorial Day sale, so I’ll give them a go, as I need some good flipping hooks, as I’m lacking ATM.

I haven’t tried the new ones yet but I was able to fix the problem of the barb sliding down by adding a small drop of super glue to the bottom of the keeper on the hook shank.  I mainly used the punch hook from Paycheck baits and the flippin hook from Trokar.  I like both of those hooks, the punch hook is made by Gamakatsu then you add the keeper later.