I, like most of us, started out fishing for panfish using a little, gold, Eagle Claw hook, probably a size 1 hook, under a bobber. Eventually I started getting more adventurous with my baits and my rigs, but never really looked much into hooks specifically designed to catch panfish until recently, when IGFA World Record Holder, Alphonso Jackson, came on the Faith 'N Fish'N Podcast to talk about catching his world record holding, 2 pound 1 ounce redbreast sunfish. He mentioned using the Vector Hooks Panfish Hooks to catch it, so I ordered some to try them out.
What I Like About Them:
There are a lot of really good things about these hooks. Vector Hooks uses a tagline, "Man these things are sharp!" for a reason. Man these things are sharp! They, like all of the hooks in Vector Hooks' lineup, are chemically sharpened, which is a process I have to admit, I don't know a lot about, but whatever they do it works! Another thing I really like about them is that these things are deceptively strong. Looking at these little hooks, they look dinky, but when you feel them and you put them to the test, you know these things are going to hold up. This means that if you are catching little bluegills of only a few inches long for catfish bait, they've got you. If you are going after 1 and a half pound shellcrackers, they can handle it no problem. If you end up hooking a 3 or 4 pound bass while fishing for panfish, nothing to worry about. Obviously, use common sense. I certainly don't recommend boat flipping a 4 pound fish with these hooks, but there is certainly no reason to believe that you couldn't land one with these hooks. The shape of these hooks is also amazing. I have yet to have a fish swallow the hook, and they have been easy to remove every time.
What I Don't Like About Them:
To say there is something that I don't like about them is a bit of a stretch. If I had to say they could improve on anything, it would be their selection. I think a baitholder version would be nice, but not having them certainly isn't stopping me from turning to these.
How They Compare:
Not long ago, I decided to do a test to see how they stacked up to a different panfish hook. After a while, I had many bites but not many hookups. I had only landed 3 bluegill. After switching to the Vector Hooks Panfish Hooks, my hookup ratio drastically improved and I ended up landing about 15 fish on the day. If you are looking for a hook that will put the panfish on the bank, I can say honestly that I do not think there is a better option out there than the Vector Hooks Panfish Hook.