Help - My Strike Pro is Sinking

[AdrianK]

I replaced the puny silver trebles on my Strike Pro Pygmy II with some Owner size 12's (same as on the similarly sized SX40's, and low and behold - my lure now sinks.
Before anyones says "the trebles are too heavy" or "take off the middle treble" - can I just say I want to know from people that have actually upgraded trebles on this lure - what did you use (size, make etc).

Cheers,

Adrian

[fats212]

I have used 16's. I think they are about the same size as the originals. 14's might be fine too though.

If you want a wider gape hook, you could try the Stinger 12 or 14 in the light guage (pink packet I think). Depends on the drag pressure you are planning to use though, as the light guage hooks obviosly arent going to be as stong as the normal stingers.

[CHUNQX]

Ahhh.. the sinking strike pro. Its not just the trebles that are causing it to sink. If you're using fluorocarbon leaders, especially the heavier ones, that will drag the lure under as well, especially if their buoyancy has been compromised by treble change.
I only change the back trebles, and I use Daiichi size 14 (red ones). Doing this, I've found (I say this with some hesitation, I'll explain why), the slightly added weight of the new treble makes it a suspending lure rather than a slow floater.
Here's the other thing, the buoyancy of the strikepros are not consistent either. I've decided to tank test in fresh water (what suspends in fresh will slowly float in salt), about 3/4 of the strikepro pygmies I have. Some suspended even with default weak hooks which meant even a change to only one treble will make it a sinker. Some were slow floaters and I could change both trebles with the light Daiichi trebles and they became suspending. And yet others, I have to change only the back because changing both will make them sink. In terms of percentage, probably most of them were of the one hook change persuasion. But they're not like the SX40s where you know exactly what you get.
Recently, I've been using the Small Fry more and their hooks are the same but I use them anyway because I didn't want to tinker around with the buoyancy. It got to the point where I needed to change trebles while fishing because the trebles would hold up well when fighting and landing fish, but would break when I use pliers to try and remove them from the fish. I've put on Owner 18s on them as well, but they are also slightly heavier than the default hooks. Bottom line, I've never lost fish because of them so I'll keep using them but I keep a few spare handy because i know that a few fish and they'll bend/ break etc.

[AdrianK]

Thanks Fats, Chunq,

I have replaced the #12 owner trebles with #16 owners - will see how that goes... I can't blame the leader, as it was sinking in a jar without any leader attached.

Thinking about it... the strike pro cost about $10 and the trebles added another $2 (and a bit). sx40s turn up on special for about $15. maybe better value.

[fats212]

thats the way I have always thought Adrian, but the new Pygmies are coming out with owners which are fine. I dont think they are stingers, but they seem good anyway, certainly an improvement.

I still pick up an SX40 before a Pygmy most of the time.

[PERSUADER]

Ecogears sx 40s are currently on sale at JV marine in braeside for $14 each ,

just picked up couple more to add to my collection....