Stinger Hooks?

[joatmon]

Since losing a larger lake trout at Flaming Gorge this last winter on a minnow, I have been using stinger hooks with whole bait fish in some cases.  Had good success using a two hook rig for pike under a tip up. Had mixed results using stinger hooks with chub minnows at Strawberry (caught one on the stinger hook, and had another on but lost it AND the stinger hook trying to guide it up through 52" of ice hole...). Last weekend I caught two catfish using small white bass and stinger hooks.  One cat took both hooks and the other was only hooked on the stinger hook.

I have used and like the commercial stinger hooks with a rubber membrane over the "eye" that goes over the main hook.  These tend to stay on the main hook better.  I have created some of my own using treble hooks and smaller (1/0 ad 3/0) circle hooks. 

I like the flexibility of adding or not adding a stinger hook.  I have used double snelled rigs, but they seemed less flexible.

Any advice on how to attach my homemade  stinger hook rigs to main hooks? I tried a slip knot similar to an arbour knot, but couldn't get it to work right on my 40# leader. Maybe size down to 20# for the stinger?  Similar problem trying to use a sleeve when I couldn't get the 40# line through the sleeve twice to create a cinch loop.

Any ideas that might help?

[Fritzfishin]

I like the pre-made ones too, they seem to work decent, if not I'm a fan of the double snell

[meancuznalfy]

I've always just tied on to the main hook.

[Piscophilic]

I often use 2 hook rigs for cats. I tie them myself on 40# leader using two snell knots. Typically a 4/0 or larger front hook and as you mentioned a 1/0 rear hook, all circles. I try not to call them stingers because those are usually trebles and I avoid putting trebles on for cats. Fishing a 1/0 circle out of the gullet is bad enough. When it is really bad I cut the rear hook off and I feel survival rates are probably higher with a single than a treble.

I did use some trailing hooks last summer at Strawberry on the back of tube jigs. I had about the same success you described. Better than half of the fish had the main hook in their mouths, but some only the back hook and I broke off a couple of back hooks. I had tied those on directly to the main hook with 8# line.

I would guess that I end up landing about 1/4 of my cats on the back hook and I feel good that those didn't get away. It seems second hooks do the most good during the transition between the active feeding and the "leave me alone" periods.

Recently I've tried what Justin (see Kayak Catfish on youtube) calls stinger flies. I use a 1/0 size bright colored fly. They do catch some fish, but I can't tell that they catch more than I would have gotten with just a 1/0 back hook.

At Ut Lake, an added benefit of the 1/0 trailing hook is that it catches quite a few white bass over a season and I always love fresh bait. I've had a few whites that were so starved that they managed to get hooked on a 4/0 circle, but not many!

[jjannie]

Why not use a 3 way swivel like these on the end of your main line that way you can run a stinger off of it or not. 

Amazon.com : Dr.Fish 30PCS Stainless Steel Fishing 3-Way Swivels Solid Rid Ring Lures Rolling Tackles Connector 0.62in 35Lb : Sports & Outdoors 

You put these on ends of those stinger lines to make it simple to add a stinger anytime. 

Amazon.com : AMYSPORTS High Strength Fishing Snap Clip Duo Lock Snap Swivel Stainless Quick Change Fishing Snaps Solid Black Nickel 100pcs 26lbs : Sports & Outdoors

Both of these come in various weight capacities.