Sticks when the hook tip touches!　Equipped with a thick wire diameter New size hooks for large fish. Vertical limit 6/0, 7/0

Basic performance as a fishing hook and the Gamakatsu jigging hook

Fishing hooks are inconspicuous compared to tackle such as lures, rods and reels, but the choice of hook often influences fishing results and must be carefully selected to ensure that fish are firmly hooked. Various types of fishing hooks have been released over the history of fishing, and it can be said that there is an appropriate hook for each target. There are a variety of shapes for offshore jigging as well, and choosing the right hook for the target and fishing style will increase the catch rate. The more expert anglers understand the importance of hooks, the more careful they are in choosing hooks. The hook shape of jigging assist hooks can be broadly divided into two types: curved hooks with the hook tip bent inwards, and straight hooks with the hook tip straight, which are more important for catching fish.

In the former type, the hook enters the mouth and the fish reverses the hook, causing the hook to slip out of position. Even if the hook does not stick in the canker, if the hook tip is hooked somewhere, it will stick quickly due to its shape, but in short bites where the hook is not firmly in the mouth, the hook tip can become stuck and fall out.

On the other hand, hooks with a straight point and a wide hook tip angle, which focus on hook hooking, have an excellent initial hooking ability due to the hook tip standing up. However, a firm hook hooking action is often required to get the hook to penetrate to the hook’s base. When the hook is in a semi-hooked position, hook-out, body breakage and hook elongation are likely to occur.

The choice depends on the fish being caught and the angler’s preference. Among the many jigging hooks on the market, Gamakatsu’s Nuki and Vertical Limit are the most popular hooks for bluefish and good-sized fish. Both hooks have a standard shape, but the standard shape means that they have been developed over the history of fishing hooks. The Nuki and Vertical Limit are hooks with a modern twist on the standard shape. Incidentally, the ‘KAN’ is a hook with a nemmed hook point. It easily penetrates the hook and is difficult to dislodge once it is firmly hooked. The Vertical Limit, on the other hand, is a hook that focuses on hooking. Both hooks have been on the market for about three years and have brought many fish into the hands of anglers by making the most of their individual characteristics. And in 2024, the Vertical Limit will be added to the Vertical Limit in large numbers 6/0 and 7/0 in order to ensure even larger fish. However, the new models are not just larger than the previous models. It is a model that has been perfected through repeated shape changes and testing. We asked Gamakatsu staff member Yuto Nakamura to explain its performance in detail.

The new Vertical Limit 6/0 and 7/0 sizes. The new Vertical Limit 6/0 and 7/0 sizes are not just larger versions of the previous models, but have been tested for the best linearity, hook tip, etc. for each. The hooks were completed after a long period of testing.

Basic performance of the VERTICAL LIMIT, which captures bites with high probability.

The Vertical Limit is a hook that has been on the market since 2021. The model was developed with the main target being large bluefish.
The Vertical Limit hooks that have been on the market up to now have focused on ease of hooking rather than on holding power. This is a hook that was started with the concept of focusing on contactability. It has been designed to have both an ‘initial hooking performance’ that tries to penetrate the hook from the point where it touches the hook tip, and a ‘penetrating power’ that is strong enough to hook a fish even if it tries to reverse its direction. The wide hook tip angle and wide-angle straight point setting provides good initial hooking and penetration.’

Vertical Limit is a hook that focuses on ease of hooking. The straight point design allows the hook tip to begin to penetrate the fish as soon as it touches it. It also has penetrating power, and once hooked, the hook quickly penetrates deep into the fish. The big number one has made its debut. Many large hooks are tubular, but the taki-style design makes them lightweight. This makes it easy to suck in. It also has less resistance to pull.

6/0 and 7/0 strength evolved for large fish.

The larger the target, the fewer times the fish will contact the lure. The bigger the target, the fewer times the fish will contact you.
We wanted hooks that would be able to handle heavy tackle with an emphasis on hooking, so we started developing new Vertical Limit sizes 6/0 and 7/0.

Taking advantage of these few opportunities is not limited to offshore or inshore fishing. When it comes to large hooks, people tend to think of them mainly for offshore use, but the number of people targeting large fish from rock-shore is increasing every year. In rockshore, the chances are even less than offshore. This is why users have been asking for hooks that can handle large fish, with an emphasis on catching them, regardless of whether they are offshore or inshore.

So what kind of performance do the 6/0 and 7/0 offer?　First of all, the wire diameter has of course been thickened to accommodate the larger size. The 6/0 and 7/0 are equipped with the same power as the Vertical Heavy model, which is one of the strongest lure hooks on the Gamakatsu market.

The 4/0 to 6/0 models in the Nuki series have a thicker wire diameter, but the Vertical Limit has a straight point and a wider hook tip angle to make it easier to hook and to increase contact with the hook tip. When the hook tip angle is widened, hooking power is inevitably required when hooking, but in order to reduce the loss of hooking power at that time, we want to reduce the hook’s body wobble. This is why we designed this model with a thicker shaft. Also, hooking power is needed to get a straight hook to penetrate the hook pocket, but if the hooking power is weak, the hook will be half hooked. This is why even hooks of a certain thickness are stretched when dealing with large fish. Hooks are designed to perform well when they are fully hooked, but the thickness of this hook has been set with a view to ensuring that it can withstand even a half-hooked hook to a certain extent.’

(Angler: Gamakatsu Hook Pro Staff Go Nakamura)
Large fish have a low chance of hitting. How can you take advantage of the chance of such a large fish bite?　This model was created with this in mind. The lure is made with a linear design that begins to penetrate with the bite, penetrates deeper and more quickly, and does not stretch or break even if the lure is half-hooked. Tests were conducted in the Genkainada Sea in Kyushu, the Goto Islands, Hirado, Hibikinada, off Muroto, Mie and Wakayama, targeting tuna, sunfish and kampachi. The first fish weighed 25 kg of sunfish, with many weighing more than 10 kg. Tuna were hit in the 40 kg class and many others, and the verification was repeated.

The number of anglers targeting large fish in rockshore waters is increasing year by year. Targeting large fish in rock-shore waters offers fewer chances. The new model was developed to bring the angler to hooking more reliably in this situation.

The same wire diameter is used for the Vertical Limit 5/0 and Nuki 4/0, and the Vertical Limit 6/0 and Nuki 5/0. A model with a one rank thicker wire diameter is Nuki 6/0, and one rank higher than Nuki 6/0 is Vertical Limit 7/0. Compared to the same size, the Vertical Limit is thicker and stronger.

Hook points are designed to retain more of their initial performance.

In addition to the thickness, the new size also has an improved hook tip. The hook tip point magnification has been designed to be a little gentler than in previous models. This is to make the hook tip less likely to chip and maintain its initial performance.
The shape of the hook tip is also designed to keep the hook in contact with fish, which can come at any time. ‘It would be good to sharpen the hook tip to a fine point, but if it touches a root or keeps hitting the jig throughout the day, the point will inevitably become loose. We dared to change to a gentle lancet magnification so that you can continue to use it with peace of mind’.

Incidentally, the development of the 6/0 and 7/0 was started immediately after the launch of the existing size range up to 5/0. However, as they were large fish, it was difficult to test them in actual fishing.
There was a suggestion that we should just accept them because we got some good results during the development process. However, we were not satisfied with the way it hooked and held fish, so we re-examined the results. In the previous model, the barb was set smaller to increase penetration, but we decided to return to a normal-sized barb. We also worked out the details of the development of the lure, such as the use of a partial flattening ‘week point press’ to minimise the risk of breakage due to body breakage, which is inevitable in stop-and-go fishing where the angler is forced to attack and defend at the edge of the roots.

The Vertical Limit 6/0 and 7/0 lures were developed by Gamakatsu with the utmost attention to detail in order to capture the small bites of large fish, and are available as individual hooks or as assist hooks. The assist hook version uses a more durable assembly method. The product is scheduled to go on sale around November 2024. It is expected to deliver many large fish to anglers in the future. We look forward to its release.

The hook tip is kept sharp and has a sharp head multiplier to prevent chipping. This is to bring the angler closer to hooking a hit that could come at any moment.

Flat shank adopted for 6/0 and 7/0 models. Structure prevents the assist line from shifting.

Product website
https://www.gamakatsu.co.jp/products/68-822/

Development video

Summary: Angler’s Time editorial team