OK… it was suggested that I do some testing of that SC15 Gama hook and that is exactly what I did.
I put some pyramid fishing weights on a line attached to the shank of the #4 and saw what it could take. The Gama could take it all. When the weight was applied straight down on the hook it bent at 12.5 pounds into more of an “L” shape, but it didn’t fail (see bottom picture).
Next, I wanted to see what would happen if you put pressure on the hook not in the totally most ideal location… like might happen in the real world. Securing the hook in a vice and putting the weight at the back of the hook saw the Gama bend 90 degrees at 3.4 pounds. The picture of that is below.
#fail
I also tried this with the Tiemco 811S… in a size smaller, a #6 (which means it was even slightly bigger than the #4 Gama because the size chart guy for the Gama is compensating for something).
Not #fail
This was with 12.5 pounds.
Um… I’m not going to fish these Gama SC15’s. Anyone want them?
Now, I know this isn’t “real world,” (or “reel world” if I wanted to be punny) but I think if you want to assess the strength of the metal, this might get you there.
I tried to straighten the hook and ran out of weights. It didn’t straighten. It “L”ed, but it didn’t turn into an l.
I still don’t want to fish this.
Yes, that’s a horrid picture, but the point is that the hook on the right turned into the hook on the left with weight. It doesn’t break, but it sure does bend a lot. I can’t imagine a fish staying on if it encountered this L.
Yeah. I’m still trying to get a more realistic testing method and for the time being, I’m failing at that.
