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Ultra finesse fishing with
Gamakatsu’s Skip Gap Shaky Head (continued)
  Retrieving:
In evaluating the Gamakatsu Skip Gap Shaky Heads we tested primarily for the
jig’s ability to be effectively paired with a range of different worms and how
well the jighead and hook held up to fish rather than test for fish catching
ability, like we would normally do for other baits. This is because the
Gamakatsu Skip Gap Shaky Heads effectiveness also heavily depends on the actual
worm that you choose to pair it with. In our tests we paired it up with some of
very proven performers, including Roboworm Straight and Zipper worms as well as
Gary Yamamoto Senkos.
The jigheads
are finished
with ultra
sharp
Gamakatsu
hooks
With the eye nearly
perpendicular to the
rigged worms we
found the plastics
would arch at a
thirty to forty
degree angle when in
the water. I found
when shaking the rig
I could detect all
the subtle bounces
with structure, and
I got the most bites
not when moving the
rig but holding in a
fixed position and
shaking the worm
subtly. When it came
time to set the hook
the Gamakatsu hook
shines through and
through, and it
didn’t matter if it
was the softer
sections of the
fish’s mouth or the
hard upper jaw,
these hooks are more
than sharp enough to
stick fish. The
intelligent design
also proved to
prolong the lifespan
of plastics as they
would simply be
pulled down the hook
a bit when struck
versus other designs
where the top of the
worm was ripped out
of the retention
mechanism.
Skip Gap
Shaky Heads
can
accommodate
worms of all
sizes
including
Senkos
Durability:
In the construction
of the Skip Gap
Shaky Head the
engineers at
Gamakatsu utilized
high-carbon steel to
form the wire the
hook, it is made
from because steel
with a high carbon
content is both
stronger and harder.
Since the material
is harder it can be
sharpened to a much
finer point. I found
that the hookpoint
on the Skip Gap
Shaky Head remained
sharp even after
multiple fish.
A largemouth
taken on the
jighead
The only time the hook
bent at all was when I deliberately rigged the hook outside of the worm for snag
tests and had to pull hard to break the hook free from underwater structure.
Hooks that are too hard are brittle and will break under high stress, and on the
flip side hooks that are too soft will bend and straighten out with a fish on
the line and will also not hold a good point, we found the Gamakatsu hooks on
the Skip Gap Shaky Head struck a proper balance. Throughout the past few months
we fished with the Skip Gap Shaky Head in both fresh and brackish water and did
not find any signs of rust on the hooks at the conclusion of our field tests.
Gamakatsu prevents hooks from prematurely rusting by anodizing them, this is
what gives the hooks the rich black coloration.
Skip Gap
Shaky Heads
proved
excellent at
both keeping
worms on and
sticking
fish, the
design is
great for
even the
most finesse
worm types
Price & Applications: The
Skip Gap Shaky Heads retail for 5.49
per pack which comes out to $1.37
per jighead, this is more than the
average screw in type jighead which
retails for 3.99-4.99. We checked
the total jighead offerings on two
tackle e-tail sites and in both
cases found that the Gamakatsu Skip
Gap Shaky Heads fell within the top
10% of the most expensive offerings.
When you compare the jigheads in
apples to apples comparisons we
found that the Gamakatsu offering
does warrant some of that price
premium due to the high quality
hook, the durable painted head, and
the innovative gapped design. The
Shaky Head Technique has become very
popular mainly because it is easy to
learn, is an inexpensive way to
catch fish, and it just plain works.
Paired with a worm of your choice
the Gamakatsu Skip Gap Shaky Heads
are durable enough to deal with the
constant contact with structure, and
are absolutely fantastic at keeping
very fine diameter worms pinned to
the top of the ball head. These same
worms often look unnatural or can
break apart when used with screw or
barb type jigs.
Ratings (We've re-calibrated our ratings standard for 2008 and have included a key at the bottom of the following matrix as a guide):
|
Gamakatsu Skip Gap Shaky Head Ratings (?/10)
|
| Construction/Quality |
A well built jighead with a quality hook just like you would expect from Gamakatsu |
9 |
| Performance |
Simple yet ingenious design that effectively keeps baits on the jighead. Unlike screw in heads it is easy to thread even small diameter worms on the jighead and keep them pinned on. Screwed in designs seem to hold the front of the worm in a more natural presentation but it is easy to damage worms |
8 |
| Price |
At $5.49 for a pack of four each jighead retails for $1.37, this is more than the average jighead but you need to work in the premium hook, overall a reasonable price |
7 |
| Features |
Like many other good elements of terminal tackle simplicity is the key and the extra bend in this hook plain works |
8 |
| Design (Ergonomics) |
A design that was originally proven in the company's skip gap hook the new Shaky head jigheads are easy to fish and effective tools for the technique |
8.5 |
| Application |
Great for fishing a wide range of plastics for the big worms to ultra finesse plastics. The quality coated hook resists corrosion well |
8.5 |
|
Total Score
|
8.16 |
| Ratings Key: 1 = terrible : 2 = poor : 3 = lacking : 4 = sub par : 5 = mediocre : 6 = fair : 7 = good : 8 = great : 9 = excellent : 10 = unbelievable! |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus Minus
|
| J
Keeps even finesse
worms pinned to the
top of the jighead |
L
Only two colors
available (black
would be a good
alternative) |
| J
Easy to use and
doesn't damage
smaller diameter
worms during rigging |
|
| J
Quality hook |
|
Conclusion: New
for 2009 Gamakastu draws
on their experience in
hook manufacturing, and
actually leverages one
of their existing hook
designs to create the
very application
specific Skip Gap Shaky
Head. Though seemingly
simple in makeup the
Skip Gap Shaky Head is a
cleverly built jighead
that does exactly what
it is designed to do.
This innovative design
is more reliable than
spring style retainers
and it doesn't matter if
you are using a Senko or
a thin Roboworm, the
worm stays pinned to the
head no matter how much
you shake your rig. If
you are a fan of the
technique the Skip Gap
Shaky Head is definitely
worth tying on.
Looking for the
Gamakatsu Skip Gap Shaky
Heads? try
Tackle Warehouse
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