Danny's

[merch]

A recent experience I had with fish tossing, rolling on and exploding on a Danny plug without a hookup got me thinking about something Pete G mentioned a while back this summer. He said that big fish hooked with a Dannys tend to drop the hook before they can be beached. My thought is that due to the type of vicious attack fish take on a Danny they are unlikely to be hooked well in the mouth. 50% of the hits I have result in a hooked fish and an even smaller percentage make it to my feet and an even smaller percentage of those are hooked well in the mouth (usually a piece of skin on the chin or gill). Anyone else experience these same problems? I use gibbs but do the beachmasters, tatto’s, or original Pichney’s have the same type of problems? Is the hook configuration the problem or is it the type of attack the fish puts on the plug?

[Dave]

It has been my experience that fish that bump/hit a danny/danny style plug and I don't hook up have been small/very small fish. I say this because in following up with a different offering and hooking/landing the fish they almost always schoolie size fish. On another note when hooking up with large fish I have not had any problems with fish dropping off the hook or throwing the plug. I usually get good mouth hooksets. However I have lost some nice fish in boulder/rock fields some time ago due to line failure. Another thing I play around with that can make a difference is to remove the second (rear) set of belly trebles on dannys/swimmers with three sets. This will reduce the tourqre/stress exerted on hooks and plugs and may help in regards to being rubbed off in the rocks.

[Pete_G]

I picked the brains of a lot of vets this year regarding Dannys and lost big fish after a LOT of tragedy and pain last year on my part and the general consensus is that it's just the nature of the plug. DZ, Zeno, and others.

Maybe it's where the fish gets hooked, maybe it's the torque, no one was really sure other then that you're just not going to have the high landing percentage you would with something featuring a single hook like a rigged Sluggo or a live eel.

I'm experimenting with a giant siwash off the back and one belly hook as well as a pair of big 4/0's trebles on the belly of a Danny and no tail hook. Results are still pending.

Dave, I've found the infamous late August Danny bump in the night is often bluefish in addition to tiny bass.

[FontaineRods]

when decent fish have been around and i put on a danny, i've rarely had problems w/ fish. if anything, i have a hook bend. since i've switched to vmc's and split rings on all swimmers in the last couple years, hooks aren't as big of an issue. on plugs w/ 3 hooks on them (2 belly and one rear) i might go a size up on the belly hooks and just put a teaser flag on the rear. i dont want a rear hook swinging around when i try to remove hooks out of a jaw of a bass. i dont want blues, so another reaon for no rear hook. larger bass rarely miss a lure or dont get hooked. every once in a while you may get the belly hooks tangle, but that's the price you pay for that lure. that's been my experience.

[Rob]

Ive found that if a fish explodes on it but there is no hook up sometimes its cause their tail wackin it. So if you get a hit and the fish dosent get any hooks just let the plug sit there still many times they'll come right back and suck it down.
Also I would agree with dave most fish that attack a dany and you dont hook up are usally schoolie or even teen size bass. One thing I have done that has deffinetly help though is switch all my hooks to 6x VMC and so fare I havent lost a good fish on a swimmer my best being a 37 1/2 that had no trouble suckin it down head first.

[Pete_G]

To clarify my experiences, I've never had too big an issue hooking a big fish. Keeping the big fish on after a screaming run has been an issue for me with Dannys. I've landed plenty as well but there's no way several trebles have the fish holding ability of a nice big eel hook.

I haven't straightened that many Danny hooks over time either. They mostly come back in good shape, just without a fish attached.

I am a religious hook sharpener as well. The anti-light crowd (I don't believe the fish care much about lights, unless it's at least a car headlight) definitely doesn't like me because I'll sit there for two minutes with the light on to hone my hook points...

[bart]

not to hijack your thread but i've noticed the same thing as Rob. if a fish whacks the plug but doesn't hook-up just stop your retrieve and let it rest. this technique got me a mid 20's fish a few nights ago on a MAC danny..

[nofish]

I can't get to throw them for any distance at all. Does the larger ones throw better? Or does the metal lip produce too much drag?

[Pete_G]

Metal lips and Dannys in general definitely aren't known for being good casters, but many times that doesn't matter.

If you can chuck a Danny like a knuckleball you're going to gain more then a few yards on your cast. A smooth launch that doesn't add tumble to the plug is the answer.

[shortbus]

Pete - good analogy with the knuckleball. Also prevents the annoying leader finds the front treble.

This is my favorite Danny I own. Ryan Smith made it and I didnt get a chance to throw it last Thursday. Mother nature had other plans for me (swim in the drink, dislocated shoulder - it was a doozy!!)