Dressed vs. bare tail hook

[Big Water]

I liked to build my Giant Pikes with a tied tail. I tie my own and make them longer then what you can buy. I like the way it waves behind the plug making it look more alive. If you are going to fool a big fish with a wooden plug you need to have everything working, color, smell ( I use a scented jell) shape, action and size ( I strongly believe big fish like big bait). I make my own lips to get a strong action at a slow retrieve so if I wanted to put a bare treble on the tail the weight would not affect the action ( and would be a lot quicker than tying tails), but it would not attract like the tied tail does. Ninety percent of the stripers I hook are on the front treble, a few fall of the front and are hooked by the second belly hook, a tail treble is not needed unless you are hunting bluefish. They call "tied tails" bluefish proofing the plug. Stripers are head hunters! Hope that helps. Gary