HAYABUSA - ASSIST 096 WIDE GAP TIN SINGLE/DOUBLE EX405/406/EX407/EX408 ASSIST HOOK MADE IN JAPAN

Hayabusa Assist 096 Wide Gap Tin — Single / Double (EX405 / EX406 / EX407 / EX408), Made In Japan

Finished assist hooks for metal jigs, built on Hayabusa's 096 hook pattern — the wide-gap shape in their assist range: a short shank carrying a noticeably wider gape, with the curved bend and long tapered point the range is known for. A super anti-rust tin coating resists corrosion in salt water and helps the point survive a session. The braided cords are firm enough to hold the hook away from the jig body instead of letting it collapse against it. EX405 is the single; EX406, EX407 and EX408 are doubles with 0.5 cm, 1.0 cm and 2.0 cm cords. All four run #1 through #5/0, with cord strength stepping from 100 lb on the smaller sizes to 150 lb on the larger.

096 wide gap or 133? Same family, same tin coating, different geometry. The 133 is the narrower, longer-shanked pattern: it tucks close to a slim jig body, rolls into the corner of the jaw, and runs up to #6/0. The 096 trades that for clearance — the wider gape reaches around a fat or deep-bellied jig and grips hard-jawed fish such as grouper and amberjack on a shallower angle of attack. Choose 096 when the jig is bulky, the fish are heavy-mouthed, or single-hook sets keep pulling; choose 133 for slim jigs and the largest sizes.

Key Features

• Hayabusa 096 wide-gap pattern: short shank, wide gape, curved bend, long tapered point
• Super anti-rust tin coating for salt-water corrosion resistance
• Firm braided cord that resists hook-to-hook and leader tangling
• Single (EX405) and double (EX406 / EX407 / EX408) configurations
• Three double cord lengths: 0.5 cm, 1.0 cm and 2.0 cm
• Six sizes per model, #1 to #5/0; 100 lb cord on the small sizes, 150 lb on the large
• Barbed points; suits vertical, high-pitch and slow-pitch jigs
• Made in Japan

How To Rig It

• Attach at the jig eye — Take the assist onto a solid ring and join that to the split ring at the jig's nose. Never let cord bear on a split-ring seam; that is where assist sets cut through.
• Match the gape to the jig, not just the fish — The point of a wide gap is clearance around the body. Hold the hook against the jig: if the body fills the gape, go up a size or move to the 133 pattern.
• Pick the cord length — The 0.5 cm EX406 holds both points tight to the head, cleanest on short jigs. The 1.0 cm EX407 is the everyday length. The 2.0 cm EX408 reaches past a long body and catches fish striking behind the head, but wraps the leader more often on a fast drop.
• Single or double — EX405 fouls far less on rock, rope and leader and does less damage to released fish. The doubles convert more of the half-hearted swipes from following fish and short-biting grouper.
• Front for high pitch, both ends for slow pitch — Nose mounting suits a rising jig; slow pitch, where the jig falls flat, often runs an assist at head and tail.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Reef and wreck jigging for kerapu (grouper), jenahak (golden snapper), gerepoh (giant trevally) and tenggiri off Rompin, Sabah and eastern Indonesia.
• North America — Amberjack, grouper and snapper on Gulf and Atlantic wrecks; yellowtail and lingcod on Pacific jigging trips.
• Japan & East Asia — Buri and hiramasa on vertical and high-pitch jigging, madai and large kasago on slow pitch, and tachiuo at night.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Yellowtail kingfish and samsonfish on Australian reefs, cobia and hamour in the Gulf, pollack and cod over European wrecks.

Specifications

Sizes in every model: #1, #1/0, #2/0, #3/0, #4/0, #5/0. SKU is the prefix plus the size code — 341EX40501 is EX405 in #1, 341EX40850 is EX408 in #5/0.

Recommended Pairing

• #1 to #1/0 with light and micro jigs on PE 0.8–2 tackle
• #2/0 to #3/0 with mid-weight jigs to about 150 g on PE 2–4
• #4/0 to #5/0 with heavy and deep jigs on PE 4–8
• Solid ring plus a heavy split ring at the jig eye; a short wire trace where tenggiri and barracuda cut off jigs