SANTEC - 2X DOUBLE HOOK 4628 BLACK NICKEL FISHING HOOK

Santec 2X Double Hook 4628 Black Nickel

The 4628 is a heavy-duty replacement double hook in high-carbon steel with a black nickel finish. The "2X" is a wire-strength grade, not a size. A 2X strong hook keeps the same gap and shank length as the standard hook in that size but is drawn from heavier wire, so it resists being opened up: it moves two steps up the maker's wire scale while the hooking geometry stays exactly where you expect it. The hook is forged for rigidity, carries an Eagle Cutting point with a barb behind it, and has round bends with a generous gap and a centre-balanced eye that lets it hang square on a split ring or frog. Available in #1, #1/0, #2/0 and #3/0.

Key Features

• 2X strong wire grade — heavier wire in the same hook size, to resist opening
• High-carbon steel with a forged body for rigidity under load
• Eagle Cutting point geometry with a sharp barb
• Round bends with a wide gap, and a centre-balanced eye that hangs square
• Two points instead of three: fewer snags, easier unhooking, less damage to released fish
• Four sizes: #1, #1/0, #2/0, #3/0

How To Rig It

• Know when the factory hook has to go — Change it when a point will not catch on your thumbnail and will not come back with a file, when a hook has been pulled open by a fish, when rust or a chipped point appears, and above all when a lure sold for freshwater bass is about to be fished in salt water on barramundi, queenfish or trevally. Factory hooks are chosen for the lure's price and home market, not your fishery.
• Match the size to the lure, not to the fish — Fit the largest hook that still hangs clear of the body when the lure swings. As a starting point, #1 suits small 50–70mm minnows and compact frogs, #1/0 to #2/0 the common 80–110mm bodies, and #3/0 larger frogs, stickbaits and swimbaits. Too heavy a hook kills the action of a lightly weighted lure, so swim it before the trip.
• Frog and hollow-body rigging — The double is the natural hook for hollow-body frogs and rats: the points lie back along the body and only clear the plastic when a fish crushes it, so the lure crosses pads, weed and mangrove roots that would foul a treble.
• Double or treble — A treble gives more hooking angles and a higher strike-to-hook-up rate, which is why it stays on hard lures in open water. A double snags structure and nets far less, is quicker to remove, and does less damage to a fish you intend to release. On lures fished tight to cover, or where a treble on a thrashing fish is a hazard in a small boat, the double is the better tool.
• Check the split ring too — A 2X hook will outlast a light factory split ring. Upgrade the ring at the same time, then swim the lure beside the boat to confirm it still tracks true.

Target Species By Region

• Southeast Asia — Giant snakehead (toman) and striped snakehead (haruan) on hollow frogs over reservoir weed, peacock bass in lily pockets, and barramundi (siakap) on mangrove hard baits.
• North America — Largemouth bass on frogs and swimbaits over grass and pads, northern pike and musky on large baits, and inshore redfish and snook.
• Japan & East Asia — Raigyo frog fishing on canals and irrigation ponds, and bass over shallow reservoir weed.
• Australia, Middle East & Europe — Barramundi, saratoga and Murray cod around snags and lilies; pike and perch over European weed beds, where many fisheries prefer fewer hook points.

Specifications

Recommended Pairing

• Medium to medium-heavy casting or spinning rod with the backbone to drive two points home at distance
• 20–50 lb braid for frog and cover work, so nothing stretches on a close strike
• Heavy-duty split rings sized to the hook when converting a hard lure
• A hook file and split-ring pliers in the bag for touch-ups on the water