Evolution
Currently, there are a total of 18 series of hooks in TroKar’s freshwater inventory, ranging from Mooching rig styles, to extra wide gap trebles, to flippin’ hooks, to myriad worm hooks and hooks designed especially for swimbaits. The saltwater TroKar hooks initially hit the marketplace back in 2012 and have taken off ever since. The current lineup includes both offset and non-offset circle hooks, live bait J-hooks, an inshore Kahle style, extreme octopus hooks and 4x trebles.
The unique product features that allow TroKar hooks to stand out from the competitive pack are many, but the most notable is its singular three-sided point. Eagle Claw’s engineers designed TroKar hooks to have a geometric triangular point to penetrate faster and easier. Then they honed all three edges to surgical sharpness. The result is a hook that penetrates twice as fast as many competitive brands. This feature dramatically improves strike-to-hook-up ratios and your chances of bringing more fish to boatside.
In tests comparing the sharpness of TroKar hooks against other leading brands, the surgically sharpened TroKar hooks consistently pierced the test medium with half of the pressure required for the other hooks in the test group. Translated, this means more consistent hook-ups for you and the crew, no matter how much line you have out behind the boat, using either mono or superbraid.
But sharpness wasn’t the singular focus of the TroKar design. Eagle Claw wanted a hook that would be strong and reliable in a prolonged fight, even when using braided line. With the input of Eagle Claw’s Pro Staff team, they designed a hook that employed higher carbon, cold forged steel and a bolstered shank design for added strength during aggressive hook-sets. The next step was to put the steel through a unique heat treating process that adds impact resistance and just the right amount of flex to resist breaking when you’re muscling them to the boat.
The Only American Made Fishhook
Eagle Claw was one of the first manufacturers to feature “surgically sharpened” fishhooks and they have been an American mainstay for decades. I can distinctly remember using pre-snelled Eagle Claw hooks for bass and perch during my summertime forays to upstate New York lakes back in the ‘60s as a kid escaping from the NYC urban jungle. It’s good to see them 50 years later still doing the same thing and at the top of their game. When you think about it, Eagle Claw is the only major American-made fishhook. For some Fisherman readers looking to support the made-in-USA label, that might be an important factoid. And if it is, then these new Eagle Claw Lazer TroKar saltwater hooks are definitely for you, manufactured in their Denver, CO factory.
The new Lazer TroKars are some of the sharpest fishhooks on the planet. They are designed from the get-go to pierce and penetrate the toothy maws of the toughest coastal and pelagic species that cruise the world’s oceans. With its symmetrically engineered three-sided point, superior quality heat-treated wire and welded eyes (on select styles), there is a Lazer TroKar hook out there that should work for your style of fishing.
Different Styles
The full saltwater line-up starts with the TK3 (offset) and TK4 (non-offset) Lancet Circle. These hooks are a light-to-mid wire circle hook with a wide gap and welded eye and are ideal for myriad species, techniques and fisheries. When targeting inshore or near-shore species such as weakfish, redfish, snook or sea trout with live bait, the light wire TK7 will be the ideal hook, available in sizes 2 to 4/0. When conditions and target species call for a more robust design, the TK8 Extreme Live Bait HD might be the optimum choice of hook. The heavy wire design and welded eye of the TK8 is ideal for chunking tuna and big stripers and is available in sizes 1/0 to 8/0.
The TK9 Inshore Kahle is the perfect hook for live or dead bait, especially when rigging shrimp. Available in sizes 1/0 to 5/0, the TK9 Inshore Kahle’s deep gap ensures consistent hook-ups. Lazer TroKar is now offering the TK10 Saltwater Straight Shank for those saltwater enthusiasts that desire a longer shank and wider gap, and the welded eye of the TK10 will ensure that your hook-ups make it all the way to boatside. Available in sizes 4/0 to 7/0, the TK10 is perfect for toothy predators and when trolling live or dead bait. The TK11 Extreme Octopus is known as the “big nasty”. Whether fishing for sturgeon, halibut, trolling for mahi-mahis, or drifting for salmon, the TK11 Big Nasty offers you a perfect solution. Complete with welded eye and offered in sizes from 2/0 to 7/0, the TK11 will be applicable to a variety of species on all three saltwater coasts. The TK315 4X treble is ideal for kingfish and other aggressive predators that pull like a freight train and will hold up to the punishment. Built with straight points and a regular shank, the TK315 is an excellent choice for upgrading and/or replacing standard trebles on all of your favorite lures or when fishing live-bait and using a stinger hook.
All Eagle Claw Lazer TroKar saltwater hooks feature a durable premium black chrome finish, specifically tailored to withstand the corrosion and abuse that fishing in the briny presents. For more information on the entire family of TroKar saltwater hooks, visit their website.
