I use treble hooks as stingers when I fish for halibut, but found that they often came loose with very lively bait — especially with smaller hooks. To keep it in place, I bend two of the three hooks closer together, about 1¿¿4-inch apart, with needle-nose pliers. I then fasten the two bent hooks into the back end of the baitfish. Now the stinger holds better and my hookup rate goes up.
— Asher Berlan,
Los Angeles, California
