I just got a box of new production Mustad Seamaster 7699 11/0s in today. The new box says made in china and looks cheaper and has a sorry looking point, other boxes I have say norway and has a good long knife edge point. The general shape of the hooks are a little different also.....Not happy! I plan on ranting to Mustad also, which will do no good but I will vent anyways, lol.
Wow, what a difference! Dude, Id be pissed too. I stopped using Mustad as soon as I discovered VMC, the quality and sharp point straight out of the package got me hooked on them 
. I also just bought a 2 pack of Owner 11/0 Jobu JEEZE WHAT A HOOK! $15 for two but its one hell of a hook if you ask me!
Before you go ranting about, you should actually try the hook out and see what it does performance wise. Of course outsourcing is bad, but with all of the competition doing it, the remainder companies are forced to do the same to stick around.
Mustad takes pride in making the best hooks in the world... they just held a million dollar giveaway for anyone that catches a certified IGFA record on their hooks.
The reduced barb tip is designed to make it easier to set hook and the more inward curve reduces gut hooked fish. The best test would be to run the 2 different hooks on the same rigging and see how they perform as a metal for staying sharp, rusting, etc. I got my hammer on a rusty sea demon hook that was sharpened.
Just an average fisherman.
I just got my 1st bull for the year on the new china hook.
So far, I set that hook 1 time and landed 1 shark
so I'm happy so far.
I did the same thing when I looked at the hook.
I thought they didn't sharpen the barb correctly.
I get them for $1 each.
No problems yet.
Do You Use 2 Hooks In Your Rig?
It all depends on the size of my bait.
I use 2 for the rays 
And for jacks and bonito and such.
Uno hook 
Slasherx4's arm was not used for bait.
Tipicaly I Use The Main & Trailer, Just In Case The Shark Doesnt Get Hooked You Have The Secondary To Snag With Even Though J.D. Normaly Uses One Hook
Before you go ranting about, you should actually try the hook out and see what it does performance wise. Of course outsourcing is bad, but with all of the competition doing it, the remainder companies are forced to do the same to stick around.
Mustad takes pride in making the best hooks in the world... they just held a million dollar giveaway for anyone that catches a certified IGFA record on their hooks.
The reduced barb tip is designed to make it easier to set hook and the more inward curve reduces gut hooked fish. The best test would be to run the 2 different hooks on the same rigging and see how they perform as a metal for staying sharp, rusting, etc. I got my hammer on a rusty sea demon hook that was sharpened.
I do not think the "reduced barb tip" is to make it better, it is a cheaper method of producing it, just look at all of the cheaper models that were made in the past, they had this design. The stronger and better long knife edge point can be reduced as much as you would like, it is still far superior in my opinion and can be filed down or left big.
My rant is due to paying more for a hook that is much cheaper looking and seemingly cheaply made. The price went up and quality went down, if the price went up and the quality stayed up I would be fine with it. I have quite a few older made in Norway mustads and I will buy no more unless I can see them in person to know what I am getting. I am looking into the VMC's
I am sure they will probably catch sharks but I do not have the confidence in them like I would have in the real deal made in Norway hooks
I notice that they drop the quality on other size hooks as well. Not a good sign.
Over the years I've been straying farther and farther from Mustad with all my hooks. I used to use the bronze shorty's for flats fish, Snook, and Tarpon. Then I discovered the sharp as hell Owner SSW offset eyes which I snell to my leaders. Then I found the VMC "Southern Tuna" 4X strong welded eyes and they replaced my Mustad 14/0's originally because I slipped my wire outta the eye or opened the eyes, or bent them out. Then I just found them IMO to be far superior in every way I use them. Hey, the mustads DO work and I have caught quite a few nice fish on them, I just prefer the quality and piece of mind I get with the VMC's. Let me put it this way, when I hook a fish of a lifetime I really hope its on a VMC or Owner Jobu that I have true confidence in.
I get them for $1 each.
No problems yet.
if I could get them (the 11/0 seamaster) for $1 each I would not care, most places online are $32 to $37 plus shipping for 10, I think I have about $3.75 in each one by the time they got to my doorstep
Over the years I've been straying farther and farther from Mustad with all my hooks. I used to use the bronze shorty's for flats fish, Snook, and Tarpon. Then I discovered the sharp as hell Owner SSW offset eyes which I snell to my leaders. Then I found the VMC "Southern Tuna" 4X strong welded eyes and they replaced my Mustad 14/0's originally because I slipped my wire outta the eye or opened the eyes, or bent them out. Then I just found them IMO to be far superior in every way I use them. Hey, the mustads DO work and I have caught quite a few nice fish on them, I just prefer the quality and piece of mind I get with the VMC's. Let me put it this way, when I hook a fish of a lifetime I really hope its on a VMC or Owner Jobu that I have true confidence in.
where are you buying your VMC's from?
I love my VMC hooks thats all I use for my bottom rigs/free line rigs.
But for Sharks I love my Rustads I mean Mustads 
Over the years I've been straying farther and farther from Mustad with all my hooks. I used to use the bronze shorty's for flats fish, Snook, and Tarpon. Then I discovered the sharp as hell Owner SSW offset eyes which I snell to my leaders. Then I found the VMC "Southern Tuna" 4X strong welded eyes and they replaced my Mustad 14/0's originally because I slipped my wire outta the eye or opened the eyes, or bent them out. Then I just found them IMO to be far superior in every way I use them. Hey, the mustads DO work and I have caught quite a few nice fish on them, I just prefer the quality and piece of mind I get with the VMC's. Let me put it this way, when I hook a fish of a lifetime I really hope its on a VMC or Owner Jobu that I have true confidence in.
where are you buying your VMC's from?
I get my VMC's locally at Indian Rocks Tackle or Ricks Rods.
I get my VMC's locally at Indian Rocks Tackle or Ricks Rods.
Are you talking about the 13/0 VMC Js, I got a couple to try, sharp as hell, but bent one out on a ~6 or 7 foot lemon this summer. Not interested in trying them again.
