The G-Power Outsider Treble Hook is the latest creation of world-renowned and industry-leading hook manufacturer Gamakatsu. At this point, it’s a fair response and legitimate question to ask how much can a company improve a treble hook as yet another three-pronged hook hits the market.
But Gamakatsu did a little something with this one that I don’t recall seeing in a treble hook bend before — though the design did invoke distant memories of the bends in King Triton’s trident (The Little Mermaid is a classic, don’t judge me). And after putting these hooks to the test, I believe the Outsider could haul in the sea-witch Ursula herself… okay, enough of that. Here’s my take on the Gamakatsu Outsider Treble Hook.
The Points
The points were the first things to catch my eye when pulling this hook from its packaging.
Instead of maintaining the trajectory of the bend like a typical treble point would, these points from the barb up turn straight up and run parallel to the hookshaft. This effectively widens the gap between the point and the shaft. And that creates more opportunities for the hook to penetrate a fish. Ultimately, the hook bend resembles that of an EWG treble, just with the hook point turned back up.
Nano-Alpha Technology
Gamakatsu used its proprietary Nano-Alpha technology to coat this hook, creating a super-slick surface to minimize friction and allow the hook to penetrate quicker and cleaner. This may be overkill, but that attention to detail is impressive.
The coating also makes the hook corrosion-resistant. You can easily feel the difference with your fingers between the Outsider’s slick coating and a normal bare treble. Every little advantage you can gain on a bass is worth considering.
On the Water
I tested a few different sizes of the Outsider: 5, 2, and 1/0. I paired the size 5 hooks with an Ark Popper and put the size 2 hooks on a Berkley J-Walker. And then I tested the 1/0 using a Berkley Moeba urchin-style bait. In all instances, the hook performed really well. Among the three baits, I caught around 10 fish and only recall losing one on the way to the boat on the popper.
I horsed a few in on the popper and found the size 5 hooks to be plenty strong, able to haul in bass and boat flip them without bending. I wouldn’t recommend doing this with a five-pounder, nor would I with any treble. Comparatively, the Outsider held up as well or better than most trebles. I had a similar experience with the size 2 on the Jaywalker. The hooks are fairly light, making them a good choice for a topwater so that you can max the size out without bogging down the bait.
For the Moeba, the 1/0 did a great job. The wide gap between the hook point and the shaft created plenty of bite to lock into the fish that sucked down the Moeba. And I was able to horse these fish to the boat as well using 17-pound fluoro and boat flip them all with no issues — and a couple were in the three- to four-pound range.
Final Thoughts
The Outsider is an eye-catcher with fancy modifications like the turned-out points and slick coating. Neither of these features felt gimmicky on the water. The hook performed really well: No bends, no breaks, and no rolled points. I put three different sizes through the wringer, finding each to be effective and reliable. There’s really nothing critical to say about this one on the performance side.
The only drawback I’d say is the price point. At $12.59 for a six-pack of size 4s, these hooks are pretty pricey compared to most other trebles and even some higher-quality ones. I wouldn’t go swapping every treble I own out for them. But, for the critical baits in my arsenal that I rely on in tournament situations, I could definitely see the Outsider being a great investment.
