Atomic Grabba Hooks

How well is it built?

Atomic is a smaller brand than Korda or Gardner, and the Grabba is a straightforward hook with a dull grey finish.

It's a compact wide gape pattern, and the in-turned eye on the current design is a sensible change from the old straight eye, as it angles the point towards the fish's mouth when the hooklink pulls tight.

The barbed version has a small micro barb, which takes less metal out of the wire near the point, while the barbless version is there for fisheries that ask for it.

Sizes run from a 2 down to an 8, so there's a big hook for large baits and a smaller one for single boilies and wafters.

To be fair, the Gardner Covert Dark hooks come with a more detailed build, with forged, double-tempered wire and a thin matt plating, and that's why the Grabba sits half a point lower on build. For a hook aimed squarely at weed and snags, I'd still call 8.0 a solid score.

Sharpness

The point is where the Grabba scores higher than its build. A beaked point has its tip angled in towards the shank, so it isn't the first thing to catch on gravel, stones or weed stems when the rig is cast or wound back.

That should keep it sharper for longer than a straight point in rough, weedy swims.

That matters more in snags and weed than anywhere else, because a blunted point won't take a deep hold, and a shallow hold is far more likely to give way when a fish is buried in a weed bed.

The beak also helps the point stay put once it has gone in, rather than working loose as the fish turns.

As with any hook, check the point after every fish or every time it comes back covered in weed, and change it if it doesn't grip your nail. Overall, I think 8.5 is fair for a beaked point built for rough conditions.

Hooking & Hold

The whole idea of the Grabba is a firm hook hold when weed or snags make landing a fish harder. The wide gape leaves plenty of room between point and shank, so the hook can take a bigger bite of the mouth, and the beaked point then locks that hold in.

With the in-turned eye, the point is angled to catch as the hooklink tightens.

It suits knotless knot rigs with bottom baits and wafters, and a kicker or a piece of shrink tube will help it turn. Pair it with a strong, abrasion-resistant hooklink if you're fishing near snags, because the hook is only as good as what it's tied to.

Is it as quick to take hold as a straight-pointed hook? Not quite, as a beak can be a touch slower to catch than a straight point. That's the trade-off for a hold that should stay put, and I think 8.0 is about right.

Is it good value for money?

Is it worth buying over the bigger names? It's a mid-priced hook, and ten hooks in a barbed packet is the usual count. You're not saving money by going with the smaller brand, and that's why value sits at 8.0 rather than higher.

What you do get is a hook with a clear purpose. Next to the Gardner Covert Dark Mugga, the Grabba is the one for weed and snags, while the Mugga's curved shank suits open-water bottom bait and pop-up rigs.

Against the Korda Kamakura Krank, it's a very different hook, as the Kamakura is a curved Krank pattern with a point sharpened after production.

Pick barbless wherever the venue requires it. Overall, I'd recommend the Grabba to carp anglers fishing weedy lakes and snaggy swims, who want a beaked wide gape that holds firm while they steer fish away from trouble.