Strand he told me last year he did not change them. We had great luck with purple mist this fall. We have never had a hook or ring failure. But there must be some reason ppl want to change them, I did hear thst some ppl have had issues with the metal part the ring goes through pulling out of the body of the bait, maybe this is why the hooks are a little softer, better to replace hooks the ruin the entire bait???? I am sure someone alot more knowledgeable than me will chime in