I’ve noticed from fishing videos (as well as my own mistakes) that walking the dog as a technique seems to lend itself to lesser or poorer hookups. Unless the fish accurately bursts for the lure from underneath and you “feel” the fish prior to setting the hook, the action itself is lending to a lower hooking percentage.
I’ve had the priviledge of watching muskies stalk and attack lures and OFTEN, the decision to strike is surprisingly slow! One dart to the right as the muskie calculates a dart left and you’ve already increased the possibility for a poor hookup.
If going to a larger treble with shrink tubing helps overpower the deficiencies of this technique, I wouldn’t do anything else. I have a hard time getting excited about topwater walkers because of this very issue. If I raise a dozen fish, I’d better do better than one fish hooking up. If I don’t, I’d better know what the remedy is or I’ll no longer do it. I know I need work on my boatside techniques (8’s, circles, 90’s with a dive…..) but I found a negative in some of my equipment last year. Replaced and now I’m ready for action……. if I could just get some time off without crappy weather!!! I STILL haven’t gotten out yet and if I can’t make it this coming Tuesday, I’ll have to wait until June 20th! ARRRGH!!!!! 
Also, bass and pike miss these lures a lot too. From the bass articles covering topwater lures, I think there’s a very important point discussed……… the angle of the strike.
Muskies like to stalk and are often shown to come from behind, slightly below the bait. Think about the angle the fish has to grab the lure as well as the position of the lure when the fish has to engulf it. It seldom torpedos into the fishes mouth nor is it often a direct sideways bite. Look at the pictures of muskies shown taking other fish. Sideways, sideways, sideways! Again, the action of the lures along with their action positioning just flat out lend themselves to needing an exact alignment of circumstances for any moderation of success.
Bass topwaters that improved hookups came to rest with the tail sitting lower than the head, allowing the fish to “torpedo” the bite. The lure gets into the mouth much easier. But how does this apply to walking-the-dog? Well……… it doesn’t. But it helps explain why the hookup percentages can be lower than other methods and also why success can be so inconsistant.
The way I see it, I would need to desire a new challenge for musky fishing to use topwaters as my go to presentation. I figure that at my current skill level, I work hard enough to find fish that I don’t want to waste that energy on a presentation that is LIKELY to fail.
As agentesox pointed out, different strokes for different folks, but this is why I spend more time working other techniques. The lure action, position, and strike angle only lend themselves to a greater challenge…….. and I’m not looking to add to my challenges…….yet. 
It sounds like you’re having a good time anyways.
4 days later we went back expecting the same….and got it, kinda. ONly 3 blow-ups, but still caught 2 fish. 
. Maybe there is something with speed or rhythm that would help but I havent figured it out yet…
