diff --git a/airflow_dbt/operators/dbt_operator.py b/airflow_dbt/operators/dbt_operator.py
index 8d5e594..77bd1f3 100644
--- a/airflow_dbt/operators/dbt_operator.py
+++ b/airflow_dbt/operators/dbt_operator.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ class DbtBaseOperator(BaseOperator):
     """
     Base dbt operator
     All other dbt operators are derived from this operator.
+
     :param profiles_dir: If set, passed as the `--profiles-dir` argument to the `dbt` command
     :type profiles_dir: str
     :param target: If set, passed as the `--target` argument to the `dbt` command
@@ -29,8 +30,6 @@ class DbtBaseOperator(BaseOperator):
 
     ui_color = '#d6522a'
 
-    template_fields = ['vars']
-
     @apply_defaults
     def __init__(self,
                  profiles_dir=None,
@@ -45,31 +44,16 @@ def __init__(self,
                  *args,
                  **kwargs):
         super(DbtBaseOperator, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
-
-        self.profiles_dir = profiles_dir
-        self.target = target
-        self.dir = dir
-        self.vars = vars
-        self.models = models
-        self.full_refresh = full_refresh
-        self.exclude = exclude
-        self.dbt_bin = dbt_bin
-        self.verbose = verbose
-        self.create_hook()
-
-    def create_hook(self):
         self.hook = DbtCliHook(
-            profiles_dir=self.profiles_dir,
-            target=self.target,
-            dir=self.dir,
-            vars=self.vars,
-            full_refresh=self.full_refresh,
-            models=self.models,
-            exclude=self.exclude,
-            dbt_bin=self.dbt_bin,
-            verbose=self.verbose)
-
-        return self.hook
+            profiles_dir=profiles_dir,
+            target=target,
+            dir=dir,
+            vars=vars,
+            full_refresh=full_refresh,
+            models=models,
+            exclude=exclude,
+            dbt_bin=dbt_bin,
+            verbose=verbose)
 
 
 class DbtRunOperator(DbtBaseOperator):
@@ -78,7 +62,7 @@ def __init__(self, profiles_dir=None, target=None, *args, **kwargs):
         super(DbtRunOperator, self).__init__(profiles_dir=profiles_dir, target=target, *args, **kwargs)
 
     def execute(self, context):
-        self.create_hook().run_cli('run')
+        self.hook.run_cli('run')
 
 
 class DbtTestOperator(DbtBaseOperator):
@@ -87,4 +71,4 @@ def __init__(self, profiles_dir=None, target=None, *args, **kwargs):
         super(DbtTestOperator, self).__init__(profiles_dir=profiles_dir, target=target, *args, **kwargs)
 
     def execute(self, context):
-        self.create_hook().run_cli('test')
+        self.hook.run_cli('test')