Fishing hooks

[MarkT]

I sharpen the hooks on my irons and trolling lures. I've never sharpened a live bait hook.

[Cor]

I've just sharpened two 5/0 trebles I used today.    I've never given it too much thought.   Often the points bend a bit or when they feel or look blunt I sharpen them with a normal file or diamond file.

At the price of hooks these days I can't afford to just toss them away because they have been used a day or two.

[Reel Beaker]

At the price of hooks these days I can't afford to just toss them away because they have been used a day or two.

I presume you are using large game stainless hooks for your hooks to be so expensive

[Reel Beaker]

When a hook is touted as 'chemically sharpened" is further sharpening not advised?

Steve

Yes.

Why is it not advisable to sharpen chemically sharpened hooks?

[Cor]

At the price of hooks these days I can't afford to just toss them away because they have been used a day or two.

I presume you are using large game stainless hooks for your hooks to be so expensive

No not Stainless or even very expensive hooks. Usually VMC but I fish often enough that it all adds up and am retired so need to look after the cents!
I also see no reason why not to sharpen them, they work well enough like that for fast retrieve lure fishing.

I also flatten the barbs, as I try to tag and release the bulk of the fish I catch.

I sharpen the hooks on my irons and trolling lures. I've never sharpened a live bait hook.

I only fish Irons and surface plugs.   Hook size matters, and whether you use treble or singles makes a difference to your hookup ratio but ive never had reason to think that a hook that I sharpened does not work as well as a new one.

Last Thursday I had a large Yellowtail close his mouth around my hooks at full speed and let it go again without me even feeling him, new 5/0 treble and it was no more then 10 yds from where I was standing.   This is not unusual at all!

[Reel Beaker]

Hi,
how does treble/singles affect your hook up ratio? Just last week, i had a very puzzling encounter. I was fishing at a jetty, and i attached a bell to my medium-heavy rod. Suddenly, my bell rang and my rod tip started twitching up and down. When i reeled in, my live sardine was still alive and well. But i dont believe that an ordinary sardine could bend a medium-heavy rod like that. Very puzzled to what actually happened? Dont think a large fish would spit out a live sardine when it has one in his mouth.

[Gfish]

Also after I sharpen i usually use a black sharpie over and around the sharpened point to help lessen corrosion. Also the sharpie is a good reminder and lets you know which have and have not been sharpened. Say out of a box. I dont put out or allow baits in the water without being sharpened first!

Great idea with the sharpie!  Indeed I geta lota corrosion on the point a hooks I've already sharpened.
Gfish

[Rivverrat]

When a hook is touted as 'chemically sharpened" is further sharpening not advised?

Steve

Yes.

Why is it not advisable to sharpen chemically sharpened hooks?

With out specialized equipment it's hard to duplicate a factory chemically sharpened hook by mechanically sharpening it. I dont toss them either when they become dull but do my best to put the sharp on them... Jeff

[SoCalAngler]

I very rarely sharpen hooks if ever. My live bait hooks get tossed after fishing them, even if they only touch salt water a couple of times they get chucked. Sure I will use the same hook several days in a row but I will never take off a bait hook that has hit the salt and put it back in my tackle box. This can only bring saltwater into my box where I keep the rest of my hooks and start the new ones in there rusting or corroding. Maybe if you rinsed the hooks in freshwater and let dry before putting them with the other hooks that could be fine. All my hooks are in their own Plano box so I don't get salt transfer from one box to another.

On my iron, both surface and yoyo, with J or trebles hooks, I fish these often enough that I loose a jig due snags and stuff faster than the hooks need to be sharpened. Some I'm able to keep for a few years and when I lose the ones with all the paint eaten off with the rusted hooks that almost always seems to work then others don't it is a sad for sure. Maybe I could drag a file on their hooks but I never want to change their mojo, so I don't. They seen to hook fish just fine for me. Of course these are kept in their own Plano box as well.

Now on my trolling rigs where I buy stainless hooks for my feather or skirted lures, these always get a rinse with freshwater after use and allowed to dry before putting them away. Just like my hooks and iron my trolling lures have their own Plano box and most of them show very little sign of rust, if any. These are most of the expensive hooks I use so I do trry to take care of them better, along with the lures and rigging. If I felt these hooks needed some sharpening they would be about the only ones I would do it to.

[Shark Hunter]

I Sharpen all my Hooks with a Diamond File to a razor point.
Dragging them across the ocean floor with a 1lb weight dulls them pretty quick.
I try to remember to put a cork on the tip when kayaking baits out, but it usually gets forgotten in the excitement.
That file is in my bag if I'm on the beach.

[bill19803]

if  you  want to do  quick   check on  hook  being  sharp   hold hook  so  point is pointed towards  you in bright light.  if  you see a  shiny  spot at point  its dull.

[steelfish]

On my iron, both surface and yoyo, with J or trebles hooks, I fish these often enough that I loose a jig due snags and stuff faster than the hooks need to be sharpened.

thats the story of my fishing life 

maybe on trolling lures but instead of sharpen them I change hooks for some new ones, live bait or bottom fishing I rarelly save those hooks, the bottom of the sea on this zone is really rocky and sticky, you lose many jigs, irons and bottom fishing rigs that you rarelly have "old" hooks or lures on your tacklebox

[Rivverrat]

 My live bait hooks get tossed after fishing them, even if they only touch salt water a couple of times they get chucked. Sure I will use the same hook several days in a row but I will never take off a bait hook that has hit the salt and put it back in my tackle box. This can only bring saltwater into my box where I keep the rest of my hooks and start the new ones in there rusting or corroding.  

SoCal, this great advice. Something some one like myself coming from fresh to salt would not have practiced. Thanks for this... Jeff

[Reel Beaker]

I Sharpen all my Hooks with a Diamond File to a razor point.
Dragging them across the ocean floor with a 1lb weight dulls them pretty quick.
I try to remember to put a cork on the tip when kayaking baits out, but it usually gets forgotten in the excitement.
That file is in my bag if I'm on the beach.

cant help but notice that there are some carbon steel circle hooks in your pic. Do you sharpen those as well?

[Shark Hunter]

Yes,
Especially those.