Are you hooks sharp?

[IdahoNative]

Just curious how many of you will actually sharpen your hooks or check them regularly. When I go jigging I try to make sure all my hooks are sharp before I go. As a rule of thumb I will take the point of the hook and run it across my finger nail and if it scratches it then it is sharp enough to use. I also will check and sharpen my favorite lures that I plan to troll with also.

[Teroy]

I only tend to sharpen my Muskie lure hooks. Being the hardest fish to catch, I definatly dont want to lose one due to a dull hook.
[signature]

[Old_Coot]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]I have never sharpened my hooks but have considered it many times. Like Teroy on his muskye, I think I will start sharpening my hooks for BL lake trout this year.[/size][/font]
[signature]

[road]

I check my regularly and sharpen then as needed. Now question for you. Do you use a file, a hook sharpener, or by what method do you sharpen your hooks? I opted for the emry board sharpener. Used my wifes once years ago and it worked as well as anything I had bought costing a whole lot more. But as with everything else, I may need to move into the 21st century now LOL
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool]There are a whole bunch of inexpensive hook sharpening stones available. Most are inexpensive whetstone material. The little diamond hook sharpening files cut faster, but do not leave as smooth an edge. There are many small steel files you can get to do the job, and an emory board...or even a piece of fine grit cloth... will do. Anything that is hard enough to cut the steel and sharpen the point.

I have carried a little "point and gap" tool, from the auto repair shop for a lot of years. In the days before electronic ignitions they were common for tuning up cars...filing the ignition points. The ridges are small, for fine work, and it is thin...to fit into small hook gaps. More importantly, the steel is hard enough to file hook points quickly and smoothly.

I have never been able to understand someone who would spend a lot of money on tackle and bait, the drive to the water and the food and other necessities to go fishing. Then, they buy cheap hooks with dull points and complain because they lose fish. Some of the high priced hooks are sharp enough to use right out of the package, but it is still a good idea to touch them up once in awhile. The lower end hooks should never be used before putting a few strokes on the hook point. On a day when you only get a couple of hits...and don't hook either one...it may be your hooks and not your luck that is to blame.
[signature]

[One_eyed_jack]

I have never sharpened a hook in my life. Would probably do good to do it though. I usualy buy gamakatsu hooks that are plenty sharp out of the gate and I usualy throw them away when they are dull. After reading the posts here I am going to reconsider saving them to sharpen. Plus this is the first year I have really gotten into fishing so the muskie/bass lure will get a good once over this winter.
[signature]

[IdahoNative]

I have a hook sharpener that I use but I have to be careful with it. It has a big stone and wobbles and it can eat away a hook in no time. I usually like to get the point started with that and then I use a file on it. I like the idea of the emery board, I may have to try that.

[IdahoNative]

A small file like that is convenient. I also carry a pair of needle nose pliers in my tackle box to hold the hook while tuning it up

[IdahoNative]

If you have a battery operated line stripper there is usually a small stone on top of them that do good on small hooks. But it is a soft stone and can be wore away pretty fast

[One_eyed_jack]

Alright, another silly "I should know this but I do not" question. What is a line stripper, besides a 30lb tiger muskie?
[signature]

[TubeDude]

[cool]Berkeley makes a decent little stripper. You can probably find one at Sportsmans. Here's a pic and a writeup from Cabelas...under their "Fishing Tools" heading.



Berkley Line Stripper
Don't take a chance of losing a trophy because of old or damaged line. This battery-operated stripper empties an average sized reel in less than 60 seconds. Built-in hook sharpener allows you to touch up hooks right on the water, so you won't miss that next strike. Operates on two C batteries. Not Included. (Price $11.49)
[signature]

[BearLakeMack]

[center][url "http://www.luhrjensen.com/techsheets/565%20Hook%20Sharpening.pdf"][#333366][size 5]Hook Sharpening[/size][/#333366][/url][/center] [center][font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]This is a good reference on how to sharpen hooks correctly for anyone who's interested. It's also printable in .pdf format so you'll need adobe reader.[/size][/font][/center]
[signature]

[IdahoNative]

Thanks for the link BLM. It is very imformative.

[road]

Thanks for the link BLM it was nice to see why I do what I do. Made for some good reading and sure would have saved me a lot of time over the years of trial and error.

Now here's a question concerning what kind of hooks everyone uses. Has nothing to do with brand names. Do you use barbed or non-barbed hooks. At one time non-barbed hooks were everywhere, now they are hard to find (at least in certain sizes). I prefer non-barbed and use my needle nose to flatten the barb when I can't get non-barbed hooks. I don't think I have truly lost any fish because of this, but I do loose a few. Well maybe more than a few every year. But I believe it is my skill or lack of skill that allows them to spit the hook. Any thoughts on this guys and gals?
[signature]

[road]

Hey IdahoNative they work really well and are cheap to buy. I think I paid 69 cents for the last batch. They don't last forever and when you get them wet it shortens their life even more. But I wet mine before using and I buy the two sided kind, corse and fine. Corse takes any burrs off and the fine makes them razor sharp. Have fun tryin this out it's really a kick and if ya break a nail you have a file to fix it LOL
[signature]

[IdahoNative]

Thanks Road now I just need to go shopping...LOL

[MrLipripper]

If my son owes me a favor and/or money, I have him sharpen them for me.[] He does a good job and it helps, too. He also opens up or gets the paint out of jig hook eyes (the thingy where the line goes.)[crazy]
[signature]