02-14-2003, 02:28 PM
Here's my two cents. All hooks are not created equal. According to some informal experiments I and some of my students have made from submersing hooks in weak acids a general trend has emerged. The hooks that disolved the fastest tended to be the smallest and/or least expensive. The fastest to disappear were the mustad fly tying hooks in sizes 12 and smaller. (about 4 days) Of, course I believe this is due mainly to size. Next came the generic snelled bait holding hooks from the discount stores (about 10 days) On the other end, hooks that appeared to be made out of stainless steel and/or brass were horrible! We had one hook (appeared to be Stainless) that was taken off a triple teaser that after 1 month there was no vible blemishes. We doubled the acid strength to about twice the strength that is found in human stomachs and the hook lasted another 3 months! Brass and gold colored hooks were a little bit better, but not much. A snelled brass colored salmon egg hook lasted 6 weeks before even showing any significant deterioration.
I guess my overall opinion is that if you are going to fish with bait or anythign else that could be swallowed and cause a gut hook, use a light, inexpensive hook. A possible home test could be to submerge some of your hooks in vinegar for a few days and check for rust. If they rust fast, they probably won't last long in a fish.--------HAPPY FISHIN'!
I guess my overall opinion is that if you are going to fish with bait or anythign else that could be swallowed and cause a gut hook, use a light, inexpensive hook. A possible home test could be to submerge some of your hooks in vinegar for a few days and check for rust. If they rust fast, they probably won't last long in a fish.--------HAPPY FISHIN'!