Hook debates

[Maxximus Redneckus]

Has anyone done any test on hook penetration i have used GAMAS for a long time i guess cause i really catch fish with um and they come in many styles but i have noticed i do miss a few fish every now and then .Im wondering though tru turns even though not the sharpest hooks really do drive the point straight in anyone notice the line of pull for EWG hooks   its straight to the eye of the hook were as  hooks with a straight shank drive the point of hook FASTER and with more force OK i probably lost yall now but in my own finger test to me the straight shanked hooks seem to have more force then round bend or EWG hooks.... Are we bought on the fancy hook set ups???  can a hook shank, bend  .line of force really be improved or is all about the sharpness of the point that matters MOST?

[linesider7]

I understand the discussion you're provoking, but alas can not begin to articulate my theory regarding it.

With that said, I'm sold on Gamakatsu EWG hooks for all plastic applications I use.  Only other hook I use is Zoom's Horny Toad hook.  Gamakatsu Superline hooks are GREAT.  No more straightened hooks while flipping.

[roadwarrior]

I think we all have our favorite brands. I fish Gamakatsu or X-Point 4/0 EWG Offset Worm Hooks for most soft plastic applications.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Hook debates    What time and chanel will they be on    ;D

[Vyron]

I like owner , gammy , vmc and mustad with owner being the best

[Guest avid]

I think the owner cutting point is the best.

It's not just the sharpness of the hook, but the acutal point design.

Raul made this point very well.

He is a vet and commented how needles used for injections are not just round pointed tubes, but the tip is cut at an angle to aid in penetration.

the owner cutting edge follows this principle.

[RoLo]

I've made my living as a tool & die maker, and during my apprenticeship I worked a couple years in a cutter house.

There I sharpened end-mills, and was the form-grinder for customized lathe tools (radii, angles with primary and secondary relief).

I had my own oven and did most of my own heat-treating and tempering (drawing back).

Unlike years ago, point-keenness today is no longer an issue. Today, all premium hooks are dangerously sharp,

but bear in mind: the sharper the point, the sooner it dulls. Just as important as edge keenness is the Rockwell and temper

of the steel. In other words, IS the point sharp, or WAS the point sharp. Watch any professional while he fillets fish,

and notice how often he hones the knife. When I bow-hunted for deer, I did the same thing with all my broadhead arrow points.

Though I might have been in charge of sharpness, the longevity of my job relied on the hardness and temper of the steel.

Never forget, "sharp" is only a temporary condition, and since many of today's hooks cannot be resharpened (e.g. triple knife-edge)we are at the mercy of steel grade (chromium, vanadium, etc), Rockwell (hardness) & temper (grain relaxation).

Without a doubt, the knife-edge point' requires less force to break through membrane than a conical point.

But point configuration is only one facet, and for someone using polyurethane braid instead of nylon mono, it's a moot point.

Equally important is are wire diameter and "hook configuration" (e.g. sproat, circle hook, O'shaughnessy, kahle).

My favorite hook is the Gamakatsu Super Line (offset shank), but there's no single reason why I use that brand.

It's a combination of wire configuration, edge-keenness, hardness, temper and a solid track record.

There are several wonderful premium hooks available, but before switching hook brands understand

that changing hook brands will alter the entry and exit point of your hook, as well as the weight added to the lure.

Just for example, I know that the Gamakatsu 4/0 Super Line weighs 21 grains, but I don't know or care what other brands weigh.

Roger

[roadwarrior]

RoLo,

Maybe you could comment on this hook or more specificaly: Is the information "important" or simply used to bambozzel the averaged guy?

http://www.xpointhooks.com/

[RoLo]

To begin with, X-point is 'definitely' an excellent premium hook.

If I were using them now, I probably wouldn't switch to Gamakatsu, and vice versa.

> 4 micro cutting edges insure structural integrity and strength

I'm assuming the surgical point is coined, then there is no question that four swaged cutting notches

would certainly increase the "structural integrity" (the term "strength" is a synonym for same).

> Perfect, straight point are always parallel to line-of-pull

In tool making we refer to that as column strength, but that sort of reiterates structural integrity' mentioned above.

As for hook-point in the "line-of-pull"I don't know. If you have a hook in front of you it's very easy to confirm.

If the hook-point is in the "line-of-pull", it will be pointing directly at the line-eye (e.g. the Gamakatsu is in the line-of-pull).

> XPoints are made from 110 carbon steel. Others boast about their 80 rating.

That's a tough one because different manufacturers use different conventions.

Here's the deal, the higher the carbon content, the harder the steel can be made through heat-treating

If it's hardened to 66 rockwell, that's called 'glass hard' and needs to drawn-back (tempered) to say 5860 or 60-62 on the C-scale.

If my memory serves me correctly, "110 carbon" is what toolmakers refer to as O1 (O = Oil),

a medium-carbon oil-hardened steel (there's air-hardened, oil-hardened and water-hardened steel).

Equally important are the additives (what turns iron into steel), and with respect to edge-keenness

I'd like to see high carbon, high-chrome steel with molybdenum and vanadium.

I doubt that well ever see that anymore, I think they're afraid of intimidating today's consumer.

Roger

[bpm2000]

very informative rolo!

[Guest avid]

Nice little treatise their Roger.

X points rock, no doubt about it.

But I think the single cutting edge on the Owner offers less resistance than the four contact points on the x point......................blah blah blah,

As  I was writing my post I realized the utter meaningless of it all  

Get good quality hooks, check to make sure they are sharp, and fish with confidence.

Avid has spoken  

[JigNBig]

        Owner Cutting Edge get my vote for best hook out there hands down.  

          You aren't fishing unless you have an Owner tied on!

[Maxximus Redneckus]

WOW so much knowledge and opinions  boils down to what i feel good using Gamas,X points ,truturns, owners thanks all    anyone know if x point still has that promotion thing going on ...state record bass= 50 gran world record u get a million if u use there hooks??????

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

        Owner Cutting Edge get my vote for best hook out there hands down.  

          You aren't fishing unless you have an Owner tied on!

:-[ :-[ :-[ Oh NO,...What the heck have I been doing?????   :-/ :-/ :-/

The Indians got it done with a piece of bone.  Give me a hook and a trick stick and I'll give you a fish