sharpening hooks

[soccplayer07]

Hello all. I have been reading a lot about changing factory hooks out on new lures. I fish a lot of soft plastics so it got me wondering what is the best way to sharpen single hooks???

[roadwarrior]

Today's high quality hooks are chemically sharpened. They should NOT be sharpend manually, but replaced.

[Triton21]

I sharpen mine with a small file I got from Janns Netcraft.  I know Bass Pro has them also.

Kelley

 

 

[basscat73]

Today's high quality hooks are chemically sharpened. They should NOT be sharpend manually, but replaced.

Why not sharpen them manually? They may not be as good as new, but I've never had an issue with hooking fish on the hooks I've sharpened manually. Heck, if I had money to burn, I'd be happy to replace rather than sharpen. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

P.S. I use a small pen-type file. Works great.

[.dsaavedra.]

what i do is i take a small aluminum oxide bit and put it in my dremel tool and i sharpen it like that....just dont put your face to close because it produces mucho sparks!

[Sam]

I only sharpen the Chatterbait hooks as they are not as sharp as I want them when they come from the manufacturer.

I have a three step system using coarse, medium and then fine sharpening files with baby oil on them.

Otherwise, I do not sharpen the hooks.

I do use a trailer hook when possible on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits which doubles my chances of keeping the fish hooked.

[bugman]

Today's high quality hooks are chemically sharpened. They should NOT be sharpend manually, but replaced.

I stopped shapening when I started using Gammi's. I don't know what steel they use but they stay out of the box sharp.

[roadwarrior]

Today's high quality hooks are chemically sharpened. They should NOT be sharpend manually, but replaced.

Why not sharpen them manually? They may not be as good as new, but I've never had an issue with hooking fish on the hooks I've sharpened manually. Heck, if I had money to burn, I'd be happy to replace rather than sharpen. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

P.S. I use a small pen-type file. Works great.

You answered your own question: "They may not be as good as new." The physical integrity of the hook is compromised and the design is altered. The "broadpoint" on an X-Point for example, is destroyed. If a point has rolled, it cannot be "unrolled".

Razor sharp hooks are the most important component of what we might refer to as "the mechanical" part of fishing. Hooks are inexpensive relative to nearly ever other cost involved in the sport. There are a number of ways we can all save money here and there, but skimping on this fundamental piece of the puzzle is not one of them.

[Jig Man]

I use this one from Ztackle.  It fits in my pocket like an ink pen.

http://www.ztackle.com/products.asp?cat=302

[Catt]

I got this here buddy of mine who hated spending money on worm hooks; for years he would only use the ole style Eagle Claw sprout bend hooks & he would sharpen them on a regular basis until the night he lost his first double digit bass.

The weakest link between you & the bass is your line & your hook  

[basscat73]

I've never had a problem with re-sharpened hooks -- maybe I'm just lucky. The only single hooks I've replaced are the ones that broke off in a toothy critter's mouth or another unrecoverable situation on the lake.  

RW, just curious on the average length of time you use a single hook before replacing it?

Thanks,

Matt

[RoLo]

I've never had a problem with re-sharpened hooks -- maybe I'm just lucky.

You obviously know how, but most anglers are better off not attempting to re-sharpen a hook (lost art).

With hooks like the X-point you'd need a coarse stone to re-triangulate the point, then a fine hone to get a keen point.

I wouldn't bother.

How often to replace the hook is not time-dependent, but depends on the condition of the point (e.g. Nail-shave test).

For instance, if the point makes hard contact with a rock on the "first cast", it's already a candidate for replacement.

On the other hand, the point may stay sharp all day, especially during a slow day.

I'm pretty sure that Roadwarrior feels the same way.

Roger

[Bizzo]

I've never had a problem with re-sharpened hooks -- maybe I'm just lucky.

You obviously know how, but most anglers are better off not attempting to re-sharpen a hook (lost art).

With hooks like the X-point you'd need a coarse stone to re-triangulate the point, then a fine hone to get a keen point.

How often to replace the hook is not time-dependent, but depends on the condition of the point (e.g. Nail-shave test).

For instance, if the point makes hard contact with a rock on the "first cast", it's already a candidate for replacement.

I'm pretty sure that Roadwarrior feels the same way.  

Roger

I agree also, I check my hooks quite often and replace them if I even think they are getting a little dull. To me, the price of a few hooks doesn't compare to a lost lunker.

[fourbizz]

I replace any hook I can.

But I sharpen alot of hooks too. You just can't change out the hook on some baits.

[RoLo]

But I sharpen alot of hooks too. You just can't change out the hook on some baits.

Yup, and spinnerbaits immediately come to mind

[roadwarrior]

How often to replace the hook is not time-dependent, but depends on the condition of the point (e.g. Nail-shave test).

For instance, if the point makes hard contact with a rock on the "first cast", it's already a candidate for replacement.

Roger

Agreed, but to answer the question directly:

Regarding single hooks:

I generally fish rugged structure. I rarely "replace" a hook, they tend lose themselves!

Regarding treble hooks:

Over the past few years I have been buying lures with quality hooks- Sammy instead of Spooks; Lucky Craft LV series and Yo-Zuri RatlN' Vibe instead of Rat-L-Traps. Still, I have a fairly substantial collection of lures that I have replaced the hooks at the time of purchase. Otherwise, I replace them as needed.

Hmm...

Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits? I think ya got me there.  8-)

[surfer]

http://www.ownerhooks.com/index.htm

I use Owner hooks and I wouldn't know were to begin sharpening the point in this photo. The tip looks more like a bayonet cutting point as apposed to a round needle.

[RoLo]

I use Owner hooks and I wouldn't know were to begin sharpening the point in this photo. The tip looks more like a bayonet cutting point as apposed to a round needle.

True.

Anyone who elects to re-sharpen their own hooks should not purchase Owner hooks.

To manually sharpen the Owner you'd need to start with a coarse stone to reconfigure the knife-edge point (re-triangulate)

which removes a lot of metal and ends up with a thinner, weaker point than the original knife-edge.

Roger

[Jeff H]

I have on occasion "touched up" a needle point hook with a hook file on a jig but beyond that it isn't worth the trouble where worm hooks are concerned.  Cutting point hooks you just can't sharpen and get them right again.

[fourbizz]

Yeah, but how often do you dull a spinnerbait or buzzbait hook? i was thinking more along the lines of my football head/ no weedguard skinny bear jigs ($3+ each) and most importantly: SWIMBAITS!!!!!!!!!

I will only sharpen my swimbait hooks at home, when I can be very precise and methodical, sometimes spending 10 minutes a hook!

[RoLo]

Yeah, but how often do you dull a spinnerbait or buzzbait hook? i was thinking more along the lines of my football head/ no weedguard skinny bear jigs ($3+ each) and most importantly: SWIMBAITS!!!!!!!!!

I will only sharpen my swimbait hooks at home, when I can be very precise and methodical, sometimes spending 10 minutes a hook!

Good for you!

Getting down-and-dirty makes any sport more interesting and more rewarding.

When I used to hunt deer with bow-and-arrow, you had to resharpen the broadhead arrow every time the arrow is fired.

I'd be ashamed to admit how long it took to sharpen each three-bladed broadhead :

Roger

[fourbizz]

I know what you mean rolo!

For me, sharpening hooks,knives,hatchets and chainsaw chains is kind of a Zen activity. When I sharpen my favorite pocket knife, I might as well set aside the entire weekend

I wish swimbaits that have a molded hook had higher quality/replaceable hooks though. But instead we are stuck with no-name saltwater hooks >

[.ghoti.]

I used to sharpen my plastics hooks all the time until I realized this was a lose-lose situation. I could get them scary sharp, but if you consider the time versus the cost of a new hook, I'm losing. Factor in that I've weakened the hook a bit and I'm losing again.

I only tied a couple of times to sharpen treble hooks. Gave up on the pretty quickly. I swap out treble hook for good ones once I've determined that a crank is worth it. We all know that cranks are not created equal. If you buy four identical cranks, you might just get lucky and find one that has that extra, special action that works better than the rest. When I find one of those, it gets good hooks. I'll cut it off the line, leaving an inch of line attached to the lure. This identifies which cranks are the special ones. Over the winter I'll sort out those few "good" cranks, put on new hooks, and put them in a separate box. If you do this regularly, in a few years you'll have a couple of boxes of cranks that you have confidence in.

Spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and jigs are about all I sharpen these days. I use a very fine diamond hone so I remove as little metal as posible, and I don't do it out on the water.

Cheers,

GK

[Guest avid]

Cutting point hooks you just can't sharpen and get them right again.

Sorry, but I do it often, and they sharpen up so well I lightly touch it to a fingernail and it will stick.

Now, the x point that RW likes cannot be sharpened because of the ..............."X" point.

First off, reason to resharpen rather than change.   Have you ever been fishing for hours with only spotty or worse results.  Then the bite turns on and all of a sudden your KVD?   A quick touch up of a hook point can be done in a few seconds, if you know how.  

Secondly - biggest mistake when re-sharpening hook - TOO MUCH PRESSURE>

If a hook is dull and requires more than a little fine honing or touch up-get rid of it.

but a quality hook that has lost it's chemically induced "razor edge" should require nothing more than a few light strokes in the right direction to make it deadly sharp once again.

third. - Use a quality hook sharpener.  A diamond dust "pen type" sharpener is fine.

fourth - DO NOT USE THE GROOVE- death to an owner cutting point

How to - Lightly brush the flat end (bottom) so that the edge (point) lays flush against the flat end of the sharpener.  two or three light strokes with the point facing you but brushing it away is usually all that is needed to get the hook so it is back in perfect form.  The side "cutting edges" are not usually the places where the hook is dulled.  

Test the sharpness by lightly tapping the hook point into you thumbnail. If it sticks, you have a hook that is as sharp as you could possibly need.   If it skids or fails to "grab" immediately, then You can try a couple of light passes similar to sharpening the point, only angle it a litte first to one cutting edge, then the other.  Remember, two or three very light passes.   Try the thumbnail stick again.  If it still doesn't grab immediately, curse the bass god's for being "bad bass gods" "bad bass gods" and pick up another rod or cut off and discard.

Avid has spoken