Hook Sharpening & Replacing Baits

[DEPS_250]

What are the benefits to sharpening hooks?

 

I rarely sharpen hooks. I rarely see other guys sharpen hooks. Once a treble hook gets dull, I just switch it out for a new one. If a single hook bait like a spinnerbait or jig gets dull, I just trash it and get a new one. I mean, you can get a 25 pack of VMC treble hooks for around 13 bucks online. That only comes out to about 50 cents a hook. I don't really see the benefits of hook sharpening unless your a really 'frugal/penny pincher' fisherman that is fishing on a 'really, really, really' tight budget and is not willing to replace treble hooks or replace baits.

 

The only time where I can see sharpening hooks having a major benefit/payoff, would be with expensive 25+ dollar soft plastic jig hook style swimbaits like a Huddleston where the hook is permanent and embedded into the body and therefore replacing the hook is not feasible/possible. 25+ dollars is a lot of money to be just throwing away a bait and buying a new one just because the hook is dull. In this case, sharpen the hook, fish the bait until it is totally trash/no longer usable and save your money instead.

 

Other than that, I don't really see any other benefits to sharpening hooks unless the bait is really expensive and has a permanent single/jig hook or the bait is really special. I have a couple huddleston swimbaits that are starting to dull. Debating whether I should sharpen the hooks or cut the hook off completely and replace it with a treble hook mod instead. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Sharpening hooks is so easy, its foolish not to do it.  If you fish around rocks you need to start to be cognizant of how sharp that hook is.  Forget rocks, if youre fishing around wood, you need to check that often.  This is one of the reasons people struggle with chatterbaits, because those hooks take can take a beating.  I cant see throwing out a jackhammer or even a TW custom just because the hook is rolled or dull, it just seems stupid to me.  

Trebles are a little different then single hooks, but the concept is the same and you get what you pay for.  The cheap VMCs work, but the difference in quality and sharpness is significant when you spend more a little more money.  Jerkbaits, especially in the winter are the only baits I need a hook that sticky enough to hook a fish without me putting any pressure on the line at all.  The g finesse gamys and Duo nanos have the right bend and are sharp enough to hook a fish that just slaps at the bait or hook the fish when she tries to spit the JB out.  Since it happens on slack line, you wont feel the bite, even if you did, they can blow that bait back out so fast you dont have a chance at a set.  Theyre a whole lot more then .50$ though.  A better hook holds a sharper point much longer and are generally much stronger then the 3rd world budget VMCs.  

 

[Jig Man]

If you fished where I do you would see the need to be able to sharpen hooks.  I carry an Eze Lap in the front of the boat all the time.  I only sharpen single hooks not trebles.

[Susky River Rat]

I don’t check my hook sharpness but, I can tell you the first fish I loose on whatever I’m using I sharpen the hook right after. I keep a Dremel tool on board for this.

[scaleface]

I dont sharpen trebels very often but sharpen single hooks a lot . If the hook slides across my thumb nail it fails the test and gets sharpened . I use the diamond file on a leatherman 

[Captain Phil]

4 hours ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Sharpening hooks is so easy, its foolish not to do it. 

 

Hooks dull for all kinds of reasons.  Do you want to spend fishing time replacing hooks when a small file will fix the problem in a few seconds?  What you need is the right tool for the job.  This is the file that I use.  It will cut all metal hooks and it's handy enough to sharped the small trebles on a Rapala or Devil's Horse.  I used it for years in salt water fishing and it will sharpen a 9/0 forged hook. 

 

 

 

[galyonj]

 

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

I dont sharpen trebels very often but sharpen single hooks a lot . If the hook slides across my thumb nail it fails the test and gets sharpened . I use the diamond file on a leatherman 

 

Every catch, every time I retrieve it from a snag, I do the thumbnail test. I even use the same tool as @scaleface to touch up the hook if it needs it.

 

I don't spend a lot of time sharpening hooks, because it takes almost no time to sharpen a hook. And I feel like "sharpening" is overselling the act anyway – all I've ever really had to do was true the hook point up a little bit.

[A-Jay]

I do both, sharpen when I can and replace, if I can't bring it back.

Most times and I mean most times, a single hook bait like a jig,

spinnerbait, vibrating jig and even just single hooks for rigged plastics, can be re-honed.

There's often plenty of material to work with

and unless I totally botch the deal, it will come back fine.

Treble hooks can as well but on some of the smaller sizes (say size 4 & 6 which is the smallest I use)

there's not a ton of meat on the bone.

So if after needing some real attention a couple or three times, there may not be a lot left there to bring back.  At that point these get replaced.

My sharpening process is super simple and usually only takes a few passes around the hook point.

@Glenn knows what's up

A-Jay

 

[gim]

I sharpen the hooks on my muskie lures with a file. Similar to the one @Captain Phil posted. Muskie hooks are big, stout, and more expensive. They have iron jaws. Plus bites don’t come around very often.

[Crow Horse]

Sharp hooks are critical when trying to penetrate cartilage or other bony parts. New hooks aren't sharp enough for my liking and I'll sharpen every one using a turret style sharpener. About 5 years ago I started photographing hook points under an industrial microscope. Here's just one example of a few new hooks .

[Glenn]

Touching up or sharpening a hook while on the water is much faster than it takes to replace the hook.  Plus, it's ludicrous to replace a jig, spinnerbait, frog, etc just because of a dull hook.

[Steveo-1969]

I fish a shallow rocky snaggy river with an open-hook jig head. Yesterday in 5 hours I resharpened the hook 20x (at least). Instead of 20 “bad” jig heads, I had only 1 that I couldn’t successfully sharpen.

 

Sharpening is way faster than retying, so I made more casts, caught more fish AND saved about 10 bucks. If I fish once a week I will save $500 annually. Sounds like a benefit to me!

[Pogues2300]

Fishing where I do in Minnesota I have no need to sharpen hooks because long before they are going to get dull a pike will surely cut my line and it’s time for a fresh bait. 

[WRB]

If you have ever used a “sticky” sharp hook that you can’t touch without it sticking you, then you know what a sharp hook is! 

The finger nail test Glenn demonstrated is minimum sharpness. I want my hooks to “stick” into the basses mouth tissue when it strikes to help me detect a strike, it’s critical.

Not every premium hook you buy comes out if the package sharp, a few are actually dull. Check every hook when using it and sharpen them when needed.

I use hand tied hair jigs, not tossing a jig just because the hook point gets dull.

Tom 

[MN Fisher]

I check every lure/hook I buy...can't tell you how many times I've had to 'dress up' a brand new hook cause it wasn't sharp enough.

 

And as Glenn said, sharpening a hook on the water is just a few second really.

[Skunkmaster-k]

I carry a whetstone in my shirt pocket while I’m fishing. A rolled point can make for a bad day. 

[king fisher]

Some people get by with dull hooks, and dull knives.  I'm not one of them.  I sharpen my hooks with a hook file often.

[Bankbeater]

My treble crankbait hooks get sharpened over the winter.  They get touched up as needed throughout the season.  I run a file over the worm hooks and jigs before tying them on.  Sometimes if the bite is slow and light that sharp hook is what will save the day.