sharpening hooks

[the ohh face]

Anyone know of an article that shows the proper way to sharpen hooks.  I can never seem to get the hooks as sharp as i want them.  Also where can i get a good hook sharpener, i got this crappy little rapala one in a plastic case and its all ive really seen on web sites.  That specific one or ones very similar to it

[K_Mac]

I've always used a small sharpening stone. I have a couple that I found at WalMart, but I've had them for years. It has a groove (it is a three sided stone with two grooves and a flat side) that you put the point in and pull it toward you as you would sharpen a knife.

Many of the articles and much of the info on this board and other places seems to support not re-sharpening the chemically sharpened hooks we all commonly use. The thinking is a damaged point can cost you fish, and cannot be hand  sharpened to the original level. While this may be true, I'm a hard-headed old guy and still sharpen hooks on what ever I'm fishing with.

I'm sure others will give their point :Dof view. Good luck.

[Guest avid]

I have found over the years that there are certain "truths" regarding sharpening hooks.

#1.  Must start off with a quality hook

#2.  Must know the design of the hook point

#3.  Must have quality e.g. diamond sharpener

#4.  If a light 'touch up' doesn't work, throw hook away

Now for  the technique.

On mustad type round points, someone else will have to advise

On owner type cutting points.  Use flat edge of sharpening rod, hold hook at angle and gently stroke the point a few light strokes.

Then tilt the hook slightly and still moving primarily down the shaft of the sharpener give a little curve to near the end of the stroke.  the is to sharpen the horizontal edge of the hook.

Maintain One general direction on stroke so that the point is always last

Do very light strokes a couple of times.  Test hook by lightely poking thumb nail.  If hook sticks,  it's sharp,  if not see #4.

good luck

[the ohh face]

any fine grit diamond sharpener that looks small enough will do?

[Fish Chris]

Rarely do I sharpen a hook. I simply use an Owner to begin with.

The problems with sharpening hooks are;

1) Even if you get it feeling super-duper surgical sharp, you might have changed the hook point angle by just a few degrees, and greatly reduced its hooking abilities "wlthout even knowing it"

2) You might have taken away metal from vital "strength areas" of the hook point (without even knowing it), so that when it hits a hard bony portion of a fishes mouth, instead of hooking in, the points simply bends over, and skips right out of the fishes mouth....

3) and finally, sharpening can heat up the very tip of a hook, with friction, causing it to lose its temper, and become weak. This can also cause the point to bend over, instead of penetrate.

Bottom line is...... Don't "RISK" a sharpend hook. Use one that is surgical sharp, right out of the package. Then check it 9000 times during the trip, and it it ever becomes only 95% as sharp as it was to begin with, toss it, and put on a new perfectly sharp one !

........or lose more fish. Those are your choices.

Peace,

Fish

Fanatical, yes, but I don't lose too many fish.

[BD]

Use Owner rig-n-hooks. (I prefer a 5/0)

I can assure you, you won't need to sharpen them

[Garnet]

Sharping hooks is lost art and really not nessary. The yellow files from BPS are the best.

Garnet

[kfx400rob]

95% and you need a new one?! i think thats a little unneccisary.

i dont realy see the point of sharpening a hook, there not that expensive to replace.

[Fish Chris]

Hello KFX. I would expect most people to think "its a bit unnecessary" to replace a hook, because its "only 95% as sharp as it was new"...... And ya' know what ? 95% of the time they would probably be right. But what if you hook the biggest fish of your life, on one of those 5% times, when it did matter, and you lose the fish because of this ???

Ya' know, people ask me all the time, how do you catch all of those big fish, and I'm sure they are looking for one hot tip.... or one "silver bullet". But in reality, there is no one single thing that makes "all" the difference in sticking a lot of fish and / or big fish. What their is, is 1001 little tiny things that all add up to evetual success in the end. Having an ultra-sharp hook at ALL times is just one of those little things.

I check my drag litterally every one or two casts also. Is it neccessary ? Again, probably not about 98% of the time..... But for that other 2%, it could make all the difference between landing the biggest fish of my life..... Or, the big one that got away.

Fishing will always involve the element of luck...... But for every little thing that is "within my control", I think its totally worth the time and effort.

Oh BTW, some of the hooks I use.... like an Owner ST36 2/0 treble for my swimbaits, or an Owner SSW 8/0 Octopus, for Sturgeon fishing are actually a buck apiece ! I wouldn't call those cheap..... But I will still toss them just as quick, if they are not surgical at all times.

Peace,

Fish

[.ghoti.]

I use one of these

http://www.gerber-tools.com/Gerber-Diamond-Knife-Sharpener-9841.htm

With the hook point facing away from you, make a few light strokes on each side, and the top, going away from you. Don't sharpen with the hone going into to point, only away from the point.  I dip my hone in the water first. It seems to work better that way. If three or four strokes on each side don't do it, then tie on a new hook. You're going to remove too much material. I check and sharpen mine regularly. Anytime I think the hook has come in contact with anything other than the bait, I check it.

I believe Chris may be onto something. If you oversharpen, you may very well change to hooking angle of the point. I'd never considered that. I will now.

The above direction do not apply to those X-Point hooks. I don't try to sharpen those.

Good luck,

GK

[vtbassin]

But what if you hook the biggest fish of your life, on one of those 5% times, when it did matter, and you lose the fish because of this ???

;D ;D I always figure the one that just got off was big now I will probably start thinking it was huge  

[Fish Chris]

Well hey VT, of course ! You know, the second they come loose, they always double in weight ;-)

Seriously though, the idea is, to do EVERYTHING within your powers to keep them from coming loose.... then, if they still come loose, you won't have to hate yourself for making any mistakes that caused it.

Peace,

Fish

[jomatty]

i dont sharpen anything i can replace but will sharpen hooks on something like a spinnerbait.  $10 spinnerbaits are too expensive for me to junk when i can sharpen them.  i use the same stones i used for sharpening my knives when i was a chef.  i use the diamond stone and then touch it up on the steel rod.  This gets the hooks sharp enough for my liking.  it wont work on the water but i sharpen them at home before i go.  as far as worm hooks or trebles its just no worth it to me.  they are relatively cheap and its impossible to get them as sharp as i want them with a sharpener.

trebles would be way too much trouble, and would never be as sharp anyways.

matt

[BASS fisherman]

What I like to do is when I have new cranks to try out, I'll sharpen the hooks if needed.  When I know the crank is a fish catcher, Ill replace the hooks with some good ones.

[Guest avid]

I rarely feel the need to defend an earlier post of mine on any thread but this is an exception.

I fail to see how a "light touch up" is going to weaken a quality hook like an owner. The test I use is to take the hook and lightly touch the point to my fingernail. If it sharp enough to stick under such delicate condtions than I feel confident it is as sharp as it needs to be to stick any bass.

Fish Chirs, you are routinely catching fish from 15 to 40 pounds. This is NOT typical.

If I didn't have 100% confidence that my lightly touched up owner hook wouldn't stand up to the largest bass I am likely to ever hook, then I wouldn't do it.  this includes double digit bass

As far as owners riggin hooks never needing sharpening...........nonesense, sooner or later any fish hook will loose it's "out of package" edge

[vtbassin]

Seriously though, the idea is, to do EVERYTHING within your powers to keep them from coming loose.... then, if they still come loose, you won't have to hate yourself for making any mistakes that caused it.

Fish, I see your point but I think I am with Avid on this one.  Sharpening "some" hooks is not all bad.  I fish mostly in Vermont and some in NY and Maine.  A 5 pound fish puts a big smile on my face. ;D  ;D  AS far as I know only one 10 +

pound fish has been caught here, it is the state record.

I sharpen treble hooks more than others.  A rattle-trap is a good example.  I can't see putting $5 worth of good hooks on a bait that costs $3 to start with and that one of those fine Champlain Pike will probably eat for a snack on the next cast.  I know the hooks that come on them are not great  but I can make them sticky with a little effort.  I have landed many fish that just bang into the side of a rattle-trap and get stuck.    I do miss some fish on them and other crank baits but I think no matter what hooks are on there I would miss a fish now and then.  

I will also touch up a spinner bait or a frog.  I typically do not sharpen worm hooks or light wire jigs.  If those are dull or bent over out they go.

It is about 35 degrees here today with a little rain and sleet action going on.  I think I will stay in and sharpen some hooks.

Tight lines

George