# Hook sharpening - do you?



## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Most of us have chemically sharpened hooks on our lures, flies and baits these days
The times of new hooks fresh from a pack that couldn't be hammered into a lump of cheese are gone
But every time we tick a hook on a snag or hook a fish the hook blunts ever so slightly

So who here touches up their points?
If so, how and how often?
If not, why not?

Does any think this affects their catches?
Maybe differences dependent on species? Hard mouth species like bream, snapper have different requirements to softer mouthed species like whiting, trout etc, or even rubbery lipped species like wrasse, bonefish and carp

Interesting article to give some food for thought and discussion: http://www.ginkandgasoline.com/fly-fish ... ooks-more/


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Most of the lures I buy probably don't have chemically sharpened hooks, they don't say they do so I guess they don't. I probably use them blunter than most would but my way of checking is to scrape one lightly on my fingernail. If it scratches, it's good to go. If it just slides along, without a hope in hell of scratching, it's time for a sharpen.

Another thing I wonder about is how much efficiency is lost though the rest of the hook being rusty. I know they shouldn't be rusty but mine sometimes get that way when I fish everyday and miss a freshwater wash here and there.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

How? I use a stone and rub two points at a time....I've explained before with pics, I'll try find that thread and post a link here sometime.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Found it here. viewtopic.php?f=10&t=41097&p=426291&hilit=Sharpening+trebles#p426291


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Naaaaahhh mate.
When I notice I'm missing more hook ups than usual I'll replace either the hook or the lure.
I've been using pretty much only one cod lure for the last 2 years and the lure is dying before the hooks need replacing.


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## Stealthfisha (Jul 21, 2009)

No


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

yes

I only use single hooks. I started testing the points against my fingernail and realised they lose their "stickiness" after only one fish or even after one saltwater session with no fish biting to blunt them. Whenever I forget to touch up the points now I notice the dropped fish rate increases.

I use an owner hook sharpening stone which hangs off my pfd http://www.luretour.com/?p=1124. I replaced the bead chain with some cord so it won't rust. Takes a few seconds but is really too easy, if I'm using soft plastics I don't even bother taking the soft plastic off the jighead. It's such a good sharpener I've even started to sharpen the jigheads and hooks a bit more straight out of the packet, even the chemically sharpened hooks like the gamakatsu's get stickier on the fingernail. There is a noticeable difference with jigheads too when threading plastics on a sharpened vs non-sharpened hook.


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## grinner (May 15, 2008)

hay bud,

i dont but i thought it was a bit of a no no to sharpen chemically sharpened hooks.

i really only use mustads.

i brought some circles which were silver called ultrapoint , whether its a gimmick or not, i have no idea, but they were superior to normal circles so i shall be going back for more.

i do always wash any hooks that get salt water on them at the end of the day and i will often change a hook after break off a snag as this seems to blunt them.

cheers


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

yep Grinz I've read that too about the chemically sharpened hooks but being curious I tried sharpening one from the box one day just to see what happens and it was definitely stickier on my thumbnail after a few licks on the stone. I always plonk my used hooks in a jar with fresh water in it until I get home, then rinse them under running water and then air dry. They still become blunter at least on the thumbnail by the time they're dry. Seriously, try the experiment with the hook sharpener on the mustads out of the box one day.


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## Berger (Aug 13, 2012)

Religiously, using a high quality whetstone to create triangular facets behind the point.

Even chemically sharpened hooks sometimes have points that get dinged out of shape, and two strokes with the stone restores a point that will have the hook embed in a fingernail with the lightest touch.


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## john316 (Jan 15, 2009)

always carry a diamond hook file on the same lanyard as my braid scissors and touch up the points when they stop digging into my thumbnail...

cheers

John


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