Dont forget to sharpen........

[fastcat]

I am going to sharpen my hooks from now on....... I went out this mornin and lost 7 or 8 fish over 2 1/2 pounds cause my hook wasnt sharp :'( ......... How do I know?? ??? Cause there aint no way my line had to much strech cause I was using power pro ......... My rod has plenty of backbone and a stiff tip......... I can see the fish so I know when to set the hook ......... and the only thing I can figure out is that the hook was dull ...... and it was :'(.... I ended up with one fish that is embarasing to say how small it was :-[.......... I went and baught a hook sharpener and some more power pro and some more worms.......... I am going to try the same setup tommorow afternoon and se how many fish I catch with sharper hooks...... I dont think I will be disappointed I beleive I have learned my lesson with hooks.........

[Rich]

Painful lesson to learn, isn't it ;D?

Now you know why I made that post about sharpening your hooks.

[fastcat]

Yeah you can say it was painful......... Even more painful cause it was the first time I have ever used tubes...... But it wont be the last.........

[jglassguy]

Dyas,
An easy thing to do is take the point of your hook and drag it across your thumbnail....if it doesnt dig in, that is ,,if it slides across the nail at all, you need to sharpen it
this is what I carry and use it before I go out to all lures and worm hooks that I have tied on,, Its a ritual of sorts and once you do it , it gives you more confidence I think
[img] http://www.ndsproducts.com/Ezl-26sf.jpg [/img]

[Rich]

I use one of these:



Well worth the investment.

[mblk181]

In addition to sharpening your hook, it's also good to mash the barb carefully halfway down......much easier on the penetration phase of the hookset and easier to remove when landed.

[jglassguy]

Thats a new one on me...wonder why the manufacturer
doesn't make them that way...how long ya performed this technique?
And...I use the offset 3/0 gammy, its point and barb stick straigh up like 90 degrees... they are hell to get a fish off once you have landed it , I 've never seen anything like it,
For years I fished the aberdeen style but changed over about 10 years ago 8)

[Bassin_Dude]

i use on like rebs....except mine is only like 4'' or so......and it came with a set of pliers....a adjustable light......and a clip on case that it all fits into.....its nice and easy cause everything you need is at your side 8) this is what it is.......but i got it on sale for $15



http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...=SearchResults

[jglassguy]

the owner hooks on crankbaits are about the only brand that dont need sharpened out of the box..
like the ones on rattling rogues,, they are so sharp that they are sticky sharp. they grab on to pants, roaps, boat carpet ,, heads lol

[Rich]

That's pretty sharp, 02-I made one similar to that-keep pliars, hook sharpener, a small pair of scissors for braided line and a pair of hemostats that come in handy unhooking a fish if the pilars don't work.

You got that right, JB. It is like your hand is magnetized when you reach into a box of rogues.

[fastcat]

Just got back from the pond. ;D ;D ;D............ I wasnt dissapointed......... I caught over 13 spots and several over 3 pounds. Cleaned em up and there gonna be some good eatin' ....... They didnt hit the tube but they knocked the crap out of the Zoom 6" red shad worm wacky rigged..... I got one of those sharpeners like JB posted and it was well worth the money........ I recomend that anyone who hasnt got a sharpener to get one........ It really helps.........

[fishwitch]

ive never sharpened a hook in my life ive caught dozens of fish on the same hook never had a prob if u caint drive a piece of metal thats as small as the dull side of a needle through a fishes lip need to work on ur hook set i used to fish with eagle claws them mfers tips always gone on them if u could see the fish u were prolly settin the hook to soon most pple have a tendency to do this with top water or sight fishin when u see him hit it count to 3 before u set the hook this makes it about he same as when ur worm fishing out of siight when u feel bump bump and u reel down and set

[fastcat]

I think I was setting the hook to hard cause it only takes a little snap to get the hook through with Power Pro............ I was seing if I could set the hook harder than Bill Dance ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[fishwitch]

lol ive done that bfor i did that off shore 1 time and got a cudas hole lower jaw woorm jerks dont work good on them poles 4 foot long and big a round as a half dollar
also u were using tubes u need a wider gap worm than with your normal baits i would suggest gamakatsu or w/e that name is ewg superline hooks 3/0-4/0 if u get them u wont have to sharpen it ne ways never breaks or rolls

[keeb]

i just spent a hour sharpen all my hooks.

[fastcat]

Good.............................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ............ Now go fishing

[mallard]

Hhmm, Eagle Claw hooks are very sharp, durable, and rather rust-resistant.

Really, if you have a dull hook, chances are it is because of a thin layer of rust. Just scrape it off using plyers or a file/sharpener.

Only if the hook is quite old should it need work.

I recommend the barb mashing too.

[fastcat]

The hook was about 1-2 years old....................... There goes my prob................ Got some new hooks today (Gamakatsu)................ They are some good hooks.. They stay sharp for a long time and are really sharp when you get them..................

[mallard]

Yeah hooks that old usually get rusty, especially if you fish a lot.

[fastcat]

I didnt have any hooks left so I went looking and found one hook in my old box and was desperat.............

[fishwitch]

eagle claw may work fer yankee fish but these southern slabs will straightin a eagle claw ive lost many fish cuz the hook bent when i tried to get him in the boat the tip stays sharp wile its there but if you get hung up and jerk it out bam tip rolls or breaks off its still sharp enough to catch but its not needle ne more gamas dont bend at all

[fastcat]

Especially in cover............ But I usually dont have a problem unless I am using redhooks

[Rich]

[quote author=Dyas link=board=news;num=1119649357;start=0#17 date=06/26/05 at 20:44:12]The hook was about 1-2 years old....................... There goes my prob................ Got some new hooks today (Gamakatsu)................ They are some good hooks.. They stay sharp for a long time and are really sharp when you get them..................[/quote]


I thought that too, until I lost several because a Gammy right out of the package was not sharp when I assumed it was.

[fastcat]

Thats what the sharpener is for

[Rich]

Thanks a lot, Dyas-wish I'd thought of that ;D