One of the most critical and often overlooked parts of an anglers tackle are the hooks! They often get rusty on lures that sit wet in the tackle box, get tossed around, dragged across rocks, stuck into trees, and more. The hook is what lets you bring fish into the boat. Without the hook that fish is getting away every time. But if hooks are so critical then why are anglers not paying more attention to them? Dull, bent, and rusty hooks all reduce your effectiveness to put fish in the boat. You may not notice it right away but those days where you may only get a handful of bites you sure will when none of them make it into the boat!
Luckily, hooks can be replaced or sharpened very easily while out on the water. The first step to sharpening hooks is making sure you have a file. Depending on the size of hooks you are fishing with there are a number of cheap files available on the market today.
Now to the point:
When sharpening hooks you always want to move the file in only one direction and toward the hook point. This shaves the hook point down to a smooth singular location. Rubbing the file back and forth will sharpen on the forward stroke and dull on the back stroke.
Be sure to get all 3 sides of the hook! The left side of the bar to hook point, the right side of barb to hook point, and behind the barb to the hook point. This will ensure a very sharp point that no fish can escape from.
To ensure your hook point is sharp enough rub it along your finger nail. If it stick in a bit it is sharp enough! If it just slides off easily the hook it too dull and you will have a hard time getting quality hooksets.
Some of our favourite hook files available on the market today can be found at the links below. To learn more about how to target and catch fish every time you're on the water check out our "Zero To Hero Masterclass" at www.newwavefishingacademy.com/zero-to-hero
Sticky Hook Files - https://www.facebook.com/groups/273364148001566/about/
If you or someone you know is looking to get into fishing or you just want to become a more successful angler be sure to check out our "Zero To Hero Fishing Masterclass" for courses on everything fishing! The masterclass is built to help you learn how to find and catch fish like the pro's by providing all the information you need and a clear development path! Don't miss out check it out now at www.newwavefishingacademy.com/zero-to-hero
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