New hooks.

[Cranfield]

Do you sharpen new hooks ?

I recently bought some Mustad 5/0, 6/0 and 8/0 hooks and was suprised at how blunt they felt.

For most of my sea fishing I use 2/0 and 3/0 Kamasan hooks in the Aberdeen style, that have been chemically sharpened.

The larger hook sizes are for use with fish baits and therefore are a not a "fine wire" hook, like the Kamasan.

[Cranfield]

Ahah, the old "thumb nail" test.
I cannot bring myself to do that deliberately.
It really sets my teeth "on edge".

I just drag the point down the skin on my thumb and see if it catches.

On hooks I re-use, like on lures and flies, I expect to sharpen, but not large bait hooks.
My little fly stone is almost worn away putting an edge on one of the 8/0s.

[Blue Dolphin]

I to check the hooks with my thumb don't like the thumb nail trick....I use mainly Gamakatsu hooks now but I still use a few other brands Owner being one of them ........I use an off band 10/0 hook for deeper water heavy hook for bigger baits thoes hooks really get the sharping stone...........I use alot of jigs for inshore fishing I can't rember what brand they are but i hit them with the stone as well........if you don't the jacks will steal the plastic off the jig everytime let alone the catfish......

[Tom Keels]

I keep a hook sharpener with a built in magnifying glass on it in my bag. I usually have to give mustads and eagle claws one or two hits on it, then I check it with the glass and look for burs or bends in the point. The worst hooks ever are the ones on Ny-lure jigs. They get chromed over and I have to hit them with a grinding wheel.

Gamakatsu's never need sharpening out of the package. Their treble hooks are almost too sharp. I replace my plug hooks with them and I find I can't even pick one up with my hands, I have to use pliers.