Hook Sharpening Tip

I was going through some gear and came across a tool that I won’t leave shore without… I use a battery operated Dremel 7700 tool to sharpen my hooks.

I use a 952 bit, which is sort of a cone shaped sharpening stone. This allows me to sharpen hooks quickly and ultra sharp because I can get to all sides of the hook. I like to sharpen down two sides of the hook to get a sharp edge on the inside or barb side. I’ll then touch up a third side at the point real quickly so the point is needle sharp..It takes a little while to get the hang of it, and with softer hooks you’ll actually want to be careful to not grind off too much

Batteries last pretty long but you could get a back up to bring out (I haven’t needed one yet). I usually charge mine every 2 days.

Just thought I’d share this… I see a lot of rusty files and dull hooks come into my boat. I am obsessive when it comes to sharp hooks!

The late great Mille Lacs pro Duane Leach used to test all his hooks for sharpness on his thumbnail. Of course this was the kind of dedicaded campaigner who would head north in September with a Warrior full of gear and rarely be seen around Apple Valley until at least Thanksgiving.

Ryan:

That’s one thing I need to improve upon

You and Josh are like two peas in a pod when it comes to being obsessive hook sharpeners

He says, “If the hooks aren’t sharp, you might as well just take’um off”

Yes, there’s no doubt that sharp hooks are a must in musky fishing… and why not when it comes to other species as well. The dremel makes it easy to sharpen the smaller hooks too. If you’ve ever tried using an old rusty file on a 3/0 bass hook it’s not so much fun. The hook will flex and it’s tough to hang on too.

…Maybe I should go sharpen some smallie jigs… less than a month and a half for northern WI!!! although thats hard to believe when I look outside

That’s a great idea! It will make the pre-season sharpening fest a whole lot easier!

Now there’s no reason for me to be lazy

I’m sure that’s what it boils down to for most people

It takes a while to sharpen the hooks, on every bait in the tackle box, so this thing could really speed the process up a lot

As well as make it kind of fun Let’s face it, who doesn’t like using power tools

I quit sharpening all my baits just hit them as I use them, been guilty of trhowing a new bait and missing a fish due to being in a hurry at prime time and complaciant that new hooks should be sharp and were not…Besides I dont care to sit and sharpen hooks on 300 baits at once while many ony get used on certain lakes at certain times or trips….

I tend to agree with Shaley. It’s fun to sit in the boat and go through the tackle with a refreshment in hand but even if I sharpen hooks on dry land, I’ll still brush them up in the boat before I’m about to toss them… I think the name for my condition is obsessive compulsive.

…and yes, new hooks can be super dull. Always a good idea to sharpen them. Good point (no pon intended) Shaley

I was “ok” at remembering to sharpen my hooks, but one afternoon this summer something in my head told me to stop casting for a minute and check the sharpness of the hooks on the bucktail i was using. I touched up all of the points since i made the time to stop and check and litterally 5 minutes later i caught my PB muskie. I am not saying that i wouldn’t have caught it if i didn’t stop to sharpen, but I sure as heck am going to make sure to take the 30 seconds it takes every time i pull a lure out of the box to touch it up just in case. You just never know what the next cast will bring. I have been using the yellow handle Luhr Jensen file for a couple of years and like it, but i might have to try that Dremmel set up too. Sharpening smaller hooks (< 3/0) isn’t quite as easy with a file in my experience.

Good post Ryan.

A small points file works well for me, keep it accessible and touch up the lures as I use them.

Battery powered might be nice at home though.

al

I just picked a dremmel 7700 up on ebay.

I’m actually looking forward to sharpening hooks for once

I have a Dremmel that doesn’t get used enough so I think I’ve just found it’s new purpose!

I’ve had an electric hook sharpener for years and I usually hit the baits before I even put them in the box. I do the thumbnail test too, just so I know when I’ve got a good, sharp tip. I check the tips as I pull them out for use and if I don’t like what I feel, I would touch them up before use. If it felt good, get that thing in the water!!!!