Hey Guys, I was just wondering what you use to sharpen your little panfish jigs. I’m talking the really small ones. Also, how do you actually sharpen them, being so small? I have never really worried about sharpening, but I am going to give it a try as some of them seem really dull. Thanks.
Great American Tool Co. Has a super fine hone that works great
So do you just slide the hook along the groove? I’ve never sharpened a hook before so I really don’t know what I am doing.
EZ lap file.
I’ve noticed that a lot of the jigs I buy come pretty dull in the package, regardless of brand.
I’ve noticed that a lot of the jigs I buy come pretty dull in the package, regardless of brand.
aint that the truth!!! one year for Christmas,my wife bought me a whole box full of ice jigs,(about twenty),there wasnt one worth owning if sharpness of the hook was the objective.
I spent five hours using a knife stone bringing them up to snuff.
I have come to believe that profit is priority over quality,and in todays world,that should be of no surprise.
Cody, good to see you’re thinking of one of the “little” things that can make a big difference in success. As kid over 50 years ago, we used fine cut three corner files from Dad’s tool box to put a point on our Johnson’s Silver Minnows. I have yet to find anything better. A Luhr Jensen hook file works as well for larger hooks but can be a little cumbersome on tiny jigs.
File the point facing away from you, from barb toward the tip. For example, holding the jig with the hook facing upright, point facing away. Hold the file, parallel to the hook with one flat face of the file straight up and down. Before your first stroke rotate the face of the file until you have maybe a 20 degree angle. Now holding the jig very firmly take a smooth stroke from barb to tip. You should be actually cutting away a small part of the barb and creating a smooth bevel all the way to the tip. Imagine trying to create a diamond point spear head to penetrate armor. After you cut four bevels on that hook point, turning the jig for each bevel you’ll be done. The barb will still be there, narrower but still there, with a long narrow beveled point that will be very sharp.
Oh the problem of giving advice without reviewing the process. Cody’s question reminded me to go through my jigs and lures to check for rust and sharpness. The first thing I did was put on a pair of 1.50 power cheater reading glasses the slipped on the 2X magnifiers I use for all real fine work, tying jigs, wrapping guides etc. Failed to mention that in the above post.
Next I re-read Cody’s post. I realized he asked about the “real small ones.” So I picked up a #16 marmyshka style jig and I remembered that I don’t do all four bevels on the smaller lure, just two bevels on the side away from the barb. The point of the hook actually lays against the skin of your thumb for support when you file one side, then the skin of your index finger as you do the other. Don’t file too much or you’ll cut away the point and ruin the hook. Hope this helps.
Duke
That was extremely helpful, thank you very much.
On those tiny jigs grab the hook shank with just the tip of a forcep’s jaws right behind the body of the jig. Then use a flat diamond hone to put two or three angles on the hook. A diamond stone allows you to sharpen by pulling the point of the hook INTO the grit. This will allow any burrs that form to do so at the back of the edge where they won’t hinder penetration.
Buy quality jigs…..I don’t think I have ever had a dull hook from CJ&S,VMC or other well known Co’s….
Good thing too…..With my eye’s getting bad…. 
A big problem with mass production is painted hooks. I see so many jigs that have the barb to the tip coated in multiple layers of paint. Pain to chip off and a good hone is simple to work it off
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