sharpening your hooks single or treble?

Found I was loosing a few fish. Then I looked and it seemed some of my bait could use a sharpening. How many of you guys regularly check your baits for sharpness?

I check single hooks almost every time I tie one on. Trebles I’m not as good about checking, but I always check them out of the package and sharpen if needed, which is often.

After every fish usually, snag for sure, and before tying on.

Got two or three stones in the boat. Fishing jigs in the rock I check all the time.

Musky fishing, they don’t even touch the water without the bottom side getting edged!!! Because I have the files in the boat, I will touch up other hooks, but not nearly as often. I also, because I have the musky release tools in the boat, have a Knipex cutters in case other hooks end up in parts unknown that need cutting.

Mark

Bigger Musky/pike baits I check religiously.

Regularly, also check for bent out hooks on trebles as they will not penetrate.

Thanks sounds like I got some sharpening to do. So pike and tiger-musky’s “that’s what I often fish for” can really dull the point makes sense they have a hard bony mouth.
Cheers and may the fish god be good to you,
JOC

I touch up all hooks before I bait a hook and touch up after a snag or couple of fish. My mother owns a beauty shop and those emery boards work wonders. I haven’t paid for a file in yrs. So raid your wife’s drawer and hit the water.

I check constantly, but I have never been good at sharpening them. Can never seem to get them anywhere close to what they are when new. Whats the best way to do it?

Red89 for me the best way I have found is to use either a file or a stone preferably one with the groove in it to slide the hook down the middle of it. I like to run the file down at least three places on the hook point always starting from the bend and pushing towards the hook point. Generally three or four passes on three sides will bring the point back for me. It takes. Little practice and some times if I really rolled the hook point it takes more work than its worth to bring it back and I will just replace it.

You are right the sharpeners with the grove do simplify the hook sharping process. This type of sharpener makes it so you need not be concerned about the angle from which to hold the hook at while sharpening. Although I’ve heard some purist say they prefer a flat file, not me. You don’t have to press down with that much pressure either, let the file do the work. I needed a reminder from the guys on the importance of sharp hooks.