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Sea Hooks?

Each to their own Pete. I keep my hooks sharp throughout a session no matter whether I'm fishing bait or far more likely lures. I don't carry loads of spares as I travel light (unless on the boat). A sharpening stone/nail file takes up no room and weighs nowt
 
UKNE said:
But here's one problem with the argument. If you change regular and some folk sharpen. Mid session the sharpeners are running sharper hooks than you technically so a mix of both Is the optimum I'd say
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No problem.... you keep checking every cast... then bin them... on the shingle in a 8 hour session I probably get through 2-6 hooks. Its not a problem.
 
UKNE said:
Totally different if you changing them mid use lol each to there own innit as that'll work just as well
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The reason I am so fussy is that most of my big bonus fish on Chesil take a smaller fish that has got hooked on a 6/0 pennel. So the hooks have to be sticky sharp. My big cod over the years have nearly all come this way over Christmas.
Over the years I have had big bull huss, rays, bass, cod and tope take small fish that were hooked up.
Last weekend I dropped a very decent fish I know it did not hit the worm bait on the 6/0 pennel it had been out there 25 mins and the baits were getting stripped in minutes.
Its one of those things I guess but you can definitely plan for this scenario but the hooks have to be sharp enough to foul hook rubbish fish. I have had 4 small pout on a 6/0 pennel all foul hooked in the past.....
 
chesilpete said:
The reason I am so fussy is that most of my big bonus fish on Chesil take a smaller fish that has got hooked on a 6/0 pennel. So the hooks have to be sticky sharp. My big cod over the years have nearly all come this way over Christmas.
Over the years I have had big bull huss, rays, bass, cod and tope take small fish that were hooked up.
Last weekend I dropped a very decent fish I know it did not hit the worm bait on the 6/0 pennel it had been out there 25 mins and the baits were getting stripped in minutes.
Its one of those things I guess but you can definitely plan for this scenario but the hooks have to be sharp enough to foul hook rubbish fish. I have had 4 small pout on a 6/0 pennel all foul hooked in the past.....
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Totally agree, Pete knows i never change hooks as ofter as i should. (I am lazy, not because i dont want to spend the money). I think hooks should be checked & changed when the “stickiness” is gone, even sharpening them does not work very well.
I sharpen every carp hook out the packet l, so i know how to use a file…. But sea hooks are not worth sharpening IMO…….
 
What model of hook do you use Pete? I fish over clean to light mixed ground using big worm baits on pennels of 6/0 Mustad Vikings for both bass and cod (though the vast majority of my sea fishing is with lures for bass, March till November). I can resharpen these hooks to 'an as good as factory' point with a simple bit black and white nail file. I do the same with the trebles on lures and replacement singles but may use a diamond file 1st before using the nail file to finish. I've never fished Chesil but have read of the tackle destroying shingle! Horses for courses I'd say
 
Topwater said:
What model of hook do you use Pete? I fish over clean to light mixed ground using big worm baits on pennels of 6/0 Mustad Vikings for both bass and cod (though the vast majority of my sea fishing is with lures for bass, March till November). I can resharpen these hooks to 'an as good as factory' point with a simple bit black and white nail file. I do the same with the trebles on lures and replacement singles but may use a diamond file 1st before using the nail file to finish. I've never fished Chesil but have read of the tackle destroying shingle! Horses for courses I'd say
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I like vikings with worm baits but being a bronzed hook on shingle beaches I find the point gets knocked round quick.
I generally use kamasan b940s and buy them in boxes of 100 for about 29 quid.
I will slightly offset the bend of smaller sizes for flats.
I know its a pain in the ass on loop rigs for example but i put an srt spring a bead and 3 silicon stops on the top hook and that allows me to change a hook without having to mess around with hook lengths.
 
Cheers Pete👍I like the Viking but wish there was a 5/0 as there's a considerable jump up in both gauge of wire and gape from the 4/0. They resharpen well. I've used the Kamasan Uptide and they are good. I've tried various Sakuma and VMO patterns including the 550Phantom and Saltwater Champion and both are good worm hook shape but I had issues with hooks snapping and poor resharpening characteristics due to the alloy used. Also the 4/0 max size is for me a bit small. I don't fish for flats often just bass and codling, so I'm using bigger baits on hooks in the hope of avoiding 'nuisance' fish.

Rig wise I still use telephone wire twists of about an inch long - old school but they work and are adaptable, replaceable and you can vary their tension from locked to sliding. To be fair I fish over much easier ground than you by the sounds of it, so 3 rigs per rod with a bit of hook honing when required is more than adequate for a session. Because we have such a large tidal range (10m+) I need to stay mobile and move up and down the beach accordingly so less is more. Seatboxes, carrying the kitchen sink, setting up a base camp etc don't come into it.
Tight lines mate👍
 
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The B940 long shank may look a big old gaff but nearly all my codling come on them even on a 6/0. If you on mud or shallow beach you are right in saying that your hooks need less attention. On chesil its inevitable that your hook point hits the shingle on the way back.
When we are catching loads of junk fish a hook will last all session when its quiet the points get turned without a fish on.
At the end of every I usually cut big hooks off and wrap them in bait wrappers and put them in the bin.
With small hook rigs I take the splashdowns off and put the rigs in a plastic zip top bag thats got acf50 in it and "massage" the acf50 into the rig and hook.
Its a bit messy but when i get them back out they are definitely have not corroded.... I am nervous of swivel corrosion as well.
 
Topwater said:
ACF50 should be in every anglers shed👍
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My bits box is waterproof and laced with acf50.... my plastic rig packets are dosed with it and I keep a rag in a bag impregnated with it and all my reels get a good dose and wipe.
The alloys on my old wagon are also dosed with it and it stopped all corrosion.
Its without any shadow of doubt on the list of things I should recommend as an essential to newbies.
 
I always throw hooks away after a session but have fairly recently created myself a little sharps box, like they use in hospitals. It's just a small plastic box with a slot cut in the top and a plastic flap stuck inside to stop the hooks coming back out. I pop my old hooks in as I cut them off rigs and then I can stick the box inside my bag, secure in the knowledge that no hooks are going to come out but more importantly, that I'm not going to get one through a finger when I empty my bag.
 
Kine262 said:
I always throw hooks away after a session but have fairly recently created myself a little sharps box, like they use in hospitals. It's just a small plastic box with a slot cut in the top and a plastic flap stuck inside to stop the hooks coming back out. I pop my old hooks in as I cut them off rigs and then I can stick the box inside my bag, secure in the knowledge that no hooks are going to come out but more importantly, that I'm not going to get one through a finger when I empty my bag.
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What a simple but brilliant idea 👍
 

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