Get the Point? A 101 guide for picking the perfect hook

A sharp hook is absolutely paramount but even premium hooks can dull. Bounce one off a few docks, or slam one into some timber, and they can lose their effectiveness. Even before Burgi worked from a hook company, he said he rarely re-sharpened a hook once it was dulled. “The only time for me personally I sharpen a hook is if it’s a treble hook on a lure,” he said. “I usually toss them if they don’t feel sharp of they are damaged. I did this even before I worked at Gamakatsu.” Most of the time hooks can be “freshened up” by a few quick sweeps on a basic hook file or stone. If they are really dull, don’t bother trying to make them “like new.” “If you bend a hook, never rebend it,” Burgi said. “As it will have been bent twice and it will just bend again or even break.” A good piece of advice it to attach a small hook file onto a shoelace with some toenail clippers and you have a handy combo-tool for cutting line and spot-sharpening your hooks at the ready.