How to Sharpen Fishing Hooks

Contributor

By Richard Thomas
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating:

(0 Ratings)

Fishing with a dull hook is a waste of time and effort. What good does it do to carefully weight your line, choose the right bait and carefully maneuver your line into just the right place if you can't hook the fish when it bites? Keeping the hooks sharp, especially on less-disposable tackle such as spoons, is a basic part of keeping your tackle in good working order and making the most of your fishing trips.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

File
Machine oil
Rag

Step 1

Take a firm grip on the hook and set your mill file on one side of the barb's blade, resting at roughly the same angle as the blade's bevel.
Step 2

Push the file down the barb to the point eight to 12 times. Then switch to the other side and repeat the procedure.
Step 3

Push the file up along the point of the barb at a shallow angle three or four times to sharpen the point.
Step 4

Check the fish hook's sharpness by drawing the barb across your fingernail. If it easily makes an impression on the surface, the hook is properly sharpened.
Step 5

Put a drop of machine oil on the hook and rub it over the hook with an old rag. This will help protect the hook from rust while it sits in your tackle box.