Disguising hooks?

[laguna]

I've thought about dipping the hooks in PVA solution. I use it to stiffen up braid and it forms a light skin over the line that makes it more resistant to abrasion. Although with hooks I'm of the opinion that anything like this will not totally mask the scent of the hook, but add something to it. It might be enough to break the association with danger though.

Its really only necessary to thinly coat metal items to neutralise electrons to stop them being detected, a very thin coat even 1 micron will do it because its only the surface area, not the thickness of metal that conducts. Interestingly; it becomes more of a concern when fishing with dissimilar metals like tungsten putty, bronze or brass and lead alongside steel hooks as they provide more of a potential due to the nobility, anyone who remembers science at school will confirm a steel nail dipped into a copper sulphate solution will quickly gain electrons and copper coat the nail without the assistance of a battery. Same thing within an electrolyte of dirty water, the surface area of a hook will conduct.

The trouble with PVA, assuming you mean polyvinyl acetate and not polyvinyl alcohol? used to mask or coat is that it doesn't 'wet' or stick too well or uniformly to non-absorbent surfaces such as metal hooks, same with liquid latex and similar water-based stuff.

Regards superglue that somebody else mentioned; there's really no need to superglue or drill holes in doggy bickies, why not just tie a bait band on the hair?

 

[Philip]

I think its more likely the line they are seeing but if your convinced its the hook, I think someone already mentioned it but you can drill & put a shot into a dog biscuit and glue or band the hook on the oppisite side so the biscut flips over leaving the hook out of the water floating on top of the biscuit.

some other ideas...

I think it was Graham Marsdon used to suggest rubbing your hookling gently with emery paper to slightly take the sheen off it as it was the glare that put fish off.

You could also try one of those controllers (I forget the name) where there is a long plastic tube with a polyball about 3 quarters of the way down it and a weight on the end and your hooklink on the other...the weight tilts the tube in the water pulling one end down and the other end pokes up into the air holding your line compleatly off the surface.

Fishing over floating weed and pulling your floating bait tight to it and leave the line resting on top of the weed hides the line.

I did catch some carp on one small lake by attaching my hooklink along a twig with the hook and bait tight to that...the twig also doubled as the controller if you see what I mean.

If they come really close in you could try classic margin fishing..literally fishing off the rod top with the line directly from the rod to the bait so no line is in the water.

Same principle but further out is to put the line over something hanging over the water like a small branch poking out and sort of dap your bait onto the surface but you will probably need to position it by hand.

In all honestly like someone else said, if you just fish when there is a ripple it will probably solve allot of your problems.

 

[law]

put a shot into a dog biscuit and glue or band the hook on the oppisite side so the biscut flips over leaving the hook out of the water floating on top of the biscuit.

If you then tie a figure of 8 loop on the end of the line, pass the loop through the eye from the point side first, loop it over the hook and pull tight, it means that the last few inches of the line are out of the water, as the line kind of bows away from the hook.

 

[robtherake]

You could also try one of those controllers (I forget the name) where there is a long plastic tube with a polyball about 3 quarters of the way down it and a weight on the end and your hooklink on the other...the weight tilts the tube in the water pulling one end down and the other end pokes up into the air holding your line compleatly off the surface.

I think you mean Gardner's Suspender float. They work well if the fish haven't seen them before, but they soon wise up.

Nobody's mentioned the beachcaster method, have they?

A Fishermans Journey: The beauty of the beachcaster

 

[john step]

I agree its mostly the line that spooks them however as a confidence booster I always have a few hooks coated with "tipex" handy for surface bread. It seems to make a difference.
A couple of days ago the carp were patrolling the margins snaffling loose feed under my feet. When I introduced a hook and line they approached, took one look and fled!!
There are a few fronds of weed there so my next ruse will to make the hooklength look like a frond of weed with a length of green hairy garden twine along it instead of trying to hide it.
You never know it might work.

 

[binka]

There are a few fronds of weed there so my next ruse will to make the hooklength look like a frond of weed with a length of green hairy garden twine along it instead of trying to hide it.
You never know it might work.

Solar have been marketing such a product John, I've never used one though...