How many hooks?

[fishplate42]

Over on the Coarse Fishing forum, tigger started a thread about the increasing cost of hooks. This is something I have noticed myself recently, but it is not the only thing that is creeping up in price, it seems to be happening all over. Cost aside, it got me thinking How many hooks do we actually use and are we (me!) discarding them prematurely?

If I am fishing all day, 10-11 hours, say, on a commercial lake full of fish, I might go all day on one hook or at the most I might lose a couple from breakages. I usually discard used hook lengths at the end of a session as I then know next time I am starting with a good hook and undamaged (hopefully) line.

Over a year, I probably won't get through more than 50 hooks, even with my one-use policy. How many do you get through? Just interested to see what others do and, am I being wasteful using new hooks each session? Maybe I am not changing the hook enough? I usually test my hooks by lightly pulling them across my thumb nail, if it catches I keep it until the end of the session.

Just curious as I do what I do without any specific outside advice, it is what I have fallen into doing.

Ralph.

 

[jasonbean1]

most of my fishing is with the pole so rigs are on winders, I mainly use baits such as maggots so I only change the hook when bait is not hooking properly or a hook length breaks.

feeder or float fishing my rods are always packed own so I change the hook every time I set up

 

[fishcatcher60]

Due to circumstances at home i do not get fishing as much these days and when i do go i only fish for about 4hrs.
The amount of hooks i use depends on the method i am fishing.
For example if pole fishing with 2 or 3 rigs barring breakages the hooks will last the session but i never re-use the rigs or hooks for the next session
As for how many hooks i use in a year the answer is not half as many as i buy.

 

[S-Kippy]

I normally discard hooks after a session. Small hooks defiately but i have taken to saving and resharpening larger hooks. By larger I mean anything around a size 6/8 or bigger so basically the hooks I'm using for zander. I'd do the same if I carp fished when the hooks are £4 or more a packet. I have patterns I trust that I know will take a resharpening.....if I'm not sure I don't risk it.

But I scrap anything that looks even remotely suspect. I don't mess about with either hooks or line. As a consequence I doubt I use more than a couple of dozen hooks a season but probably buy 3 times that. I have packets of hooks of all sizes & patterns all over the place.

Tart !

 

[sagalout]

I use loads of hooks. Wheh barbel fishing I can blunt a hook in 2 to 6 casts, then there are snags and twisted hook lengths. I never save a hook from a damaged hook length, I always discard used hooks.

When fishing the tip or the pole I expect to loose/damage 3 or 4 in a 5/6 hour session.

 

[mikench]

I too have enough hooks to start a tackle shop! In the early days i kept a hook for several sessions and i have no doubts that the many hook pulls/ missed bites were down to a blunt hook and my stupidity!

I now change a hook every trip and sometimes during a session particularly if it has become embedded in my boot, chair, surrounding trees,other objects you would not have thought possible or on snags. I also change it if i have caught a specimin fish after a struggle or a reasonable number ie not often!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

My view is that, by comparison to almost everything else that Hooks are the cheapest item that we use, and as it directly connects us to our chosen quarry, then it is surely the most important . . . . . .

Bearing that to mind on a commercial pool match I will change my hook after every 4 or 5 fish, as it only takes a few moments.

When pole fishing I will also dispose of the hook length after every session (as well as changing it regularly in the session) so I store my rigs without a hook on the winder.

Like most anglers I would imagine I carry far too many hooks but then again, they are small an very light so won't make any appreciable difference to the overall load . . . . . so why run the risks of losing a special fish on a blunt hook?

Just my thoughts, others will, of course, differ . . . . .

 

[103841]

It's only recently I've noticed how hook sharpness varies when piercing a maggot. I can go a day on one hook, on another day, loads when I seem to find every snag possible. Large hooks get sharpened (even before first use).

 

[mikench]

I have noticed that with newish hooks and maggots! The same hook has no problems with my finger or jacket though!

 

[steve2]

I have enough hooks to last me a lifetime. Because I leave my rods set up the hooks rarely get changed unless the hook length needs changing. My pike traces normally last me a season I will sharpen the hooks on them if they feel blunt. Hooks on my lures also get sharpened and rarely changed.

 

[bracket]

.I will carry between 100 to 200 tied up hooks with me at any one time. During a session on the River I will use up to a dozen hooks this will include changing hooks that have lost their edge, easily detected when fishing the maggot. Also changing up through the sizes from 22,20 to 18 whilst changing from single maggot to double maggot. I don't worry about the price. The one certainty is, that to catch you need a hook on the end of the line. Pete.

 

[Richox12]

I will carry between 100 to 200 tied up hooks with me at any one time. During a session on the River I will use up to a dozen hooks this will include changing hooks that have lost their edge, easily detected when fishing the maggot. Also changing up through the sizes from 22,20 to 18 whilst changing from single maggot to double maggot. I don't worry about the price. The one certainly is that to catch you need a hook on the end of the line. Pete.

Same as. Often I can use many each session just ringing the changes or because I have a number of different set-ups ready. On others I can use one hook all day. It just depends. But I throw away all used hooks after each session and never use again.

 

[rayner]

For silvers I use caster and it's easy to spot when a hook has lost it's point, doesn't happen so much these days as hooks I use are mostly carbon steel.
Chemically etched hooks are by far sharper than the old ground points, that to me says hooks last longer so unless a noticeable fall off shows in how effective an hook is working I won't change.
If I or anyone feels the need to change an hook then the time to do it is straight away.

 

[iain t]

I've got more hook than I've had hot dinners. I will buy a packet to try out and if i don't like them they just sit at the back of the cabinet.
Small hooks say 20 to 16 i will change quite often in a session. Larger hooks 1 may last a session. I will only change when they have lost their edge.

 

[john step]

I have noticed the finer wire hooks burr over very easily if you even catch them on bankside vegetation and need changing. I have tried to re sharpen them without the hassle of changing them but its not very successful.

However heavier gauge hooks for barbel/carp etc I find I can re sharpen them OK.

I find trebles are the ones that changing the most frequently due to the rough life they lead.

 

[maggot_dangler]

As soon as the hook shows the slightest resistance to the maggot it is off and replaced .

I have found modern hook are very poor at keeping their sharpness no matter what make or model they are all just as bad .

I carry somewhere in the order of 150 - 200 hooks in varying sizes they occupy so little space .


PG ...

 

[thecrow]

With the habit of keeping rods set up but folded to fit into a quiver/holdall how many of us start fishing next time out with the hook that was already on there? I am guilty of it but haven't noticed any fall off of hook ups to bites, anyone else?

 

[benny samways]

I notice that I start to get less actual hookups and more knocks and pulls when not using a fresh hook or freshly sharpened hook. If I start to get big chubby knocks that don’t hook up then I either put a fresh hook on or sharpen the one that is already on the rig.

Looking back through my river dairies the amount of times that a fresh hook has led to a hook up of a decent fish makes me think that it DOES make a difference. Especially if you are hair rigging as no matter how you convince yourself other wise you are always waiting for the fish to hook themselves when hair-rigging.