Hook sharpening...

[Steve]

I have been sharpening my hooks the same way for years and am sure I'm doing it right. Talked to someone Saturday who does it exactly opposite. So......do you sharpen from the point toward the barb, or from the barb toward the point (using a hook file)?

[cisco]

Neither -- a couple seconds per point in the Hook-Hone-R and it will pass the fingernail test.

[Come on Cisco....]

Is that what he asked?

[vetspet(ind)]

i have traditionally done the three way sharpening using a fine stone and move the hook from the tip to the barb on each side and then do the top of the hook....getting lazier as i age and now get the relatively cheaper eagle claw lazer sharp hooks from cabelas and they come pretty sharp right out of the package...the gamegatze (sp?)are probably slightly sharper but the eagles are way cheaper and i only have to touch them up ever so slightly right out of the package...steve

[szopster]

If you sharpen hooks with a file, like I do, sharpening them towards the barb risks rolling the point and dulling the hook.

I have been doing the triangular towards-the-point sharpening technique, taught to me by Tony Portincaso, for years. I use a Luhr Jensen hook file. I think it is the best file out there for walleye & bass hooks. I actually have used a Dremel moto tool for my muskie hooks.

For the chemically sharpened and other super hooks, I have been using an Revlon (no wisecracks please) diamond emery board that I swiped from my wife. It really helps when you damage the point on one of the supers.

[GORD]

Try it both ways and do what works best. Better yet, get him to show you his method. You will probably both end up agreeing to disagree, but it's a good excuse to play with some fish hooks and have a few beer.