For a long time I've been using the Walmart Eagle Claw EWG and offset hooks. No complaints really. But I started to really think about sharpness and how much ofban impact it really has. So I wanted to do a fair comparison. 

 

 

I ordered a handful of different brands/types of hooks. And honestly, I wish I had just saved my most. Very few pass the fingernail test.

 

VMC, Gamakatsu, Victory, Mustad, Trokar... 

 

Treble, straight, EWG...

 

It blew my mind how few can scratch my fingernail out of the box. Not gonna lie, I have stayed away from Gamakatsu hooks because of the price, and I'm utterly unimpressed. 

 

By far the sharpest out of the box was thr Trokar, couldn't even drag it across my nail because it would literally just cut into it.

 

Another test for myself has been to let the hook point rest on the edge of my hand and roll it off. If the hook stays, I call it sharp, if it slips off without every trying to hang on at all - not so sharp. Again, relatively speaking these are all so similar in sharpness I will never pay these prices again. 

 

Except for maybe trokar going forward 

 

Well with 125 dullish hooks - Is one filer/sharpener truly better than another? How So?

 

So far sharpening to create a cutting point like Trokar with a cheap Amazon grooved hook sharpener has made hooks sharper, but people say that rips holes in bass mouths and loses fish. 

 

Any hooks you've been disappointed by?

 

Any hooks you've found to be noticeably sharper than others?

 

what do you consider sharp?

 

Tips on sharpening?

I've caught an untold amount of fish on Gamakatsu & VMC hooks.

I don't do the fingernail test. I haven't been able to find a hook that digs into my fingernail. I do however test them by touching them.

 

I've been into knives and sharpening since I was a kid so I can feel relative sharpness pretty good.

 

Gamakatsu is my standard. I use others, depending on the application, size, availability, and cost vs potential of snags.

 

I like the Mustad hooks I've tried.

 

I also like Ozark Trails offset worm hooks. They are a good hook for cheap.

 

I do not care for Eagle Claw bronze hooks. They are pretty bendy. So far I ain't had any complaints about their pro hooks, but I ain't used them extensively.

I check and sharpen all my new hooks, right out of the package. Then I continually check and re-sharpen as I use them.  I can sharpen them so sharp, not only will they dig into my fingernails, they can poke a hole them. 

 

Here's how I do it and what sharpener I use:

 

 

8 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I also like Ozark Trails offset worm hooks. They are a good hook for cheap.

I use  these and have zero complaints.   Touch them up with a diamond file . I like them as well as any hook I ever used and at a good price.

Modern day hooks are sharp and require way less maintenance as the hooks we came up with.

Gamakatsu hasn’t failed me

in 15 years now. I buy the standards and superlines on sale. And they last me a good while. Loose some to snags through out the year. Other than that they stick around a long while. 
 

I’ve considered going to eagle claw for price. Alot of folks here use them just can’t bring myself to. 

17 minutes ago, flatcreek said:

Modern day hooks are sharp and require way less maintenance as the hooks we came up with.

 

Maybe so, but metal does wear down and becomes dull with use. Glenn is spot on with this one. I keep a similar sharpening tool in every tackle box and the boat. No hook is safe from becoming dull new or not.

3 minutes ago, FloridaFishinFool said:

 

Maybe so, but metal does wear down and becomes dull with use. Glenn is spot on with this one. I keep a similar sharpening tool in every tackle box and the boat. No hook is safe from becoming dull new or not.

I always keep a file with me . I just don’t have to use them as much because hooks are better 

One of the reasons why I use Trokar hooks almost exclusively. 
It doesn’t take much to touch them up if they need it 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

I’ve been fishing gamakatsus for 30 years.  There might be some that are a little sharper out of the pack, but if there are I haven’t bought one yet.  And I’ve never had a dull one out of the pack.  Every one has been ready to roll.

 

The one contender that I’ve loved lately are the VMC redlines.  I’ve been fishing them in a neko rig and they are not only sharp, but they just stay stuck in a fishes mouth.  I remember Jacob Wheeler talking about that when they first launched a couple years ago and thought nothing of it.  Now having used them and caught fish on them to over 4# with nothing more than a reel into the weight hook set, they are impressive.  Expensive, but impressive.  

To be honest, I consider myself a bit of a hook snob.

Meaning, I am willing to shell out whatever for what is, in my estimation,

as important an aspect of my fishing success as the line I select.

Therefore, I use single and treble hooks from Gamakatsu, Owner, and Mustad, which have provided me with a decent level of success.

Not going to list the specific hooks, but suffice it to say, it's the higher quality lines of each.

And I've listed them here before several times.

While a sharp and mostly durable 'hook point' is no doubt important,

For me there's a bit more to a 'good hook.'

The hook's size, wire type and shape, the distance from the hook point to the barb's back end, and the size of the hook barb itself all play important roles.

I understand, that not every basshead needs to or even desires

this deep a dive into hook design and characteristics,

and a simple fingernail scratch test takes care of it. 

However, I prefer going a little beyond that.

Feeling confident in my terminal tackle is like a superpower.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

 

 

My fingernail test for hook sharpeness isn't whether it will scratch/slide along my nail, but dig into it. Inevitably the premium brands not only pass the test, but retain their sharpness longer.

I use a file to sharpen hooks, but I have to admit I have landed many bass on hooks that I wouldn't consider sharp.  Thickness and strength is more of a determining factor for me when deciding what hook I use.  A thin but strong hook is what I am looking for.  I can always sharpen a hook, but I can't do anything about a hook that bends at the wrong time.

The I remember the 1st time picking up a Daiwa TD Minnow and sticking myself the were so sharp!

Everyone was talking about how sharp the new Japanese hooks were and Gary Kliens new weapon jig hood was amazing. 
I was using either Eagle Claw or Mustad jig hooks before ordering Gamakasu 640 hooks to make my jigs early 1990. Game changer.

The Gamakatsu hooks stayed sharper longer than any other jig hook I tried over several decades. If you stick a rock it will dull the hook point and a diamond hook is needed to resharpen the point. Jig fishing a sticky sharp hook sticks the basses mouth giving me a better chance to detect the strike!

All I use now is either Gamakatsu or Owner hooks.

Tom

I’ve been really impressed lately with my BKK hooks. I’m a woodworker by hobby as well and like sharp tools. Sharp is the convergence of two planes meeting. Make sure to “knock off the backside” when sharpening a hook too. 

I’ve got a huge variety of hooks, but I freely admit a favoritism toward Japanese brands. There just seems to be more consistent quality control and reliability. I carry several different files, and even a battery powered sharpener for touch ups.
 

Over the last several years, I’ve largely quit buying Eagle Claw hooks due to the eyes opening up. When there’s a gap that allows 15lb line to slip past it, there’s something wrong. 

Gamakatsu is 100% Japanese made.

 

*Edit*  MOST are made in Japan, some are made in Thailand too.

I used light wire Gammy's and the barb is so tiny that they keep popping out of the worm. I used flipping hooks that were so thick that they failed to penetrate on a "strong" hookset.  So I tend to go to a medium wire hook.

14 minutes ago, Glenn said:

Gamakatsu is 100% Japanese made.

Looking through some packs they are definitely mixed Japan and Thailand

For what I consider routine or normal sharpening, I use a medium grit emery cloth.  The ability to adjust its shape makes it versatile to the point of often being able to even clean up the barb on single hook baits.

When the tip is blunted, I have several needle files I’ll use before finishing with the emery cloth.

Long and short of it is learn to sharpen hooks and they’re all pretty good nowadays.

 

I basically think hooks can make a huge difference in your success rate.  More than color or profile or what brand of soft plastic and it’s not a brand thing for me - it’s about understanding how different hooks are optimized for different applications.

I don't hardly ever sharpen worm hooks. I throw them away and get another. I might sharpen them if I had a diamond stone with a hook groove.

 

The Gamakasu hooks I have from walmart are made in Thailand.

Ok, cool.  I thought they were all made in Japan, but they're not. They're a Japanese company with a factory in Japan and the owner/CEO (and his family) lives right next to it.  I've been in his house when I had lunch with him and his family.  Easy to understand why I was under the impression it's all Japanese-made.  

 

Good to know.

7 hours ago, Glenn said:

Gamakatsu is 100% Japanese made.

That's 100% false.