Читать книгу The Essential Fishing Handbook - Joe Cermele - Страница 38

24

Properly Sharpen

a Fishhook

25

Make it

Snappy

Have you sharpened any lure hooks lately? Has a fish pulled a split ring open on you in the last few years? If not, it’s probably because razor-edge hooks and superstrong split rings have become standard on many new lures. You do more harm than good by attempting to improve the new generation of chemically sharpened hooks, but less expensive versions normally need touch-ups. Here’s how to do it right.

STEP 1 Hold the hook you want to sharpen by the shank between your thumb and forefinger so the bend faces inward and the point is away from you. Grasp a metal file in your other hand.

DUOLOCK SNAP Available in a wide variety of sizes, duolock snaps open wide to easily slip through the eye of any lure. Just make sure you use one strong enough for the size fish you’re targeting, because they can pull open if over-stressed.

COASTLOCKSNAP Typically made of heavier gauge wire than duolock snaps, Coastlocks are staples in the saltwater world when tuna, marlin, and other big-game species are involved. Their design makes them very hard for a hard-fighting fish to pull open.

CROSS-LOK SNAP Slightly stronger than duolocks because of their design, cross-loks—even smaller models—can handle a lot of pressure. These snaps are oen found on pre-made wire leaders for bluefish ormuskies.

Snaps that hold lures are as important as the lures themselves.

STEP 2 Brush the left side of the point away from you and down the file in one long stroke. Give it another stroke if you desire, but file any further and you’ll weaken the point.

STEP 3 Repeat the first two steps for the right side and the outside of the point.