# Hooks?



## rickyble (Apr 28, 2011)

I have found using the eagle claw hooks work great for my surf fishing with one problem. Everytime I leave for a couple of weeks and come back to fish again the hooks are completely rusted and worthless. Anyone have a suggestion which hooks to use and where to buy them. Im in murrells inlet looking for something to offset the cost of continually replacing them. Also the nylon leaders tend to twist up after a few times/days of fishing and no long stay straight. The wire do the same but not as quick...thanks in advance


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## Elgreco (Aug 12, 2014)

Spraying them down with freshwater will extend the life of them drastically.


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## bigjim5589 (Jul 23, 2005)

When fishing in saltwater, rusting hooks is a problem with every brand. Stainless hooks will rust the least, particularly Eagle Claw, as they seem to use a grade of stainless with less carbon in it. Even the better, high carbon stainless hooks, like Gamakatsu rust eventually. But, stainless hooks are a lot more expensive initially and not all styles are made in stainless. Actually, some of the Mustad tinned hooks do well with less rusting, but they're not always very sharp, so once you sharpen them, they rust! I like the VMC Permaplate tinned hooks too, but they'll rust eventually. 

Beyond replacing with stainless, keep your unused hooks dry. Get some silica gel packs & put them in with your hooks while stored. That has saved me from replacing a lot of hooks before I could use them. Packs of snelled hooks I keep in a larger zip bag with the silica get packs, but I also rig some myself & keep those hooks in zip bags too. Keeping them dry is the key.

Any hooks you use that are still in good shape, rinse them well in freshwater & dry them, and if they have leaders or them hang them in a cool, dark but dry place. Mono leaders are weakened by both heat & light exposure, so if it's weeks between use, keep them away from both. You might also look into a product called Salt-X which helps remove salt from your gear. It's not cheap, but a little goes a long ways, and removing the salt will make all your gear last longer.

If you're having a twisting issue with your leaders, try using a swivel. I like the stainless ball bearing swivels like those made by Spro or Sampo, but again they're not cheap. Anytime you fish in current, or waves that twisting can happen. You can reduce it by how you rig your baits to some extent, with the idea that you don't want to create a situation where it spins. That's usually what causes the twisting, so short of replacing leader material often, try the swivel & pay attention to how the bait is rigged on the hook. With some baits, no matter what you do, it may still spin.

Face it, nothing lasts forever, and we will have to replace fishing gear & terminal tackle. The more fishing you do, particularly in saltwater, the more it will need replacing. That's just the way it is.
But if you take a little time to properly care for your gear, it will last a little longer & not have to be replaced as often.

BTW, I save those little packs of silicate whenever I find them & put them in a zip lock bag for future use. Electronic equipment, and even dried dog treats will have them. Some will be called "oxygen reducer" or something similar, but they're all silicate that absorbs moisture. I make a lot of my own tackle & I've bought some bulk hooks that are probably 30 years old or older & still look new because I keep the moisture, even humidity away from them with those cheap little packs.


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## joek (Jun 1, 2015)

the bad thing about most hooks is that they rust out.
the good thing about most hooks is that they rust out.

if a fish breaks off the hook wont last very long before it falls apart and
the fish can go about its normal business.

stainless not so much. a stainless hook will be with that fish a very long time.
circle hooks that lodge in the corner of a fishes mouth in stainless are really bad.

hooks aren't that expensive. clean them as above and replace when needed.


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

I've used the same Gamakatsu shiner (kahle) hooks 6+ times with 0 rust. They're black nickel. I rinse them off at the pier sink or back in the room if surf fishing. Similar experiences with Owner hooks. They're the only brands I use anymore.


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## flathead (Dec 18, 2003)

Go to Garden City Bait & Tackle and ask Bob for the Owner Mutu Light circle hooks. That's all I use on my two hook bottom rigs.


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## RoryGoggin (Jan 6, 2005)

All of the above, and if you "paint" the used hooks after you rinse them and sharpen them with a sharpie, that will help. ( I mean paint them after you sharpen them, you can't sharpen them with a sharpie!)


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## rickyble (Apr 28, 2011)

thanks to everyone. another gentleman who fishes salt i met at work leaves them standing in small cup of wd40. He ties his own leaders and uses spiderwire for the leaders. Anyone else use that for leaders?


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## SmoothLures (Feb 13, 2008)

Sounds like a terrible idea.


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## Wingbone (Jun 8, 2014)

I just wash them off.


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## graceandhayes (Jun 5, 2012)

flathead said:


> Go to Garden City Bait & Tackle and ask Bob for the Owner Mutu Light circle hooks. That's all I use on my two hook bottom rigs.


Second on the Owner Mutu Light Circles. Only hooks I use. Recommend the #2 and 1/0 sizes for surf fishing. Only go bigger if targeting sharks or using bigger baits. (Caught a 30" spottail on a #2 mutu light circle on Saturday.) I tie my own double drop rigs with 25lb test fluorocarbon leader. I use new hooks and new rigs each time I fish. I dropped a bunch of hooks in the bottom of my buddies boat once. Scooped them all up, rinsed them off, and put them back in the box. A week later every hook in the box had rust on it. Lesson Learned.


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