What is the best metal finish for mooching hooks in the salt? I have been using perma steel coated hooks. I tested their nobility against a boat zinc in saltwater as +.7 volts which seems too hot for those following theries on a salmon's reaction to galvanic action. Are there better finishes that will not rust but may have a lesser nobility?

Fishing is getting too hi-tech. Now we need to test our hooks to see how hot they are?
I use red Gamakatsu's,and don't have any problem catching fish,mooching is my favorite way to catch salmon.

that might matter if you could run a charge down your fishing line, but with monofilament you can't do that. Use all the stainless hooks you'd like.

hey Scott, the theory is there, but only for the downrigger cable. I'm strickly a moocher just like HBP and use strickly fine wire hooks just so as won't put a big hole in the bait. Easy Limits would be the person to get a hold of as his success pretty much speaks for itself.....

Robert

Do you save your leader after a day of fishing in the salt? I will usually go through 5-8 leaders a day and the one on at the end of day goes into the garbage can. Never have seen hook rust or even discolor while mooching. I use Gami's in Black because they they stay sharper longer than the Red.

a chater skipper told me that gamakatsu hooks dull fast in salt water because of there high iron content

Black gamis stay sharper then red gamis? Aren't the hooks made out of the same metel but just a different color? Curious.

Black hooks are handled less during manufacturing,that's why their sharper. That's what one of the Vision guys told me anyways.

I think that charter boat captain want to save money by using cheap hooks. I use alot of Gammies,and havn't had a problem with rust.

As somebody who goes through a lot of hooks every year for the past ten or so years. This is my take on things.

I use Gami's. I use both red and black. Both are just as sharp. The main thing to remember is that if you have to sharpen a hook, it will take off the plating, that is when you will get corosion. That' why it is important to use a hook that is sharp out of the box.

You could say use stainless, Which I have used a lot. The problem with that is the cost, You still have to sharpen them for every use.

For myself, sharpning hooks takes time, time I use doing something else. for the price you pay for hooks, I don't think it is worth it, to spend time sharpning.

I re-use a lot of gami's and as long as they are not bent, they are still sharp, they are worth re-using. I just did the math on a box of a hundred at twenty five dollars a box and I have them at .04 cents each.

Gami's are made from a fairly high carbon steel. Which makes the tips a little brittle, when you are swinging them in the river and bouncing them off the bottom the tips have a tendency to break off. Only the tip above the barb. The only time this seems to happen in the saltwater is when you catch them on the boat.

Use a hook you are happy with. Don't use a hook you have to sharpen out of the box. Go fishing and have a good time.

www.princeofwalessportfishing.com

Bruce, Your calculator is broken. 4 cents for 1 hundred would put a box at 4 bucks. Now that would be a good deal. Can I mooch some herring off ya?

Mooching? What in the heck is that?

Scott... no need to worry about the galvanic action process while mooching... It's a downrigger (or commercial troller) thing...

Hooks... you'll probably get a thousand different answers because of personal choice.


Downriggin'

Yeah, DR, you prpobably will. I use SS mustads and I sharpen them - I can get them way sharper than anything that comes from the factory, and stainless always hold their sharpness unless snagged on something. I use these hooks over and over, and this is a way more economical way to go than buying disposable hooks.

And sharpening doesn't take any more time than pinching down the barb - use a sharp needle file.

I just bout always use gammis. They are excellent quality hooks. Never had the aforementioned prob w/tips breaking off but I'm pretty much a newbie @drift fishin rivers.

Anyone care to share their opinions on what hooks w/stand shrpening the best? I've heard various theories bout the way a hook is tempered having a lot to do with whether or not they take to sharpening. i.e. some good hooks, like gammis, really aren't as good as others due to the way they are tempered. Would appreciate any enlightenment from a machinist/metalsmith.

I know several old timers from Pt. D that claim to have drastiically increased their hook-ups using black hooks versus nickel when mooching for salmon.

I've been mooching fer salmon fer a long time but am mostly self-taught so doubt that I am much of an expert on it. I have heard that some hooks give the ol plug cut a better spin than others. Any opinions on this?

As always, thanx a million fer any info

Sincerely,
Roger

Hooks are a very personal thing with most and everyone definately lines up behind certain things. My worst experience was with Gamo's in Canada's Hakai Pass were the tips were completely shot in less than 4 hours on the nickel ones. Forget them in salt water period. Gamo recomended black. They are a very good hook. I also used them in bronze as I feel they are a little stickier than the black and hold a point just as well. However this past fall I started using the Owner Cutting Point in black and was very impressed. They can be reused if you don't leave them in a bag to rust and for the exteme price you better be washing them off and reusing them. Grew up using Mustad stainless with a super sharp filed or hoaned tip but those hooks will never rust out of a fish if he breaks off, the barbs were pretty large even when smashed down and the eye has too sharp of end that will cut your leader off given the right angle. A very fancy 25 pound Spring feel victim the the Owner's Sunday on the big C. using cut plug. That's my 2 cents

Yeah, the eyes are shait on those Mustads, but I use a bumper knot, so the line never contacts the base of the eye, where it is sharp, on the trailer, and on the lead hook I tie in a pad of old mono to protect the trailing line from getting cut. Works like a charm - never break any fish off unless I screw up or get hung up on some cracker who doesn't know how to get out of the way of a hot king

Spawnout That is exactly correct. I always have an added short length pulled down into the eye slot and rather than wrapping overhand I always wrap underhand so that the first turn starts at the eye bend rather the in the slot. Keeps things nice and tidy. Gamos and Owners are nice and smooth but I still use the extra piece. It's an old dog thing I think. Also important to trim the tails very shot to the wrap so when you insert the hook the short tail doesn't hang up or rip the bait. Jusy my 2 cents.

RiverLiver, that's not bad on going thru that many set ups in a trips worth. Generally average at least 15 and if it gets a little doggy will do 2 and a half dozen. Leaders cheap and easy enough to do so why take a chance on even bottom fish, (at least I've been taught that way.) Whatever hooks I can save I bring home and soak in fresh water and true, when one gets back from a trip, kinda wanna forget about doing certain clean ups, and found some of my hooks turn to rust. Sleep seems more important!!?? AND I do sharpen all my hooks and never had the problem of stickin' the fish, but the whole key to the hooks isn't the brand but its the SIZE that counts. Go to big of a hook size and its like fishing with a coat hanger. Course if you fish with a 10# lead ball and cable like a lot of the guys on this site do, its how fast you can troll and bury that hook in its mouth..... :p

Robert

One more thing I forgot to mention Scott was that I don't use stainless hooks due to hooking under size fish that are hooked too deep in the mouth to release, so I cut the leader to hopefully keep the mortality up.

Robert