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A Test of Hook Sharpness
You should always test the hook sharpness after every cast of a rig. You
should also develop a habit to test the sharpness of every new hook from its
packet. All new carp hooks will be sharp when first made but the hooks can
bump together in the packet during each transit, eventually this can lead to
a slight fold of the hook point.
There is a simple test you can do to check the sharpness of your carp hooks.
Hold the hook by the shank using your thumb and index finger. Gently rest
the hook point on the nail of your other thumb at a slight angle. Don’t
press the point into the nail; just basically let it rest under its own
weight. Now very gently try to pull the hook down to the tip of the nail. If
the carp hook slips across the nail then it’s not sharp enough. If it grips
well it’s sharp enough to catch carp.
After every cast you should do the above test. Carp Hooks are so needle
sharp that the point can be easily damaged. The hook will very often catch
on some material during the retrieve. Gravel, sand, wood, weed, etc can
cause slight damage to the point. Learn from the mistakes of others and
never fish for carp with blunt hooks. A few top carp anglers even replace
the hook after every cast, just in case!
Big carp are hard to catch at the best of times so you don’t want to create
a reason to lose a potential monster just because you couldn’t be arsed to
do a 20 second test on the hook before casting the rig.


Basic Information on Carp Hooks
Carp Hook Patterns - What they for?
Hook Sizes Used
Testing for Hook Sharpness
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