FISHING REPORT: If you're looking to hook up, sharpen your game (and your hooks!)

Ken Willis, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
·8 min read

Man, talk about your elementary fishing discussions. It gets no more basic than this one.

There’s a process with bringing a fish to papa.

And pretty much without fail, the transaction begins with the business end of a hook penetrating some part of the fish he’d rather not have penetrated.

We shouldn’t have to say this, or hear this, but gentle reminders never hurt anyone: The sharper the hook, the better your chance of catching a fish.

“A must,” begins local Capt. Mike Vickers. “Fishing with a dull hook is like cutting a steak with a dull knife. You can do it, but your results are usually not that good.”

“I believe the most important part of your setup is a good sharp hook,” says BJ Taylor, who operates a local surf-fishing charter, Southern Bred.

Honing the point of your hook might make the difference between landing a keeper or singing the blues.
Honing the point of your hook might make the difference between landing a keeper or singing the blues.

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“Sharp hooks are key,” says shark fisherman Dustin Smith (NSB Shark Hunters).

“The sharper the better,” says local Capt. Barry Englehardt.

“It’s ‘Fishing 101.’ Always check your hooks, especially after catching fish or after hang-ups,” says longtime local angler Joe Yarbrough. “It needs to be a habit.”

There you go, you a believer yet?

There are a few ways to check your hooks for sharpness. You can eyeball it, of course, but your peepers might not be what they used to be. Some folks will simply tap down on the point of the hook, and if it sticks to your finger tip, you’re good (if you draw blood, you might be overdoing it!).

Should you have one of these sharpeners in your tackle box? Depends on whom you ask.
Should you have one of these sharpeners in your tackle box? Depends on whom you ask.

Another tried and true method is to drag the point of the hook across a fingernail. Or try to. If the hook grabs the nail and doesn’t want to slide, you have a sharp hook. If it slides, your hook has dulled, or as happens at times, arrived from the factory dulled.

What to do with a dull hook depends on your time-and-money budget. If you’re fishing, you’ll probably tuck it away and put on a fresh hook. Later — and this time it’s your wallet in play — you either throw it away or sharpen it, either with a purpose-built hook sharpener or your own file.

More testimonials . . .

“The trick is noticing the difference between a hook that has lost its edge and one that has actually been damaged,” says Vickers. “A dull hook has only worn its edge, so if you notice this on a high-quality hook, yes, sharpen it.

"Cheap hooks and wire hooks, I just change the hook and keep a sharp eye on hook condition. High-quality hooks are much more forgiving. As with everything, you get what you pay for.”

Down at the beach, when Taylor is fishing for whiting and pompano, he’ll quickly change out a dull hook. Same goes for normal shark fishing.

However, he says, “for the deployment rigs, I keep a file in my gear bag and will sharpen those hooks.”

Deployment rigs? Pretty much what it says — bigger, more expensive rigs he delivers (“deploys”) well beyond the breakers via kayak, looking to lure the bigger sharks. No lounging for BJ.

Smith, the shark specialist, uses huge hooks (16/0) that aren’t cheap, so he breaks out his own metal file from time to time.

“You can tell they’re getting dull when your bait gets torn up when you’re trying to hook it,” he says. “Smaller hooks, I would just replace, but the sizes I use, it makes sense to sharpen.”

Dustin Smith's hooks are big, costlier than most hooks, and usually put to the test.
Dustin Smith's hooks are big, costlier than most hooks, and usually put to the test.

With the last word on “why” sharp hooks, we go back to Capt. Barry.

“I’ve boated big reds, and when I boated the fish, the hook fell out,” Englehardt says. “After that fish pulled for several minutes, you would think the hook would be well embedded, but not so. It’s very important to constantly check your hooks for sharpness.”

Case closed!

Capt. Jeff Patterson's wife Rebecca, along with daughters Reese and Ashlyn, show off a recent redfish catch outside Ponce Inlet.
Capt. Jeff Patterson's wife Rebecca, along with daughters Reese and Ashlyn, show off a recent redfish catch outside Ponce Inlet.

Halifax/Indian River: Snook are gettin' busy

The modern protections of snook seem to be working.

“The snook bite is epic,” says Craig Patterson (Donald’s Bait & Tackle, Port Orange). “Many over-slot being caught around the Port Orange area. Croakers, pigfish, mullet and shrimp are all working.”

Mangrove snapper are still thick in the warm waters.

Capt. Jeff Patterson (Pole Dancer charter) says Ponce Inlet is still producing big reds, some within the legal slot of 18-27 inches.

“Tarpon and snook at the Inlet, too, but not as consistent,” he says. “The river has been very fishy in Daytona and Port Orange with a variety of fish, including a bunch of jacks. Mullet are all over and they’re great bait if you can net them.”

One of Craig Patterson's regulars at Donald's Bait & Tackle shows off a recent snook catch.
One of Craig Patterson's regulars at Donald's Bait & Tackle shows off a recent snook catch.

Up toward Ormond Beach, if you get out early you should get your limit of mangrove snapper, especially up the Tomoka River and into Strickland Creek.

Also, says Capt. Barry Englehardt, “In the Tomoka, snook have been very active, especially before sunrise, using surface lures.”

Same with trout in the intracoastal, he adds.

And by the way, Ike Leary (Granada Pier) says he’s still hearing folks talk of shrimp still hanging around just south of the Orange Avenue bridge in Daytona Beach.

Flagler County: Matanzas Inlet mullet luring the keepers

A lot of bait in the surf, says Capt. Mike Vickers (Hammock Beach Bait & Tackle). Where there’s bait . . .

“We’re getting reports of whiting, small pompano, tarpon, scattered Spanish mackerel and a few reds, and drum from the northern beaches,” he says.

A mixed bag in the Matanzas River, Capt. Mike says. He expects things to really turn on soon.

“The big schools of mullet haven’t made it far into the river yet, so this should change shortly.”

Different story at the Matanzas Inlet.

“The inlet is full of mullet and the tarpon, jacks, sharks and reds are following them in,” Capt. Mike says. “The falling tide seems to be the best time in this area.”

St. Johns: Specks (crappie, if you prefer) showing a bit of life

Water levels are returning and the highest of high temps are starting to lose their edge, ever so slightly.

“Does it make you think of speckled perch? It does for me,” says Bryn Adams from her post at Highland Park Fish Camp in DeLand. “Open-water trolling in Lake Woodruff with artificial jigs is the way to go right now. We're not seeing true limits yet, but good catches are coming in.

"I would urge you to start early in the morning if you’re serious about catching some.”

Up the way in Astor, at the South Moon Camp, Kerry McPherson says things have been hit-and-miss, which he blames on all the rain and an influx of fresh water, which has also chased the recent shrimp migration back toward saltier water to the north.

He did have a couple of visitors from Frostproof come and pack away a mess of catfish. “So they were happy,” Kerry says.

Hook, Line & Clicker: Send us your fish pics

We want to see your most recent catch. Email your fish photos to ken.willis@news-jrnl.com.

Please include first and last name of angler(s), as well as type of fish (we're occasionally stumped). All are included with our online fishing report, and some occasionally make the print edition.

Do I need a fishing license?

You can find all the license info, including exemptions, on Florida's Fish and Wildlife Commission website: MyFWC.com. But the basics are:

No: If you're 65 or older, 15 or younger, you don't need a license.

No: If you're fishing with a licensed guide or charter boat, both of which purchase commercial licenses that cover their customers.

Yes: Most everyone else, including visitors from other states. 

Yes: Even if you're a shore-based angler (shoreline, dock, pier, bridge, etc.). However: The shore-based license is free . . . But: You still need to register for that free license.

Where do I get a license, and what does it cost?

Many bait shops sell licenses, as do the bigger retailers (Bass, Dick's, Walmart, etc.). 

Florida's FWC uses a third-party site for buying or renewing fishing licenses: GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. 

The cost: $17 for an annual license. 

Don't forget: Whether you're fishing fresh or saltwater, you need the specific license. Freshwater and saltwater licenses are both $17 annually.

I'm here on vacation, do I need a fishing license?

 Yes you do, and they're also available at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or certain bait shops and big retailers. 

Cost: $17 for three days, $30 for seven days, $47 for a year.

Also: Non-residents need to purchase that license even if they're just fishing from shoreline or shore-based structures. (Florida residents need that license, too, but they're free.)

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Wanna hook up? Sharpen your game ... and your hooks | FISHING REPORT