Author Topic: Bio-degradeable fish hooks (Read 7290 times)

Capt. Pork · « **on:** June 27, 2004, 05:26:07 PM »

I was arguing with a friend of mine on the topic of fishing hooks that rust away after a couple of days, thus, ostensibly relieving any fish that may have broken a line of prolonged pain. He said that it was a load of BS, that no metal can degrade that fast.

Does anyone here have factual information regarding these modern, supposedly bio-degradeable hooks, or was he right and this whole thing just a fallacy.

Thanks in advance.

xrtoronto · « **Reply #1 on:** June 27, 2004, 05:43:20 PM »

Is this maybe what you are speaking about:

link

Nash · « **Reply #2 on:** June 27, 2004, 05:44:18 PM »

I've never heard of them... and I'm pretty sure I would have if they were real.

It's law up here to clamp down the barbs though, which results in a lot of fish shaking the hook. The problem with fish that have broken the line and are swimmin' around with hooks does happen, but it's soooo rare now.

Has a net search not come up with anything? I'd be interested in hearing about it. But, not holding my breath.

NUKE · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2004, 05:46:15 PM »

hooks do degrade, that's one reason they arent made out of stainless steel or even plastic

Bodhi · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2004, 05:47:28 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by xrtoronto
Is this maybe what you are speaking about:

link

Those are synthetic baits, not hooks.

IMHO, the belief that these "biodegradable" hooks will go away in two days is a load of poo! Maybe if they were pure magnesium they might degrade in a week or so (but they'd be brittle as hell), and more than likely the water contacted parts would corrode and the stuff in the fish would stay behind to cause an infection....

Capt. Pork · « **Reply #5 on:** June 27, 2004, 05:57:54 PM »

Well, I didn't find a whole lot on the web either. What I'd heard about hooks falling apart was mostly from friends and on one occasion, a Chesapeake waterman.

There might be a way to make them work, however, and that would be to make the hook out of two layers of material--some sort of fast-oxidizing metal as a sheath(microperforated) and something synthetic that reacts to long-periods of moisture by swelling. The result would be, as the water penetrates to the core, the interior of the hook would expand and crack the outer layer, causing it to fall apart. Of course this would probably cost a too much to make it feasible and end up either not working most of the time or poisoning the fish.

Thanks for the responses.

Raptor · « **Reply #6 on:** June 27, 2004, 05:59:58 PM »

Bah, biodegradable hooks.... That takes all the fun out of stepping on a rusty old hook:aok

Lizking · « **Reply #7 on:** June 27, 2004, 06:09:21 PM »

That is why you never use SS hooks offshore. Always plain finish, and if you are really serious freshly sanded. Provided the fish doesn't work it out beforehand, a 9-aught probably won't last a year.

XtrmeJ · « **Reply #8 on:** June 27, 2004, 06:23:29 PM »

There are such this as bio-degradable hooks, but the process doesnt take place in a few days, let alone a few weeks, months.... maybe.

Steve · « **Reply #9 on:** June 27, 2004, 07:54:31 PM »

As a fisherman and a scuba diver, I can tell you that hooks corrode pretty darned fast. A day or so? No, but much faster than you might think.

Gunslinger · « **Reply #10 on:** June 27, 2004, 09:09:44 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Nash
I've never heard of them... and I'm pretty sure I would have if they were real.

It's law up here to clamp down the barbs though, which results in a lot of fish shaking the hook. The problem with fish that have broken the line and are swimmin' around with hooks does happen, but it's soooo rare now.

Has a net search not come up with anything? I'd be interested in hearing about it. But, not holding my breath.

WOW you mean you cant have barbs on your hooks were ever it is that you live? Sounds like a peta induced law to me. If I remember correctly fish dont feel pain like we do so what would be wrong with them havin hooks in stuck in them? I can see a problem if they had 500ft of line as well but my experience the line breaks near the hook.

that sucks....do the game wardens and such actually enforce those laws?

XtrmeJ · « **Reply #11 on:** June 27, 2004, 09:17:34 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
If I remember correctly fish dont feel pain like we do so what would be wrong with them havin hooks in stuck in them?

Fish feel pain.

quig · « **Reply #12 on:** June 27, 2004, 09:25:16 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
If I remember correctly fish dint feel pain like we do so what would be wrong with them having hooks in stuck in them?

Simple test:

Find someone with a fish tank, grab up one of their precious fish, spray that sucker down with pepper spray, drop it back into the tank.

Then time how long it takes that thing to stop bouncing of the sides of the tank.

Torgo · « **Reply #13 on:** June 27, 2004, 09:26:38 PM »

I've never heard of biodegradable hooks.

What are popular now are "circle" hooks. The hook point is turned in.

A fish eats the bait and hooks itself when it swims away. It's crucial NOT to set the hook at all.

Sort of hard to visualize but what happens is the point isn't exposed till it catches on the inside of the fishes' mouth.

Therefore, it's about 99.99% impossible to ever "gut hook" a fish. (In 5 years of using them and catching perhaps 500+ fish, I've only gut-hooked ONE fish, an overenthusiastic bluefish, with them.)

XtrmeJ · « **Reply #14 on:** June 27, 2004, 09:27:28 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by quig
Simple test:

Find someone with a fish tank, grab up one of their precious fish, spray that sucker down with pepper spray, drop it back into the tank.

Then time how long it takes that thing to stop bouncing of the sides of the tank.

Thanks to you I have a dead fish. You owe me. WTG, moron.