Large Fishing Hook Heat Treatment Question

L

Lu1967

Joined
Oct 20, 2014
Messages
358
Hey guys,I'm looking for heat treat recommendations
for some large fishing hooks I plan on making. Internet
search has turned up very little.Good bend out strength without
being too brittle is what I,m shooting for.3/8 rod in 440c is what I,ll
be using.Im thinking low to mid fifties but I,m not sure. Thanks for any responses.
 
I'd go lower, personally. High 40's, low 50's. Catastrophic breakage would be a greater risk than dulling, IMO. Go springy.
 
Thanks Jason I'll shoot for 50,the greatest bend-out strength with out it being brittle is my goal.
Hey Bo,I wanted something with fair corrosion resistance that could be heat treated. Availability
and cost were also a consideration.Did you have something else in mind that might be better?
Right now i pay $40 just for the hook.rigged it,s about $75.I can cut cost to about $35 if I can
Make my own hooks. Thanks
 
Bo T said:
Just a quick question, why did you choose 440C?
Click to expand...

If he's looking at big hooks, I' bet it's for offshore salt water and then corrosion resistance is important.


I'd probably use W1 or O0 drill rod as it's easy to get it in round stock.

then maybe do a clear coat power coat or coloured ceracoat or something.
 
The Counts correct.These are large shark rigs.I need them to rust
eventually,just not before my eyes.Thanks.
 
I would go with a high spring temper of about 47-48 or so. I fish the salt a lot including big sharks and brittle is bad. Rarely does a fish pull with no let up for more than a few seconds. At 3/8" diameter....which is just huge....they cannot bend it or break it. Something else will fail....wire tippet, heavy mono or your reel. The biggest drawback to your plan, at least to me, is the ability to set a hook that is 3/8" in diameter, especially in a sharks' jaw.
 
I'm in agreement with Jason and John, while I don't fish salwater I make a fair amount of
Gaffs and that high 40's is what your after. Early on I had a number of slipjoint springs in
the low to mid 50"s break and there's not a lot of flex---"pull out" there. I'd shoot for 48 ish.
Ken.
 
Thanks John & Ken,I'll shoot for 48. The hook I hope to copy is a Mustad Sea Demon Circle 20/0.
The hard part will be the tight radius eye, now that my heat treat issue is solved.Hopefully my
crank bender is up to it.Thanks again for your time and advice. Lu.
 
.Hopefully my
crank bender is up to it.Thanks again for your time and advice. Lu.[/QUOTE]

Hammer it flat and drill a hole thru it before you heat treat it.
Ken.
 
With even a simple anvil, hammer, and a torch you should be able to forge the eye shape easily as well as a get a good start on the taper of the point. Save some grinding. Get really ambitious and you could forge-weld the eye for exceptional strength.
 
Both awesome ideas thanks.I,ll try both,but i think heat'n'beat flat may the ticket.Thanks again. Lu.
 
I watched a show where Chris Fischer was catching great whites and had some hooks made. They used 4140 and some of them were too brittle. 440C will take a long time to rust out. I stopped using Stainless hooks. I just keep what I need in the box and store the rest in s dry place. I would recommend using 4140 as it is easy to get and easy to HT. Run in the mid 40's and you will have a great hook. Then if you break off it will rust out in short order and not be there for years.
 
Wow, that's a big ass hook! I'd never even heard of one that size. When I looked it up, a lot of photos came up of 27/0 (crazy big!).

Here's a 20/0 Mustad like he's talking about... color me impressed. :cool:

mustad-39937np-dt-giant-demon-perfect-circle-hook-9942-640x640.jpg
 
Not a big fan of circle hooks, seen way too many huge tarpon and even sailfish spit them out.

This style of hook, which I found out about salmon fishing in the Pac NW, I think are a better style! Can't remember a big salmon ever tossing one despite the lack of a barb. Might be worth making one since you're forging your own hooks!

sx125Hg.jpg
 
Hey Mecha,I,ll have to look into that style of hook,maybe a west coast thing.
Thats the hook pictured with the hand although that one looks thicker.
The 27/0 I have hangs on the wall. I can,t bring myself to use it (cost close to $200)
By the way cost of these hooks seems high but they,re hand made according to Mustad
and everythings a big secret concerning specs.Chuck I looked into the alloy steel you recommended
and that maybe the stuff to use,not to mention cheap. Thanks again to all.
 
NickWheeler said:
Wow, that's a big ass hook! I'd never even heard of one that size. When I looked it up, a lot of photos came up of 27/0 (crazy big!).

Here's a 20/0 Mustad like he's talking about... color me impressed. :cool:

mustad-39937np-dt-giant-demon-perfect-circle-hook-9942-640x640.jpg
Click to expand...
WOW! that would hurt going through your thumb! then again one doesn't thumb lip a great white!
 
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