Mustad Hooks and History
Mustad was established in Norway in 1832, starting out as a producer of wire for fencing and nails. Today it is undoubtedly the largest manufacturer of sport and commercial fish hooks in the world.
Mustad has produced hooks for both commercial and sport fishing ever since production started in 1870. The company has developed hooks for hand lines through to all commercial applications.
So big have Mustad become, that they have separate R&D departments for both commercial and sport fishing hooks.
In 2002 Mustad became 125 years old and are still to this day is the world’s largest and leader in hook manufacturing .
Because the world is full of different fishing conditions, Mustad make a large variety of hooks to suit all styles of fishing and environments. Hooks in all shapes, sizes and colours -- Mustad can offer just the right hook for the job.
ANATOMY OF A HOOK
· The size of a fish hook is determined by its pattern, and the width of its gap.
· The hook sizes of the various patterns are bound to differ.
· The two most important dimensions of a hook are the distance between the point and the shank, and the depth of the the throat. Generous dimensions allow deeper penetration of the point and better holding power.
Common variables of a hook are as follows:
THE HOOK EYE
· Straight eye: the eye of the hook runs straight in line with the shank
· Turned up eye: the eye is turned up from the shank
· Turned down eye: the eye is turned down from the shank
· Parallel eye: the eye is parallel to the hook bend
HOOK SHANK
· Straight shank: the hook shank is straight from eye to bend
· Curved shank: shanks are often curved for specific reasons, eg. to accommodate a special fly imitation such as a specific insect
· Sliced shank: in order to anchor baits, such as soft baits and worms.
HOOK POINT AND BARB
The point is the sharp end which penetrates the fishes mouth. The point is expected to penetrate the fish's mouth with as little force as possible. The point needs to be sharp for a long period in order to continue good penetration. The barb is the projection extending backwards, this helps to reduce your catch from unhooking itself.
In 1953 Mustad started chemically sharpening their hooks and overnight they became extremely sharp. Over the years they have slowly developed sharper and sharper hooks, and in 1999 they came up with ‘ultra point’ hooks.
Traditionally, there were two traditional methods of making fish hooks, forged point and needle point, with the latest technology being called Ultra point.
FORGED POINT
Classic Mustad hooks have points that are forged -- this is the process where compressing the high carbon steel makes the ultra fine point stronger and longer lasting.
This is a crucial factor when having a good fishing session and the hooks are grabbing sand, rock and weed and fish are tearing at your baits.
Mustad developed this technique as far back as 1877, the product is finished directly from a wire coil in a machine through a series of operations.
The following points are made from such operations
SPEAR or SUPERIOR POINT
This is the standard type of point. The precise spear point varies between different manufacturers.
KNIFE EDGE
This is a very sharp edge used mainly for big game fish. Two sides of the point are ground, the inner surface of the barb is flat and wider than normal, thus making it difficult for big fish to through the hook.
NEEDLE POINT
The wire is straightened and cut in one machine. Then the blanks are fed into a grinding machine, in which the points are formed. After that the blanks are bent in a bending machine.
Undoubtedly these hooks are sticky sharp when they first come out of the pack, but needle points tend to roll over if they hit by something blunt such as a rock bottom, therefore they are better in muddy bottoms. However to address the limitations of this production method, a new method was developed:
ULTRA POINT
To solve the problem of points rolling over, Mustad developed a new point -- a point that develops quick and easy penetration and ultra sharpness, but with more strength and durability.
This new three-step process allows for less metal to be removed from the point without compromising sharpness. The result a sticky sharp hook that is deadly on all species of fish -- a true needle point hook that is stronger, sharper, more durable than ever and still with easy penetration and longer lasting.
COMMON HOOK POINTS
Hollow Point: This type, like the needle point, is designed for penetration.
Beak Point: Sometimes called a rolled-in point, this type has the point rolled in towards the shank. The rolled-in point is ideal for bait fishing in salt water.
Curved-In Point: There is no clear description between a beak point and a curved-in point. Some specialists distinguish between them by saying that the curved-in point differs because the entire spear is bent in towards the shank. This results in a narrow gap, so it is very difficult for fish to discourage the hook.
Dublin Point/Out Point: The point is bent away slightly from the shank. This offers very quick penetration, and is often used by fly fisherman and big game fisherman.
Many hooks have a slight offset. The reason for bending a point sideways in relation to the shank (the offset) is that it will more easily hook a fish's lip or mouth than in the case of a straight shank. It also is easier to bait the hook.Two types of offset are common:
Reversed: The point is bent to the left about 20 degrees
Kirbed: The point is bent towards the right about 20 degrees
A summary of Mustad hooks available in New Zealand
Mustad Hoodlum Hooks 10827bln
Ideal hook for live baiting. Straight eye enables hook to hold its position correctly in live bait, heavy gauge hook enables it to handle the toughest fighting fish on all tackle. Comes in various sizes from 1/0 to 10/0.
Mustad Demon Circle 3995obl
This special design increases the catch rate -- no stroke needed. This hook will catch the fish in the side of the mouth. It has a wide variety of uses, from deep water ledger rigs to live baiting,and from in-shore to Off- shore species. .
Mustad Big Mouth 37753npnp
Great hook for big baits. With its wide gap it will hold big baits very securely. Ideal for fishing natural baits especially snapper, tarakihi etc. Very popular hook for surf fisherman.
Mustad Demon Penetrators 39951bln
Fine gauge circle hook. Great hook for inshore fishing, light tackle or fish with soft mouths. It will hook the fish in the corner of the jaw and will need no stroke.
Mega Bite Soft Plastics 37177bln
This hook works perfectly with the soft baiting that has recently become very popular in New Zealand. It is designed to hold soft baits in position but still allow the bait to act naturally as it is designed to.
Mustad Big Gun Bait 10829bln
Ideal hook for presenting sections of cut baits. Its heavy gauge allows to be fished on a variety of line weights .
Mustad Big Red Beak Hooks 92554npnr
Super hook ideal for bait fishing. Ultra strong hook that can fished on variety of tackle. As the name suggest it is ideal for snapper, but comes in range of sizes to allow a variety of bait sizes to be fished.
Mustad Penetrator 92604bln
A fine wire, super sharp hook ideal for light tackle fishing. Can be used for a variety of cut baits from small to large. Its super thin gauge allows it to penetrate with ease as is needed with light line.
Mustad Bait Holder 92668npnr
Ideal for soft natural baits such as shellfish and crabs, a good all-round hook ideal for all species. The extra barbs up the back of the shank will hold the softer baits on for longer.
Mustad hoodlum hooks 10827bln
Ideal hook for live baiting. Straight eye enables hook to hold its position correctly in live bait, heavy gauge hook enables it to handle the toughest fighting fish on all tackle. Comes in various sizes from 1/0 to 10/0.
Mustad demon circle 3995obl
This special design increases the catch rate -- no stroke needed. This hook will catch the fish in the side of the mouth. It has a wide variety of uses, from deep water ledger rigs to live baiting,and from in-shore to off- shore species.
Mustad big mouth 37753npnp
Great hook for big baits. With its wide gap it will hold big baits very securely. Ideal for fishing natural baits especially snapper, tarakihi etc. Very popular hook for surf fisherman.
Mustad demon penetrators 39951bln
Fine gauge circle hook. Great hook for inshore fishing, light tackle or fish with soft mouths. It will hook the fish in the corner of the jaw and will need no stroke.
Mega bite soft plastics 37177bln
This hook works perfectly with the soft baiting that has recently become very popular in new zealand. It is designed to hold soft baits in position but still allow the bait to act naturally as it is designed to.
Mustad big gun bait 10829bln
Ideal hook for presenting sections of cut baits. Its heavy gauge allows to be fished on a variety of line weights.
Mustad big red beak hooks 92554npnr
Super hook ideal for bait fishing. Ultra strong hook that can fished on variety of tackle. As the name suggest it is ideal for snapper, but comes in range of sizes to allow a variety of bait sizes to be fished.
Mustad penetrator 92604bln
A fine wire, super sharp hook ideal for light tackle fishing. Can be used for a variety of cut baits from small to large. Its super zthin gauge allows it to penetrate with ease as is needed with light line.
Mustad bait holder 92668npnr
Ideal for soft natural baits such as shellfish and crabs, A good all-round hook ideal for all species. The extra barbs up the back of the shank will hold the softer baits on for longer.
