# Gold plate fish hook



## jmdlcar (May 7, 2012)

Is there any gold In fish hook? If there is can I process them like pins?


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## Geo (May 7, 2012)

you know, ive never thought about it. you may look up the brand in question from the company website. if it is, im sure there will be something about it there. my guess would be the gold colored hooks are bronzed.


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## jmdlcar (May 7, 2012)

I don't the brand my son had some in a box and they look like gold plate.


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## NobleMetalWorks (May 7, 2012)

I have been fishing most of my life...

Gold plated hooks are still made today. Although they are not really used as they were in the past.

It used to be thought because gold is a so called Nobel Metal, and didn't dissolve in water, that a fish wouldn't be able to "taste" the metal and would bite down on the hook without realizing it was made of metal. It's ironic, but the exact opposite is true. I use jalapeno juice and soak rubber worms in it because as soon as a bass gets any taste, they involuntarily clamp their mouth shut setting the hook for you.

Another reason gold plated hooks were or are used, is for salt water fishing where gold is used to combat corrosion. 

http://gobstock.com/_023534170513-Mustads-Treble-Hook-Gold-Size-12-Fish

http://www.ecrater.com/p/11472606/set-of-6-glen-l-evans-gold-plated

And then there was the Eagle Claw lucky hooks that were sold in just about every quick stop/drug store across the United States. They were called "Good Luck Hooks" and look like this one being sold on eBay right now.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gold-Plated-Eagle-Claw-Lucky-Fish-Hook-/180861739063#vi-content

I remember there was a shop in Anchorage Alaska that made custom jewelry from things found in Alaska, like gold nuggets, etc. They had these ear rings that were made from the Eagle Claw hooks. They took small baby salmon, dried them out, applied some kind of preservative and used the lucky hooks as the part that went in the ear.

Anyway, my two cents. Interesting in the least.


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## Geo (May 7, 2012)

how about that? something new to look out for. :shock: 8) 

thanks for the info.


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## jmdlcar (May 8, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I will process the one I have and see what I can get.


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## NobleMetalWorks (May 8, 2012)

Yeah, hey, I knew something and didn't mess up on the safety... :mrgreen: 

Okay, here is one for you.

PENN reels, a lot of them have gold plating. Salt water reels often have gold plating to prevent corrosion, specially the older ones. I can't post them tonight, but when I get a chance I'll post pictures of some gold plated PENN reels. I just picked up 5 huge boxes at a garage sale, they belonged to someone's father that had passed away and were stored, in the boxes, for over 20 years. There are all kinds of reels and other gold plated PENN reel parts.

I also purchased some gold played cleats that came off old wood sail boats. You might be surprised how much gold used to be used for boats and equipment intended for salt water use.


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## NobleMetalWorks (May 8, 2012)

Just another thought...

People that are avid gun enthusiasts and have their guns custom smithed for better action, sometimes install gold firing pins, triggers, etc. As you can imagine, they need to be replaced after so much use. That also might be another novel area to explore.


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## jmdlcar (May 8, 2012)

I'm glad I something about fish hooks. I'm learning a lot tonight where to look and find. Thanks for all your help.


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## Oz (May 8, 2012)

Unless someone hit a gold plated real with a sledge hammer, I’m thinking they are worth more than their gold value.


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## NobleMetalWorks (May 8, 2012)

Oz said:


> Unless someone hit a gold plated real with a sledge hammer, I’m thinking they are worth more than their gold value.



The entire reel isn't gold plated, usually, although I have a couple that are. It's almost always individual parts that are so. If the reel is broken, specially if it's old, the replacement parts cost more than what the reel is worth, I have rebuilt my favorite ones. Also, the parts that are not gold plated, or plated with another metal often corrode, those parts also have to be replaced.

Now if you found a good working reel that needed no parts and didn't show any corrosion, I would agree with you that it's worth more than the gold value, usually.

If you do find the reels at a garage sale, you might want to ask if they have any parts also, almost always, if they do any real serious ocean fishing, they will have a lot of old parts that also may be gold plated. That was the case in the ones I just found, two of the boxes were half full of parts, many gold plated.


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## nickvc (May 8, 2012)

If you can get them for nothing or if there's one reel that is saleable that covers the cost of the purchase then this seems to be a source worth looking at, another thought is to strip the reels down and sell the non plated parts that are in good condition as spares, many fishermen are very nostalgic about their equipment especially if it's been responsible for some memorable catches.


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## Oz (May 8, 2012)

nickvc said:


> many fishermen are very nostalgic about their equipment especially if it's been responsible for some memorable catches.


You are not kidding, look at what price a few twigs of bamboo can sell for if it is an old fly rod.


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## nickvc (May 8, 2012)

I must admit an interest here, I'm a keen fisherman and never throw anything out but buy new tackle with the best modern materials but still have fond memories of fishing my local stream as a kid with a bamboo stick, some scavenged line and hooks and a stick for a float, I'm sure the fish I caught then were the biggest I ever caught :roll: :lol:


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## NobleMetalWorks (May 8, 2012)

nickvc said:


> If you can get them for nothing or if there's one reel that is saleable that covers the cost of the purchase then this seems to be a source worth looking at, another thought is to strip the reels down and sell the non plated parts that are in good condition as spares, many fishermen are very nostalgic about their equipment especially if it's been responsible for some memorable catches.



Actually that is a great point. I have so much I am trying to catch up on now, that I can't do it for awhile. But I have also thought about using the nickel I recover, to make plating solution, and sandblast/plate the parts I strip or that can be re-used.

It's an interesting sideline, and I know the EPA regulations and laws governing plating, are strict. Not sure if it could be done and make money, but it's interesting none the less.


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