July 31, 2018
By Florida Sportsman Editor
Mustad introduced a new Shark Release Hook at ICAST
In its continued support of the world's fisheries, Mustad was pleased to announce its Needle Eye Release Circle hook, at the ICAST sportfishing trade show in Orlando.
The newest member of the popular Demon Perfect Circle hook series, the new Shark Release Hook (Ref. No 39937NNP-DT) is designed for catch-and-release anglers targeting large species like mako and tiger sharks, and is excellent for other giants like goliath grouper.
These hooks feature a special Needle Eye with Rigging Channel. The eye is actually a hole drilled and chamfered to accommodate 5,000-pound cable, which is popular for this style fishing. The rigging channel is designed to ensure that cable and crimps are drawn as tight as possible to the hook, helping to prevent a large loop of cable at the point where the hook and leader come together.
The release operation is the opposite of reversing the hook out of the fish's mouth. The line is cut, and the hook and can be leader pulled from the point through the jaw of the fish. The rigging channel helps to ensure that the looped cable connection is as small as possible to minimize impact on the fish.
A common complaint when fishing barbless hooks for large shark species is that they can back out and re-penetrate into a fish multiple times during a fight. The Shark Release Hook is fitted with a “micro-barb” for positive hook set and to help ensure that the hook does not back out during the fight.
The hooks feature a corrosion-resistant Duratin finish, and are available in sizes 20/0 and 24/0.
