FAQs About Fishing Eye Hooks

The eye of a fishing hook is the area in which the fishing line is tied to the hook itself. The fishing hook as a whole was voted by Forbes as one of the top 20 tools in the history of man. There are often questions in regards to the fishing hook, so here are some answers.

Q: Were there always eyes on hooks?

A: Actually, no; there were not always eyes on hooks. The first man-made hooks were made of bone and actually had more of a lip on the top around which the string was tied -- not through it. This would not provide as much stability or strength when hooking a large fish, but nonetheless, it worked for early man.

Q: Do you just tie a regular knot when you put the line through the eye?

A: No. The type of fishing lines that are used today do not do very well with the typical knot. There are many different types of knots that are used to tie a hook onto a fishing line today. Some of these knots include the clinch knot, the improved clinch knot, the arbor knot, the albright knot and many more. A simple Google search can show you many results and animations on how to tie the perfect knot.

Q: Speaking of eye hooks, do hooks ever go through a fish's eye?

A: Unfortunately, yes. Sometimes, when the fisherman sets the hook, the force of the hook set causes the hook to go through the fish's eye from the inside of the mouth. The fisherman should work quickly to remove the hook delicately so as to not damage the eye of the fish. Most fish are alright after they have the hook removed.