Many hook manufacturers produce hooks using different metals. . Nickel, Bronze, “Gold” (which might be some kind of Chrome or Brass coating), Stainless Steel, and something they call “Platinum Black” (Eagle Claw).

In our quest for “conservation” I’m wondering if there exists a preferred “metal” by the Recreational Community for Saltwater.

(By conservation I mean, in the case, where you cannot retrieve the hook - the line breaks.)

In Saltwater, the theory is that you’d want the hook to rust, corrode and fall out as quickly as possible.

Thanks!

Hey Ron - welcome to S-B... Good question, I'm not a metalurgist but I tend to go with the hooks I know that rust when eeling :) ... Not sure if it's an old fisherman's tale about using hooks that rust but that's the reason I use them...

I spoke to Eagle Claw today concerning this issue and found them very willing to help. Here's what I was told ranking them from MOST resistant to Saltwater DOWN toward the least resistant:

Stainless Steel
Seaguard (Nickel Tin)
Seaguard (Black Tin)
Saltwater Red
Gold (Nickel/Brass)
Platinum Black
Nickel
Bronze

This list is somewhat specific to the Eagle Claw line, but Mustad and others use similar metals.

Eagle Claw was not willing to place any "timeframes" around the various metals due to conditions such as temperature, salinity, water depth, type of fish and where it might be hooked. All of these and more affect the actual metal breakdown timelines.

Ron:

I stay away from stainless steel hooks just for that reason.
They don't corrode quick enough.
Maybe for a plug the're OK cause you usually dont lose that hook in a fish.
But a steel bait hook will corrode quicker in a fish's mouth or gut and the fish have a better chance of survival.
I do use coated steel, but that just increases their life a bit in the tackle box.
Certainly not like SS hooks.
Curious about where they rated nickel, cause' the most corrosion resistant materials used in acidic/corrosive applications, procesing plants, power plants etc... are nickel alloys. Also called "superalloys".