Setting the Hook

[Sawyer]

I just finished watching a couple of bass fishing shows on WFN. The shows are firing me up for the much anticipated bass opener!

 

The one thing that I found in common with the shows (except all the bass their catching) was that the hosts and their guests excessively exaggerate the hook set motion. I certainly don't set the hook that way but do understand the importance of a good hook set.

 

I suspect that it's all about TV and those hook sets give an impression of a substantial fish at the end of the line.

 

What are your thoughts? How would you rate your hook set from 1 to 10? 1 being light while 10 being aggressive (like the TV shows).

 

-Sawyer

[Pigeontroller]

Cross their eyes!

[Rod Caster]

Not for bass, but for walleye fishing I have a rather aggressive hook set... Its more about the NOW reaction and making sure I don't miss the light inhale. Another reason I like very sensitive rods, at the first sign of weight or a tap I react... Double clutching has lost me too many fish.

Compared to the fishing shows I'm probably only a 6 or 7 though hhaha, the way they set the hook is the same way Patrick Roy used to make simple glove saves look EPIC!

[mercman]

I use Trokar hooks and i and about a 6 on the hookset scale.When fishing Texas rigged or weedless plastics, the tip of the hook is hidden ,the extra hard set is to drive the hook through the bait and into the fish.

[BillM]

I like to bury the hooks into their brain.. Even float fishing... I'm glad I've got a softer Loomis IM6 that takes a bit out of my hookset.

[Harrison]

Flipping/Pitching or Junk fishing, I am a 10 for sure. Not only are you driving the hook in, but also turning the fishes head to your direction. Get it up and out of the junk asap.

 

Jerkbait or other lighter gauge hook style fishing, I use a sweep set. If you set too hard you can make to big a hole and thin gauge hook can slip out, straighten or you can snap the line.

Edited June 19, 2012 by Harrison

[Stoty]

Exactly what Harrison said!

It all depends on what technique you're using.

 

Flipping/pitching - I use a 13, lol

Dropshot/Senko/Finesse - 4, sweeping

Crankbaits/Jerkbaits/Spinnerbaits - 6

[backbay]

Indeed, it changes for me with the lure I'm using. For cranks/ jerkbaits and most top waters, I'm actually pretty mellow, but that said, I often work jerkbaits pretty hard. With senkos, after I'm satisfied the fish has taken the bait for good, I put more into it, probably an 8 or so.

Live minnows which I use in the fall, it 's bow the rod then drive 'er home.

[misfish]

Flipping/Pitching or Junk fishing, I am a 10 for sure. Not only are you driving the hook in, but also turning the fishes head to your direction. Get it up and out of the junk asap.

 

 

Exactly what I,ll be doing Saturday morning Phil. Set the hook,get them out of the junk fast and in the boat.On to the next one.

 

I like to bury the hooks into their brain.. Even float fishing

 

Edited June 19, 2012 by Misfish

[jigsnreels]

I like fishing shows, but I can't stand a lot of the bass shows, mainly because I don't get why a lot of pro bass fishermen act like rock stars. It's just fishing, it's not the freakin' Grammy Awards. Especially that guy (can't remember his name) who screams like a maniac every time he pulls in a nice one. If that guy was fishing next to me I'd smack him with my rod handle.

 

I never really thought about technique, but I guess it does have a lot to do with the gear you're using. My rod has a lot of snap to it, and I can definitely feel it when I've got a good set, so I don't think it's necessary to really crank on the rod like the bass guys do, like you're trying to yank the fish right out of the water.

But everybody does it their own way, I guess. Just keep it quiet.

[Stoty]

Especially that guy (can't remember his name) who screams like a maniac every time he pulls in a nice one. If that guy was fishing next to me I'd smack him with my rod handle.

 

If he was fishing next to you, I'd be extremely jealous! No matter how annoying he can be... he sure knows how to catch fish!

 

He even has the BEST landing of a bass in a tournament that I've ever seen.....

 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/NvdQYnnr1s4

Edited June 19, 2012 by Stoty

[OhioFisherman]

Yep, like harrison said, make them flying fish, especially the dinks.

[NAW]

When it comes to Bass, which I very rarely fish, I don't tent to really hammer the hook sets.

 

Like Chad said though, with the walters, I'm going about 7.5.

[ccmtcanada]

I once hooked a small steelhead....set the hook and the fish came flying out of the water and hit me in the face...

 

I suppose that makes my hookset for steelies about a 12!

[Garry2Rs]

You have to remember that most of the Good-Ol-Boys with American TV shows made their bones back in the 70's and 80's. Bill Dance, Roland Martin, Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston and Denny Brauer are from the age of heavy mono and unexposed Texas rigged worms with a slip sinker or Jig and Pig with real 1/2 inch thick pork chunks with leather backs...Those chunks and worms weren't as soft as the plastics we use today, and these guys all predate the invention of Extra-Wide-Gap (EWG) hooks.

 

Back then, worm hooks looked like jig hooks with the eye turned back inline with the hook point...The angler had to compensate for line stretch, and drive the hook point through their tough baits. Very often the worm would slide down the hook shank and ball-up in the bend of the hook making the job of setting the hook that much harder.

 

Two other points...Worms in that era were unsalted etc. You had to set the hook as soon as you felt a bump because fish spit them out quickly, and second the crushing plates, that act as teeth, for a Bass of 5 pound or more, are wide and almost as tough as bone...Yes their hook set was exaggerated, but they got paid for what they weighed-in, not the ones that flipped off!

[OhioFisherman]

It`s more of an issue up there where you have more Muskie and Pike in the same waters as the bass? It is always interesting when you set the hook on something big, like a 30 pound carp or 20 plus pound pike or ski and it doesn`t move? Just runs off.

[jedimaster]

I saw that video as well. Its too bad he wasn't using a stradic he could have let the fish take some line out instead of trying to hand spool it and break it on himself. That was his own dumb fault. I would say I am more of a lightning reflex hook setter. to my its not so much about the power of the hook set its the velocity.

[misfish]

I once hooked a small steelhead....set the hook and the fish came flying out of the water and hit me in the face...

 

Wish I was there to see that Cliff.

 

Been there.

[206]

I got a buddy that just about throws me outa the boat with a hookset, not to mention the lure flying by your head

 

I just give it a slight tug I find if the fish is biting it he is getting hooked any way no need to rip his lips off....I also don't catch many fish so

[Dabluz]

I use very light line (2 to 6 lb test) so my hook set is about a 2 out of 10. When using braided or fused line, my hook set is more of a sweep because I know that a hard sudden shock will break those non-stretch lines very easily.

 

I have never found that bass were hard to hook. I find that walleye are a lot harder to hook. Many of my walleye throw their hooks when in the net but I rarely lose any walleyes before getting them in the landing net.

 

However, bass do tend to open their mouths when fighthing. Walleye keep their mouths closed tight until they get in the net.

 

The easiest fish to hook are brook trout. They never open their mouths....I often have to pry their mouths open in order to get at the hook.

 

I have to add that I use very fast action rods.

[MJL]

I don’t really fish for bass. For the other species, my hook sets are very tame. Most of the time, people fishing next to me don’t even realize that I have a fish on . Just a light sweeping lift of the rod is adequate for what I do. The only exception is if I’m doing a hero drift way downstream and I see my float shoot under – I’ll add some more power then. When bolt rigging for carp or swinging flies for steelhead, setting the hook is the last thing you want to do. Just adding some tension to the line or slowly lifting the rod is all you really need to do.

[misfish]

Most of the time, people fishing next to me don’t even realize that I have a fish on

 

And not yelling FISH ON, helps.Up here anyways.LOL

[Christopheraaron]

Especially that guy (can't remember his name) who screams like a maniac every time he pulls in a nice one.

 

You mean all of them. Lol as for my rating I probably rate myself around an 8.

[danc]

I'm surprised that rod length has not been mentioned here. It has everything to do with driving a hook home. Pure physics. I tend to use longer rods so a gentle sweep works for me. My gentle sweep with a 9' rod might be equal to an agressive yank with a 6'rod. It's all about how fast you pick up your line with a hookset. Obviously a longer rod will pick up your line quicker than a short rod will.

[manitoubass2]

Good point DanC

 

For me, its different all the time. Depends on my rod, line, species, cover, time of year, water depth etc.

 

If I had to average it out though, I'd say I'm a 6. Years ago, I would have said 7 or 8. But just like everything, you adapt and improve your own techniques.

 

More often then not, these days I use a reel set. If not that, a sweep set. It may look boring, but these two techniques land fish way more often (for me), than the hard hook sets.

 

As long as you have good appropriate equipment, and a good reaction time, I think these are the superior methods.

 

For walleye I find tension to be far more important then the hook set