Set The Hook!!! Survey Says?

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Andrew Zuber

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Good Day All!

Just back from BASS University in Lansing...

So much information to tuck into such a small brain!!!



Got a survey question to pose to the Board after listening to one of the Pro's lectures:



When fishing worms/plastics, on the hook set do you try to have the line tight or slack???



az
 
When I feel the bite,..I drop the rod tip...put a little slack in the line and then set it.....HARD!!...snap sets deliver more power!!
 
I agree with Mac, Drop the rod tip wind up slack and slam her home.
 
I usually just set the hook. Almost never reel down, except maybe for c-rigging when fishing really slow (finesse bite). But, I don't fish plastics with much slack line either. Basically, when I feel it (again - unless fishing on a real light finesse bite), I just set the hook.



I know one of the pro's, at last year's Bassmaster U., talked about this subject specifically. He indicated that with a 'taught' line, your hookset should be about the length of your arms (forearms - not extended arms), back to the chest - one short quick movement. The fish has it in his mouth - how far to you think you need to move the hook to get a hookset?



Tex
 
Slack line hookset....now! I was always taking up the slack then setting the hook.



Gene
 
With plastic or artificial ...I drop the tip and "drive er' home! Now if it's live bait or maybe a suspending jerkbait..I use a "sweep" set. Slackline hooksets can be a problem...especially with a low stretch line:(

TEE
 
Agree with Mac.....that's right, that's exaaaaactly right!!!

 
I dont care if there is slack or the line is tight...when I get bit I set the hook......it is too easy for a fish to blow a bait out when you are "reeling down" before you set it.



Just my .02



Mini
 
Nothing's going to work all the time...(or Ray Scott would be hawkin' it!!!..LOL)...i've lost fish setting the hook immediately, and I've lost'em taking up slack....ya just hope they have it good,..LOL!! Then cross their eyes like a Tyson uppercut!!!!
 
How long do wait to set the hook? When I fish worms I usually wait for the third tap "bite" before I go for it. Couple of my buddies also tell me to wait in till the bass has it in it's mouth, so to hold on for a few taps before U drill down.

I should I be just going for it on the first tap I get. Sometimes I feel like the fish did not have enough time to grab the bait.

If you can't tell I use crank baits and spinners alot more than plastics



If you can't tell I use crankbaits and spinners alot more than plastics.
 
the third tap is usually the fish letting it go...



 
Or as Woo put it this weekend...



First tap is the fish hittin' the lure.

Second tap is the fish spittin" it out.

Third tap is daddy hittin' ya' in da hed wit da paddle! You dun missed it, Boy!!!



Craig
 
I'm with that. When I fell the second one, I lay the wood to it. My partner this past weekend, would reel down and wait patiently for the 'telltale bite'. I swear, even with what he caught, he missed 4-5 other ones. I think he waited way too long.



Tex
 
Whenever I get a strike I usually pee my pants, start quivering uncontrolably, and drop my rod in the water.

;>)

No really, I like to have my arms in a position where I'm ready the give a good quick snap. Never had the corridination to do that reel down and bow to the fish and then set the hook routine.



Harpo
 
I wait about 2.3 nanoseconds....in other words IMMEDIATELY.



I dont care if I am on the phone, taking a leak or eating a sandwich (I dont do those at the same time)...I will rip it when I feel it.



Mini
 
Harpo,

I bet fishing trips with you are expensive!! Tie the rod adn reel to your waist? Dry cleaning can also get expensive too!!!!



Carlos
 
There is no doubt that Bass will hang on to a soft plastic bait. How many times have you picked out a backlash to find a bass swimming around with your bait in it's mouth.



I set the hook immediately because it reduces the amount of gut hooked fish. Today's soft plastics almost taste too good to bass.



Regardless if they spit it or eat it, there is NO GOOD REASON to wait. SET THE HOOK!!!
 
if i see the bite i take up almost all of the slack and set. bite on tite line or feel the bite with pole at 45 degree or less i drop tip a little and set. also i belive bass suck the bait in (which is the tic you feel)they either have it or they don't, or they suck it in and out very quickly if during thier strike some thing dosen't seem right or spooks them.in any case if i feel them i set. on the average they either have it or they don't, nothing half way. again this is just what i've seen myself. stan
 
Interesting.....



I always try to avoid any slack in the line.....

I don't like the idea of loosing contact with the bait.

And I set the hook NOW!
 
I just Rip Lips....I tends to get the fish into the boat so I dont care.





T.S.
 
Talked to Bobby Murray about this very thing...His comment was that the tap you feel is the bait hitting the back of the fishes throat (since they usually just flare their gills and are not set up to "chew" it).



I will jerk their figgin lips clean off if I can (ask CIII, he's been in the boat when I set the hook). Now just what direction I rare back will depend on what I am throwing and where it is located...short version is that I will either come straight up or will sweep left or right. If fishing light line(which I do a lot) all bets are off. You can't snap set with lighter line. It is not unusual for me to set the hook 2 or 3 times either, especially with a spinnerbait, for some reason they seem to throw them a lot with me.



TOXIC
 
Toxic...



I used to have that problem with Spinnerbaits... now that I switched to a good s-glass rod for them, doesn't happen no more...



But your right, before that rod, I would set 2-3 times on a spinnerbait, just to make sure.



With Grubs/jigs and Ikas, i end up doing at least a double set... what can happen is that the fish can be clamped down so hard on the bait that you wont move it the first time, or you'll only get a little piece, the second one allways drills it home...this is a case where the lead head gets in the way...





 

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