How Many Hooksets

[Yaklash]

A recent conversation I had about Troutsupport Lures raised an interesting subject for me. Like my old days fishing weedless worms for bass, with The TSL lures being weedless, you have to really lay it on the fish. So the conversation got around to how many hooksets do you have and when do you use them.

When I started fishing topwaters back in the day, I learned 2 things. One, don’t set the hook; let the fish set the hook. Two, when you feel the fish, don’t pull up high. Topwater trout, especially big topwater trout, will tend to come up and dance on the surface if you pull them up there with force. And I lost a few trophy trout because of the high rod position. So on topwater fishing, I pull back on my rod to the side, with the rod tip near the surface or even below. Fish stopped dancing around when I started doing that.

Crank-baits and Hunchbacks are very similar. The fish mostly hook themselves. But the hookset to the side is not really as important.

For soft plastics, a rapid, high/hard hook set is the way to go. The upwards orientation of the single shank hook lessens the likelihood they will hook themselves, so when you feel a tap, you set it high and hard.

Live bait is similar, but with a measure of delay. With croaker and other finfish bait, you have to let them run with it for a few seconds so they can turn the bait and get its nose down first. But with live shrimp, you don’t do that unless they are really big shrimp. Either way though, you want to pull straight up on the rod when setting the hook with live bait. I am not sure why, but enough old salts said as much, so I just accept it.

So the question is, how many hooksets do you use? And, fishing from a kayak, how many of these can you actually deploy. With backup rods, a milk crate, and all kinds of gear on board, do you have room to set the hook any way but straight up? Also, how many actually think about this crap? I do, but maybe I am the only one…

[hoghunter14]

I know exactly what you are saying, and for myself I usually will drive it home hard on that initial hook set and let it ride. Especially with trout I am afraid of potentially ripping the hook out , and I found that with reds if you give them any slack at all they will shake the hook. My girlfriend found that out the hard way during the last GRS event when she lost a stud of a upper slot redfish trying to set the hook again.

[LocoSeamonkey]

I guess it depends on the hit from the fish.

Either way, I have a buddy that has one hookset and one only. Reel down and swing for the fences. We try to tell him that it is really not necessary but he just gets so drove up every time he gets a bite, he does it anyway.

[TroutSupport.com]

Good post Yak, and certainly a worth discussion. I know McBride told a buddy of mine when he is fishing for big trout with plastic rigged on a jighead that he 'thumbs down' to set the hook hard!!! He normally doesn't do this with schoolie trout, but with the big girls he does because the older trout have such hard mouth bones he was loosing them along time ago but found this to be the ticket.

I think your spot on about having several hookset styles.. I know with corkies with treble hooks I'd prefer a lite rod lifting hookset as those trebbles dont always go to the corner of the mouth.

[Drifting Yak]

And to add another dimension, it also depends on the rod characteristics, line, etc. (i.e A hard hook set with a stiff rod and braid is a formula for ripping the bait and losing fish.) Many things to consider so good thread Yaklash.

[Yaklash]

And to add another dimension, it also depends on the rod characteristics, line, etc. (i.e A hard hook set with a stiff rod and braid is a formula for ripping the bait and losing fish.) Many things to consider so good thread Yaklash.

Very good point. One of my buddies that used to damn near run backwards out of the boat with his rod way up over his head changed his hookset after he converted to braid. That old mono stretch made you really put some oomf into it.

[bikesnfire737]

This is interesting. I'd personally never heard reasons for all of these different hook sets. I've recently started swapping some hard baits to the inline single hooks to try and catch less grass but I've yet to get down there and fish them. Would these vmc/gamakatsu type hooks change those ideas?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[texnomad]

I always keep really sharp hooks and did not set a hook with shock but rather a strong long pull. When braid came to my reels about five years ago I eventually changed to something like a strong wrist snap and hold. The biggest fish loser I see is the near fatal habit of many to let the rod back down some and give a little slack. BAD. I fish both Rockport area and the lakes of the Rio Grande. I guarantee you those Amistad strippers will set their own hook.

[karstopo]

Good topic. I really don’t have any good answers. I’m definitely with you on topwaters, but it can be hard not to reflexedly set the hook when the big blowup happens. I’ve struggled over the years keeping better trout on. I sort of thought it was about my drag being too tight and then worked on my hooks making sure they were sharp. I felt like lighter wire hooks were better going in on the set and staying in place.

With a redfish that hit the lure or whatever and swam towards me and where I didn’t feel like I got a good set, I would often set the lure again. With trout, I’m always paranoid about tearing those delicate mouth membranes so I just have lived with whatever initial set I got.

When I was heavily fishing plugs and tails, it seemed like I got the vast majority of redfish to hand, lost too many trout, and flounder, well, they were just devils.

Now, heavily fishing flies, it’s I lose way too many good reds, get a higher percentage of good trout to hand, and the flounder are no longer full fledged devils but are still a little naughty. I 99/100 times strip set the fly which is just pointing the rod tip at the fish and giving the line a hard fast jerk with the off rod hand. My heaviest fly hooks are still lighter wire than almost all lure or jig head hooks. I’ll reset fly hooks especially when I don’t feel like I got a good set initially. In the cases where I’m seeing a fish take the fly I think it works against me during the set. I tend to set too quickly.

I believe setting too quickly has always been a tendency of mine. I try to emulate my friends that don’t do this. It’s a hard habit to break. Seems like my friends shoot for that one good hard set after a slight pause when the fish hits the lure.

But that’s good information about setting trout to the side versus up. Maybe that’s why I’ve done better keeping them hooked fly fishing versus something like a corky. I always set them with jerking the rod up.

[YakRunabout]

I guarantee you those Amistad strippers will set their own hook.

I generally ignore typos/grammar, etc. on this site since this is an activity sharing site, not a creative writing class (though there is plenty of creative writing displayed here!). But this one is too good to pass up - stripper vs striper!
I will call this a "Freudian slip", giving the benefit of the doubt, since I assume that there is fishing going on. However, if it is truly stripper, then I would have to question just who is setting the hook!!

Enjoy your next outing! (I say this assuming fishing, but you will determine your own activity.

[Springfling]

I have not really thought about the subject all that much. But, I had the opportunity to do some tarpon fishing in Trinidad back in June. I missed a couple fish (which was not an issue since we caught 23 in 2.5 hrs!) when I tried to set the hook (live bait fishing). The mate told me to not set the hook. He said when the bait really starts dancing because it is in the mouth of the tarpon. He said just start reeling fast. Sure enough, no more misses. It seems this allows the big circle hook to nicely position itself for a clean set on its own (and subsequent release!).

[Salaqua]

I have not really thought about the subject all that much. But, I had the opportunity to do some tarpon fishing in Trinidad back in June. I missed a couple fish (which was not an issue since we caught 23 in 2.5 hrs!) when I tried to set the hook (live bait fishing). The mate told me to not set the hook. He said when the bait really starts dancing because it is in the mouth of the tarpon. He said just start reeling fast. Sure enough, no more misses. It seems this allows the big circle hook to nicely position itself for a clean set on its own (and subsequent release!).

Very nice you fished for Tarpon in Trinidad. Was it with MonstaTarpon? My wife is from Trinidad and I will be hitting up some Tarpon on my next visit. I typically go down and um...only catch Carib, Stag, and Vat19.

As to the general discussion, I have recently learned that a proper and different hookset is need for the circle hooks when fishing a popping cork and shrimp. As I was taught, it is more of reel the slack and a gentle "ole" type move. The hook does the work. I was setting it like I did a soft plastic and missed a tremendous amount of fish.

[The Fat Kid]

For me it depends on the bait. If I'm fishing soft plastics I usually lay into it pretty hard. When fishing MirroLures I hardly lift the tip at all. Anything worth having that hits a MirroLure is gonna set the hook itself.

[Yaklash]

I have not really thought about the subject all that much. But, I had the opportunity to do some tarpon fishing in Trinidad back in June. I missed a couple fish (which was not an issue since we caught 23 in 2.5 hrs!) when I tried to set the hook (live bait fishing). The mate told me to not set the hook. He said when the bait really starts dancing because it is in the mouth of the tarpon. He said just start reeling fast. Sure enough, no more misses. It seems this allows the big circle hook to nicely position itself for a clean set on its own (and subsequent release!).

Yeah...tarpon are a whole other story....and probably worthy of their own thread. I will say that I have not fished for tarpon enough to know.

[Springfling]

Very nice you fished for Tarpon in Trinidad. Was it with MonstaTarpon? My wife is from Trinidad and I will be hitting up some Tarpon on my next visit.

It was indeed MonstaTarpon! Great guys and I recommend them!

[Dandydon]

What a thoughtful informative thread! Thanks, Yaklash.
I took notes but offer only this: when fishing live croaker for trout (done years ago, but no more!), I had to consciously slow down my hookset akin to a flounder bite, but about half as long. I missed a few nice ones until my host said "chill out & let 'em swallow that finfish." My catch rate went from 0 to about 75%. For me it's all IN THE FEEL.
We're blessed to have so many fishing studs on this board willing to give up the goods! Please leave some big ones for me. Onward, men!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk