To "Set" or "Not to Set" ?

[Charter Tofino]

quote:Originally posted by SerengetiGuide

The big boys definitely do not always pop it off...especially when there is lots of feed in the area.

Amen to that. I was busy reeling in a doggy on one rod and saw the other bounce like a shaker or bottom so i brought it up 20 feet on the rigger and asked my buddy to check it. He strolls over reels the slack and pops it off the clip and sets the hook. ZZZZZ turned out to be a 40lber.

 

[searun]

WHACK EM. I find that the quicker you are on the fish the better. Get it out of the clip with one good hit, and then reel down until you feel the weight and lift up to set the hook. For flat liners where they pull it out of the clip, reel like mad until you catch up with the fish and left up.

Searun

 

[Fish Assassin]

Don't set after the clip pops.

My 2 cents.

 

[reddog303]

Never set the hook,let him take it ,do a fair bit of power mooching in the Charlottes and watch them southern boys rip there rods like there chasing smallmouth ,,don't seem to do that well

 

[pescador]

I never consciously set the hook. With the quality of the hooks we have today I'm pretty confident that they penetrate the flesh as soon as they pop the pin. Further, the inertia as your reeling the fish in has to drive and set the hook even better. Never been a problem for me. I vote no set.....

Matador

 

[trophywife]

cut pluggin' see the mouthing, feed line and wait for line to lift or change direction, then set it firm not rip,,, down riggers with flashers, see the clip release,wind up slack and set it... no bob azumi in my boat

 

[searun]

Fishing cut plug is a world apart from using flasher and hootchie/spoon/bait. The fish figure out quickly that what they have in their mouth isn't natural and spit it quickly if you do not set the hook. As for fishing cut plug, yes you absolutely need to let the fish take it and then reel down until you feel the weight of the fish before lifting up on the rod to softly set the hook.

So the Charlottes is a different fishery, requiring the "southern" guys to adapt...same too for the "northern guys" who venture south...you need to adapt to the local fishery and techniques otherwise you will just be an observer on the sidelines watching guys scoop you.

As for flat liners who pull it out of the clip the trick is to catch up with the fish as quickly as you can and reel down until you feel the weight and softly lift up to set the hook...or better described...to make sure it was set when the fish pulled it off the clip. For plugs, let them grab it then reel down and hammer it to drive home the 7/0 hook home.

Searun

 

[yo mama]

Absolutly set the hook even off the clip. Thats where all the fun is. If the fish has the hook, all your doing is puting it in to the max depth, if it doesn't letting it take it off the clip isnt always enough to have it in there grips. Cutting plugging was great for hook sets and people who were light on the sets in the boats would more then not loose the fish. Take a hook and a chinooks mouth and trying driving it home you will then see how much force it takes to put the hook down to the curve of the shank. especially fishing 80 feet down on the rigger with mono and a flasher, i belive the hardest set you can do without breaking the line if my way i roll. PS have gotten carried away a few times....snap!

 

[Whole in the Water]

I am experimenting more with using dummy flasher. I use both inline ones and rotational ones off the cannonball for both fresh and saltwater. I agree with Peahead that inline ones have less blow back for deeper applications. However, sometimes I wonder when fishing for springs in a crowded area if it is better to not use a flasher just to present something different. I wonder if the springs get spooked by too many flasher sometimes.

Check out this site for flasher modifications:
http://www.captaindownriggins.com/Flashers.htm


Long live wild salmon!!!
>&lt)))>

 

[Whole in the Water]

Oops! Posted this to the wrong article.[:I][)]

Long live wild salmon!!!
>&lt)))>