Hook Set when trolling for Chinooks

easydoesit

Active Member
How hard do you set the hook?

When do you choose to set the hook, when the fish is running or otherwise?

Thanks, Look forward to responses.
 
Thanks, checked it out. Never thought of using the downrigger to set the hook or hand feeding the bait. Some interesting info there.
 
I've seen some guys give a huge yank on the rod. My nephew uses this technique and more often than not, I think he actually rips the hook out of the fishes mouth. I prefer to hold the rod at about a 9 o clock angle and reel until I feel the fish fight or at least good tension on the line. I then hold my reel with my hand (obvious I know) and firmly pull up to the 12 o clock position. My theory is this; if you can feel the fish on the line, the hook should be digging into the fishes mouth. A short tug at this point, should drive it home, if it is not there already, while a huge yank, might pull out a hook that is just in the edge of the mouth. There are way better fisher folks out on the than me, but once I get a fish on the line, it usually comes to the boat. When I loose one, it can keep me up at night reliving what I did wrong.
 
If we are downrigger fishing you must first get as much slack out of your line when you first put the gear down. I put the line into the release clip in a manner where it takes a 15# fish or more to pull the line from the release. Using braided line with 30' of mono on the end really helps with the slack.

When a fish hits, grab the rod/reel & start reeling as you take the rod from the holder. Using a flush mount rod holder with the rod pointing straight back while in the holder greatly enables doing this.

Reel down hard until the line is out of the release clip and the rod tip is almost in the water. I use knuckle busters/10.5" rods & at this point will back the drag off most of the way & use my reeling hand for drag.

No technique is 100% but having fished with many good guides they are all on it as soon as the rod twitches.
 
I don't really set the hook. If it is burried in the clip and fish releases should already be decently impaled. Tighten up line and start fighting the fish which will push the hooks as deep as it needs to go. Many times we pull them in and the hook is barely holding by the edge of the mouth or some skin. A big ol hook set would just rip those ones right out. We seem to land them fine with no hook set and guys in my boat who rip it off the rod holder and set the hook tend to land fewer fish.

Sharp hooks... then you don't have to do much else.
 
Like some of you have said, if the fish pops the clip it should be set. If I have to pop it I will try to give it a set though most of the time the chinook will have woken up and be running once off the clip.
 
Totally depends on the size of the hook. Size 2 trebles rolling anchovies, no hook set necessary. Size 6/0 on a flasher and skirt or 7/0 on a heavy jig down deep, hammer that sucker hard. Titrate for in between. My .02,

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Hook set not really necessary unless maybe youre trolling slower then its very important to get to the rod quick. real as fast as you can and that should set it good.
 
I bury the main line deep in the clip.. when it's a GOOD take, it's gonna set real nice, had big springs not busting off the clip
huge head shakes still clipped in... i'm pretty sure the hook is set after a few solid head shakes.

Same here and run that clip on full tight. Works great no need to horse it
 
no bob azumi here. lol , let the clip do the work. if the clip doesn't pop, reel down while lowering tip at the same angle as cable, keep reeling until the clip pop is felt, tighten down more and raise tip.its on.
 
Let downrigger clip do it.. the stretch of line at ball to set up maybe 20 feet? can do a better job then line down 60 on rigger + 20 feet with a bow in it... set clip tight if its pounding away do this hit downrigger to bring it up grab rod and start reeling it will pop in your hand and you will feel it!!!!! pretty awesome feeling and your already on it changing the angle of bringing it up taking in slack line... trust me...
 
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