Hook setting

[scott craven]

There was some debate on the Victoria thread over this.
Personally like to have the line buried about 3/4 deep in the release clip and reel down so
the rod tip is only a few inches above the water.
If the fish pops the release, reel up on the fish, there's a good chance its already well hooked.
If it won't release, drop the downrigger or hit the up button forcing a pop off.
Sharp hooks are more important to me, I have landed springs that were hooked in the belly,
fins, and even the top of the head.

 

[Englishman]

This is an interesting topic. There does seem to be a differencee between singles and trebles and bait and hardware.

With hardware, that in my case always has singles, you do have to set the hook unless it is popped the rigger and hooked itself. I guess the hardware feels funny to the fish and they don't ingest it. Singles always seem to be hooked in the edge of the mouth or lips.

With bait using small trebles the fish always seem to engulf the bait and the treble is inside the mouth , often towards the back, with two or three holds. I guess the "real feel" of the bait makes them engulf and move it back. Rarely have to set the hook with trebles because of this.

May be different if you are using large trebles as the fish may not be able to easily engulf the bait and penetration may be harder.
Incidentally, I don't understand why you would ever need to use a stinger if you use single small trebles.

 

[hambone]

I've talked about hook sets with so many different people and everyone seems to have a different answer...

I set my line deep in the clip at all depths... I think a fish hooked any deeper than about 70-80 feet needs a decent set especially if it doesn't break free from the clip.... IMO most shallow fish slam the gear pretty hard, come out of the clip and are fully hooked. I guess it all depends... Some fish have the reel screaming before you can even get to the rod, some bites are hardly even detected.

Is there truly anyone out there that doesn't at least set the hook a little to make sure it's in the good?

 

[Seafever]

Me for one......Hambone......I have never "set" the hook on a strike yet.

I have my line right back as far as it will go in the clip with the clip itself set on strongest hold.

If the fish doesn't hold it was probably set in a place in the fish where it would have come out anyway.

I don't fish trebles for salmon....and I rarely rarely use real bait.

As said sharphooks make a big difference.

Mostly I use singles for salmon.

Guys that use giant Siwashes for their hoochies will have less penetrating power because the diameter of the hook...and those kind of hooks need the best sharp point on them that you can come up with. I like to file those on three sides coming to a razor sharp tip (some guys like the chisel tip). You get better holding power with a big big hook arguably.....but the smaller hooks will penetrate easier.

If you are fishing flashers with the line in the clip as far back as it will go on "strong" setting........the fish is about as hooked as it will get when it pops the clip IMO.

Early days I lost quite a few fish yanking on the line like a maniac....although I wasn't setting the hook...i was just trying to horse them in too fast.

I agree that a well-filed sticky sharp hook can make the difference allright.......

Hook filing isn't just about grabbing any old file and giving it a whackover.........

Hooks come in various metals and diameters and there are number of ways to file a hook.

I can get a pretty good tip on mine but I have to admit there are some oldtimers and pros out there that could make my filing look like amateur stuff.......and my mind is always open on the subject of hook filing.......

 

[hambone]

On a soft bite where a fish may only be investigating what your lure is and not trying to kill it...... I certainly think you need to set those hooks as they may just barely be in.

I've seen many many fish including several tyees give a very soft bite, not even close to getting out of the clip. I think if you don't get to that rod, get it out of the clip and set the hook you'll be missing out on fish over the long run. This mainly happens over 100ft. Just my opinion. Sharp hooks are a given.

 

[Roofus]

I've talked about hook sets with so many different people and everyone seems to have a different answer...

I set my line deep in the clip at all depths... I think a fish hooked any deeper than about 70-80 feet needs a decent set especially if it doesn't break free from the clip.... IMO most shallow fish slam the gear pretty hard, come out of the clip and are fully hooked. I guess it all depends... Some fish have the reel screaming before you can even get to the rod, some bites are hardly even detected.

Is there truly anyone out there that doesn't at least set the hook a little to make sure it's in the good?

I have to bury my line usually with thin cardboard wrapped on it in the clips to stop it from popping out while lowering to keep my rods inches from water yes with the tension full am I doing something wrong its usually a hard tug to get them out the line pops out otherwise

 

[banger17]

ya different strokes for different folks i guess...

i have always "set" the hook on all bites, whether the fish does or doesnt pop the clip. No matter what the case, i reel down on the fish a bit until i get "the feel" then a nice set, nothing crazy by any means.

Seems i rarely lose the fish on the set, it may be at the side of the boat or on a big jump/run that i lose em from time to time

 

[dmurph]

I always run the clip in the strong setting and burry the line in it unless its a brand new clip in which case just to the black line. I will always reel down on the fish and either hold it steady or give a hook set once I feel the fish depending how the rod hammered and how deep iam fishing. I run rod length to the flasher from the clip and I know many folks run 20 to 30 feet which I would think would require more of a set, I guess speed would play a factor as well. If ya troll slow I would hammer the rod for a good hook set.

 

[Dave S]

My thoughts are that if you set the hook hard or drag the fish in, you are actually stretching the hole around the hook and make it easier for it to get off on a turn, jump, coming towards the boat, etc. Sharp hooks do most the work.

 

[wishiniwasfishin1]

Im with banger. Reel down into the fish and when you feel it bury the hooks by lifting the rod tip and leaning back. Pretty simple...i find sharp jerky sets can be problematic...

 

[wolf]

You are correct Scott but try the other way of bringing it up and reel when its pounding you feel the hit and everything quite exciting...

AS for "setting" the hook your not doing much yanking on it do a couple of tests and you will see what I mean. take out 100 ft of line on the dock get a buddy to hold on the other end yank away see how much "pull" your getting at that distance!!!! NOT MUCH" better yet put a digital scale and measure it!!!(you will be very surprised) at 100 ft then at 20 ft!!! you will notice a hug difference...cause mono stretches alot...now you ask why 20 ft WELL thats about the average a person sets his gear from the back of the boat to a clip buried is the only way to go at 20 ft and a fish hits and yanks it off its on.

Most fish are lost when there isnt enough tension on the fish and the hook simply pops out cant tell you how many fish i land in the net only to see the hooks fall out.

good luck wolf

 

[hambone]

I guess the biggest benefit of a hook set is that your getting rid of any slack between you and the fish.

I'll continue to do my hook sets while trolling for salmon, it's a habit I cant shake. Any steelheader, fly fishermen or even kids handlining shiners on the dock must have the same problem..... Set the hook lol

 

[trendsetter]

Interesting thread.. What I can add is that when I was growing up fishing salmon I was taught to always set the hook. Since then I've learned through lots of trial and error that not doing the big hook set means you land more fish.

I believe it's all about taking up any slack so there is tension between you and the fish. I grab the rod when it's pounding in the holder and lift up firmly to remove any tension and that's it. Seems to work much better especially with the softer mouth fish like coho and sockeye.

Fishing lings is another story. Those guys I think tend to just grab the bait and hold it in their mouths and you need a good strong hook set to keep them on the line.

 

[Drewski Canuck]

Long ago switched to circle hooks on plugs, spoons, hootchies, chovies, etc. No hook set, and never a lost fish for the hook popping out. I raise this every year. No one ever listens. Oh Well.

Drewski

 

[fish stalker]

Commie long liners use them for a reason. I was asking about this awhile ago no one seemed to like the idea then either. I think the fish just get dragged to death and put up no fight while bringing them in. Were as if we use circle hooks you have to really keep that tension perfect esp with a scrapy fish. They will hook themselves to no need to worry about the hookset but then its up to your skills to bring him in. And with the horsing and ****** fishing methods ive seen out there im not surprised people dont trust themselves to play a fish properly.

My original question in the report thread was about the hookset difference between treble vs singles...?

With singles you can see the usual lip hook so its understandable a good tug would make sure you pierce threw and get a good hookset. With a treble it seems they are just spiked and you seem to have more chance of loosing a fish on the hook set because its not really piercing its just sort of sticking. I think they cant really close there mouths with a mouth full of treble so there mouths dont really close so it just just get pulled out. Where as a single they try and close and swim away so your hook is in there so you or it just needs that extra tug to get it to pierce.

I might change my theory after catching a few more fish Ive just started noticing how they are hooked and thinking about it.

I switched to a single treble vs two singles on bait and found I lost two fish then my boyfriend lost two fish before I figured out the hookset seemed different. When I looked into the mouth they were barley hooked into the top of his mouth. No fish came in with the trebles sunk down on bottom of the hook shank. (Except for one who had it up and out the eye cuase he was flipping out and im pretty sure did it to himself.)

So I guess its how deep the fish takes the bait. Do they do the swipe by to injure the bait and get hooked then or do they inhale the whole thing. And what the difference on hooks sets with the different size of hooks... Guys on here pulling in multi 20's on those tiny stock coho killer hooks.. vs losing fish on?.... hmm

 

[trendsetter]

When I fish bait I use one treble hook set right behind the dorsal fin of the bait. 90% of the time a spring or coho will have all three hooks in it's mouth. Two in the bottom jaw and one in the top or vice versa. I don't use any different hook set for different hooks or lures and get good results. The most important thing is not giving the fish any slack. If there is decent tension on the line it will set the hook itself if it hasn't already done so in the clip.

 

[scott craven]

If the hooks are needle sharp they will stick most of the time.
A few years ago I had a Spring take a whack and got stuck in the top of the head.
He proceeded to jump right out of the water 4 or 5 times.
by the time it was in the net, there was a hole the size of a quarter
but the hook stayed in.

 

[arima arima]

I set every strike, unless the fish has popped and is running. The last tyee i caught it hit the line never popped the clip and was just sitting there, when I set the hook I felt it actually penetrate the jaw. The awesome part of running braided main line.

 

[Andrew P]

I personally never set the hook. My thought is that if a fish is pulling away and you are reeling it in by a very sharp little piece of metal....that hook is going to set itself. I've seen way to many hooks ripped from mouths that I am confident that the gentle approach is the way to go; essentially guiding the fish to the boat. Most of the fish that I have seen or have lost is when trying to rush any step of the process. Unless there is a seal on it....take it easy. I've switched over completely to braid, which I like for the hard connection with the fish and also for that tension deep down. Same goes for popping the clip if the fish hasn't....take it easy; reel down to really load the clip and then a simple little tug to release. I had a buddy on board lately....no names...who snapped a rod right in half either on the clip pop or the hook set. No need to be snapping rods on either!!

 

[spring fever]

I am usually deep fishing(my preference) with a chovy and a Teezer-if I don't get a clean break away I reel down as much as possible and pop it by a strong consistent upward motion-not a jerk-if that doesn't release it I lower the ball a few feet and try again. Because we are using no flashers just Teezers and spoons or chovies the deep hooked fish seem to zoom for the surface faster than its possible to reel-we have been hitting the throttle to get on the fish as soon as possible-if it is a clean release I don't think a hook set is necessary but like Hambone I think there are some very large Spring "nibblers"-who do not release-these I try and set-much easier if you are running braid for a main line.