Bad Hook Set 2024
Ben Eipert reply :
I had a tournament today and all I caught was short fish and catfish. I had a few quality hits but my hook sets just were not up to par. Is there a way to tell if it is me or my line? I am using Seaguar Red Label and fishing a jig. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
AllTerrainAngler reply :
What point are you setting the hook? Heres my trick to jigs. Cut 3-4 strands in the weedguard way down to make it easier to set the hook. DO NOT PULL THEM OUT or you risk all of them falling out.
sprint61 reply :
Hit the gym. In all seriousness maube your rusty from the long winter, and you hve to get your reaction time back?
Ozark_Basser reply :
Step back and lay it to them. Put your back into it. Don't take it easy on them with a jig.
ClackerBuzz reply :
tighten down ur drag more
Bluebasser86 reply :
Why exactly do you think your hookset was an issue? About the only time I feel like the hooset was a problem is if I get caught in a bad position to set the hook or something happens during the hookset like I lose my grip on the reel. You don't have to try to stretch the fish out with you hookset for it to be effective.
Catt reply :
Probably just a timing issue, some days ya on...some days ya aint!
Ben Eipert reply :
Timing probably is my issue. Also any tips on how to set it when they are swimming toward the boat? I try to take up the slack but do not want to put enough pressure on that I pull the hook out of the fish's mouth.
Catt reply :
Every hook set is the same!
Every bite is different!
Every fight is different!
If they are running straight at the boat I set straight up. If they are running left or right I set in the opposite direction.
Alonerankin2 reply :
On 4/12/2015 at 10:15 AM, sprint61 said:Hit the gym. In all seriousness maube your rusty from the long winter, and you hve to get your reaction time back?
Very good point, I have a small lake I call it the tune up lake. Lots of smaller fish, eager to eat. Allows me to sharpen my line detection & hook setting techniques. It turns on early around here.
RanndomUndead reply :
I always wait until i feel atleast 2 small taps, sometimes even 3 if theyre weak.
More hookups, but also more "foul" hooks (aka swallowed)
Was patrolling a rocky bank for about 2 hours for smallies and out of 9 sets, 7 were successful, with 2 gutters. Both lived, atleast for now.
ClackerBuzz reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 6:37 AM, RanndomUndead said:I always wait until i feel atleast 2 small taps, sometimes even 3 if theyre weak.
this is wrong. you need to set the hook at the first tap or sign of a bite. it's hard enough to feel big fish b//c they inhale/exhale the lure so fast. Shaw Grigsby said there are 3 taps you'll feel with a bite:
1st tap= the bass inhaling the lure
2nd tap=the bass spitting it out
3rd tap= is shaw tapping you on your on shoulder asking 'why you didn't set the hook!?'
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 7:03 AM, ClackerBuzz said:this is wrong. you need to set the hook at the first tap or sign of a bite. it's hard enough to feel big fish b//c they inhale/exhale the lure so fast. Shaw Grigsby said there are 3 taps you'll feel with a bite:
1st tap= the bass inhaling the lure
2nd tap=the bass spitting it out
3rd tap= is shaw tapping you on your on shoulder asking 'why you didn't set the hook!?'
It may sound wrong, but when your dragging lizards on the bottom ive come to learn real quick the first tap is almost always a tail strike and setting it then is just a lost fish.
Listening to a pro is probably the stupidest thing one could do if personal experience shows otherwise.
Now with hardbaits, sure slam that hook. But anything that is slow presentation, you need to have patience with.
Catt reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 2:45 PM, RanndomUndead said:It may sound wrong, but when your dragging lizards on the bottom ive come to learn real quick the first tap is almost always a tail strike and setting it then is just a lost fish.
Listening to a pro is probably the stupidest thing one could do if personal experience shows otherwise.
Now with hardbaits, sure slam that hook. But anything that is slow presentation, you need to have patience with.
Goto youtube & search for Glen Lau's videos Bigmouth & Bigmouth Forever.
Please watch both videos noting how many times a bass bites a lure by the tail & report back here with the results.
Thank you very much, have a nice day 
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 4:28 PM, Catt said:Goto youtube & search for Glen Lau's videos Bigmouth & Bigmouth Forever.
Please watch both videos noting how many times a bass bites a lure by the tail & report back here with the results.
Thank you very much, have a nice day
Just from this year alone i already have 12 tailless lizards.
From the past 3 years, ive probably melted down over 200.
Why dont you people stop quoting someone else and do some information gathering on your own with experience.
deep reply :
This should be interesting.
Catt reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 9:56 PM, RanndomUndead said:Just from this year alone i already have 12 tailless lizards.
From the past 3 years, ive probably melted down over 200.
Why dont you people stop quoting someone else and do some information gathering on your own with experience.
Dude I've drug lizards, worms, craws, creatures, & critters across hundreds of miles of lake, marsh, swamp, creek, bayou, & river bottoms across 1/2 of this country for the last 50+ years.
If you are loosing tails it is more than likely Bream!
Ben Eipert reply :
Thanks for all your help guys. I ended up taking line off to respool for next weekend and found that it was all kinked up and stretched out.
It must have been my timing and line stretch, mostly timing though. I will see if it gets any better this weekend.
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 10:15 PM, Catt said:Dude I've drug lizards, worms, craws, creatures, & critters across hundreds of miles of lake, marsh, swamp, creek, bayou, & river bottoms across 1/2 of this country for the last 50+ years.
If you are loosing tails it is more than likely Bream!
Not Bream, i sight fish a lot. They constantly snap the tail then attack the head. Couldnt tell you why but the only time i havent witnessed this trend is in 45 or below water
DocNsanE reply :
One thing that wasn't asked was what rod power you were using? Jigs usually have pretty stout hooks and you'll need at least a medium heavy to get the hook to penetrate properly.
I had a friend who thought it was fun to fight bass on an ultra light combo. One day though he lost 5 or 6 fish in a row. I asked him to show me his setup and he had a pretty heavy gauge hook so he was never getting a good hookset into the fish, just not enough power in that rod for that type of hook
gobig reply :
Spotted bass will slap at a jig before eating it some times. But I have never had a largemouth double tap it and be there.
Hyrule Bass reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 9:56 PM, RanndomUndead said:Just from this year alone i already have 12 tailless lizards.
From the past 3 years, ive probably melted down over 200.
Why dont you people stop quoting someone else and do some information gathering on your own with experience.
youre probably getting the tails bit off by bluegills, theyre notorious for that. and myself, id have a hard time questioning catt's experience, not saying he is always right, but he is one of the more knowledgeable and respected members here. just like frog fishing, some people say when the bass hits the frog, count to 3 before setting the hook, i set the hook as soon as the frog disappears. i figure by the time i count to 3 the fish will have spit the bait. when you feel a bite, you set the hook. only time i would wait is if i can physically see the bass doesnt have the hook in his mouth...perhaps you should learn to distinguish a bluegill bite from a bass bite, because more than likely thats whats taking the tails off youre lizards, they do it to worms too
Hyrule Bass reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 10:18 PM, RanndomUndead said:Not Bream, i sight fish a lot. They constantly snap the tail then attack the head. Couldnt tell you why but the only time i havent witnessed this trend is in 45 or below water
i also do a lot of clear water sight fishing and ive rarely ever seen a bass bite the tail off a lizard or worm. if theyre short striking your lizards try changing colors and see how they react...
Catt reply :
There have been times I set hook & came with nothing but the front of the plastic, everything from the hook back was gone.
I've also missed fish, reeled in, looked at the tail & saw teeth marks.
Both would lead one to think the bass were hitting short but upon closer examination one would see tiny little groves in the lead weight
geo g reply :
As we all know, not all bites are bass. I had plenty of practice this past weekend in the Everglades, with over 50 rock bass, several mudfish, Oscars, 5 blue gill, and only 3 black bass. I can pretty much tell by the initial bite if it is a bass or baitfish. Bass will strike and hold, gar rip violently, Rock Bass and Bluegill machine gun little hits, mudfish solid bites but almost immediate head shakes.
The question is why has the bass bite almost gone nonexistent after months of prolific action. I believe it is the explosion of baitfish dumped into the canals on the east side of the glades from the rapidly dropping water levels in the flats. Add to this an explosion of tadpoles by the billions. These bass are just stuffed! Its like a Thanksgiving Feast every day, three times a day, in the glades right now. This is especially evident on the east side where the water is the lowest. This could also explain the unusually dirty water from the draining of the flats. As soon as the feast subsides the real explosion of bass fishing will begin east of the river.
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/13/2015 at 11:25 PM, Red Earth said:youre probably getting the tails bit off by bluegills, theyre notorious for that. and myself, id have a hard time questioning catt's experience, not saying he is always right, but he is one of the more knowledgeable and respected members here. just like frog fishing, some people say when the bass hits the frog, count to 3 before setting the hook, i set the hook as soon as the frog disappears. i figure by the time i count to 3 the fish will have spit the bait. when you feel a bite, you set the hook. only time i would wait is if i can physically see the bass doesnt have the hook in his mouth...perhaps you should learn to distinguish a bluegill bite from a bass bite, because more than likely thats whats taking the tails off youre lizards, they do it to worms too
i spend 8+ hours on the water weekly, have for 4 years. I can more than distinguish between a bass and bluegill.
Like ive said, ive watched them constantly snap at the tail, then attack the head.
Cameron211 reply :
I mean why is everyone saying that ranndomundead is wrong??? I mean if he says he has witnessed this happening to him why can't we take his word for it?? Not saying he is wrong or right, but just cause it has never happened personally to you doesn't mean it cant happen. Just had to weigh in
Choporoz reply :
I can't speak for anyone else, but the RU credibility train went off the tracks slightly when he tried to shout down Catt and dismissed Glen Lau for no apparent reason, IMHO.
ClackerBuzz reply :
If you are gut hooking small fish it means you're missing the big ones.
Catt reply :
On 4/12/2015 at 8:26 AM, Ben Eipert said:I had a tournament today and all I caught was short fish and catfish. I had a few quality hits but my hook sets just were not up to par. Is there a way to tell if it is me or my line? I am using Seaguar Red Label and fishing a jig. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Operator error due to timing being off
Bankbeater reply :
Run a file over the hooks to make sure they are sharp. It will make the hookset easier.
Ben Eipert reply :
My rod was a heavy flippin stick. It has a pretty stout tip. It feels like a bum-bum, like they are sucking it in then spitting it out
DrKnew reply :
Fight! , Fight!........Dont know if I should put in my 2 pennies worth?....Oh well......Usually the rat ah tat tat is a sunfish from my view.......When I get a firm bite , dont really wait, but lower rod tip to the water surface , and a quick upward lift to the sky. Don't miss too many that way. Of course, frequently check hook sharpness , and frayed line....I've mostly abandoned the cross their eyes method of hook setting, but , yes there are a few times when I revert to the rip their lips off style , such as frogs in heavy cover and flipping in the jungle.I can tell when a Northern Pike hits the lure, it's a solid WHACK, followed by a lightning quick run that will test your drag settings.
Matthew2000 reply :
I don't even gut two fish a year. You sound like me when I was seven waiting for the bluegill to swallow the worm before setting the hook. I think you might need to figure out the bites for you're area if your gutting two fish in a day. The fish in the pond I fish the most do a 1tap,quick second, and then a full choke on the third. Haven't killed a fish in that pond in two years. Guess what two years ago I figured out the bite thing.On 4/13/2015 at 6:37 AM, RanndomUndead said:I always wait until i feel atleast 2 small taps, sometimes even 3 if theyre weak.
More hookups, but also more "foul" hooks (aka swallowed)
Was patrolling a rocky bank for about 2 hours for smallies and out of 9 sets, 7 were successful, with 2 gutters. Both lived, atleast for now.
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/14/2015 at 8:54 AM, Matthew2000 said:I don't even gut two fish a year. You sound like me when I was seven waiting for the bluegill to swallow the worm before setting the hook. I think you might need to figure out the bites for you're area if your gutting two fish in a day. The fish in the pond I fish the most do a 1tap,quick second, and then a full choke on the third. Haven't killed a fish in that pond in two years. Guess what two years ago I figured out the bite thing.
They dont die, and i fish small lizards with long tails with small hooks. My baits are rarely spit out.
Ill say it for the 50th time, from MY EXPERIENCE, they snap the tail, then attack the head.
Keep in mind, im saying this for one particular style that i prefer almost year round, and thats dragging lizards on the bottom. I dont do this with worms, i dont even fish creatures.
I'm starting to think this forum is less fisherman and more "fishees" that just believe anything some guy gets paid to say.
Whered all the creative fisherman go?
Matthew2000 reply :
I didn't realize I used invisible ink when I said I figured out their bite pattern by myself.On 4/14/2015 at 9:15 AM, RanndomUndead said:They dont die, and i fish small lizards with long tails with small hooks. My baits are rarely spit out.
Ill say it for the 50th time, from MY EXPERIENCE, they snap the tail, then attack the head.
Keep in mind, im saying this for one particular style that i prefer almost year round, and thats dragging lizards on the bottom. I dont do this with worms, i dont even fish creatures.
I'm starting to think this forum is less fisherman and more "fishees" that just believe anything some guy gets paid to say.
Whered all the creative fisherman go?
Catt reply :
On 4/14/2015 at 9:15 AM, RanndomUndead said:They dont die, and i fish small lizards with long tails with small hooks. My baits are rarely spit out.
Ill say it for the 50th time, from MY EXPERIENCE, they snap the tail, then attack the head.
Keep in mind, im saying this for one particular style that i prefer almost year round, and thats dragging lizards on the bottom. I dont do this with worms, i dont even fish creatures.
I'm starting to think this forum is less fisherman and more "fishees" that just believe anything some guy gets paid to say.
Whered all the creative fisherman go?
First from the first post we have been talking jig bite not lizzards!
Second I'll give you my front deck & still show you what "fishees" are capable of!
Alonerankin2 reply :
On 4/14/2015 at 9:15 AM, RanndomUndead said:Whered all the creative fisherman go?
Apparently your the "Only" one left on the earth.
Matthew2000 reply :
In your first post you said they were alive.. For now, so which one is it. Snap the tail then attack the head huh? I wish half the people in the world were as smart as the bass in your spots. I never knew you invented every lure in you're tackle box. No creative fishermen these days...On 4/14/2015 at 9:15 AM, RanndomUndead said:They dont die, and i fish small lizards with long tails with small hooks. My baits are rarely spit out.
Ill say it for the 50th time, from MY EXPERIENCE, they snap the tail, then attack the head.
Keep in mind, im saying this for one particular style that i prefer almost year round, and thats dragging lizards on the bottom. I dont do this with worms, i dont even fish creatures.
I'm starting to think this forum is less fisherman and more "fishees" that just believe anything some guy gets paid to say.
Whered all the creative fisherman go?
Slipknot_Fan666 reply :
On 4/14/2015 at 9:46 AM, Matthew2000 said:In your first post you said they were alive.. For now, so which one is it. Snap the tail then attack the head huh? I wish half the people in the world were as smart as the bass in your spots. I never knew you invented every lure in you're tackle box. No creative fishermen these days...
Not to mention all the techniques he came up with. Plus the rods and reels he invented...
masterbass reply :
Watching "bigmouth forever," was educational and changed my perception about hook sets. I used to wait for confirmation, but now I set ASAP. Bass don't feed like goldfish, they inhale. My landing percentage has gone up dramatically and I haven't foul hooked a fish since. Like they say, "the first tap is the fish inhaling the bait and the second is him spitting it out."
Cameron211 reply :
This is strictly amazing... why do we keep bashing the guy? Can someone answer why it's impossible about when he says them hitting the tail first then the head??? Like I said just because it doesn't happen to you does it automatically mean it can't happen? Give the guy a break. Hes just saying his experiences. This is supposed to be a community to gain knowledge and give your experiences. Not beat the guy down for it and say hes wrong. Never once have I heard him say anything about criticizing anyones comments. Just him saying his own. Can we not respect that??
corn-on-the-rob reply :
On 4/14/2015 at 9:15 AM, RanndomUndead said:They dont die, and i fish small lizards with long tails with small hooks. My baits are rarely spit out.
Ill say it for the 50th time, from MY EXPERIENCE, they snap the tail, then attack the head.
Keep in mind, im saying this for one particular style that i prefer almost year round, and thats dragging lizards on the bottom. I dont do this with worms, i dont even fish creatures.
I'm starting to think this forum is less fisherman and more "fishees" that just believe anything some guy gets paid to say.
Whered all the creative fisherman go?
Anyone denying that bass don't do what you described is in denial. With many factors involved bass hit in many number of ways and it can change with the environment/conditions. I have seen it plenty of times as well especially with longer plastics like worms and lizards. Sometimes they grab tail, then inhale, sometimes they inhale but don't get it all the way in their mouth so they inhale again. If bass slammed our lures every time with a full inhale, this game would be much easier.
That being said I never wait once I detect a fish. Not worth the risk of getting spit.
THAT being said, with lighter/weightless soft plastics you typically have more time (not always) before they spit so this approach can work really well as you have mentioned. The only time I ever wait to set the hook is if I miss more than a handful of hook sets and decide I need to wait a second more and even then it isn't much longer, still relatively quick.
But with jigs, most of the time, you would be remiss if you felt a tap and didn't set immediately.
Ozark_Basser reply :
Bass will grab the bait tail first sometimes, especially with longer baits. If you really are trying to get one to bite while sight fishing, after some time spent without getting the fish to commit, when they finally do they usually will just grab the bait instead of inhaling it.
Matthew2000 reply :
On 4/14/2015 at 2:01 PM, Cameron211 said:This is strictly amazing... why do we keep bashing the guy? Can someone answer why it's impossible about when he says them hitting the tail first then the head??? Like I said just because it doesn't happen to you does it automatically mean it can't happen? Give the guy a break. Hes just saying his experiences. This is supposed to be a community to gain knowledge and give your experiences. Not beat the guy down for it and say hes wrong. Never once have I heard him say anything about criticizing anyones comments. Just him saying his own. Can we not respect that??
Go read the first two pages again.
RanndomUndead reply :
On 4/14/2015 at 2:29 PM, corn-on-the-rob said:Anyone denying that bass don't do what you described is in denial. With many factors involved bass hit in many number of ways and it can change with the environment/conditions. I have seen it plenty of times as well especially with longer plastics like worms and lizards. Sometimes they grab tail, then inhale, sometimes they inhale but don't get it all the way in their mouth so they inhale again. If bass slammed our lures every time with a full inhale, this game would be much easier.
That being said I never wait once I detect a fish. Not worth the risk of getting spit.
THAT being said, with lighter/weightless soft plastics you typically have more time (not always) before they spit so this approach can work really well as you have mentioned. The only time I ever wait to set the hook is if I miss more than a handful of hook sets and decide I need to wait a second more and even then it isn't much longer, still relatively quick.
But with jigs, most of the time, you would be remiss if you felt a tap and didn't set immediately.
Glad there's at least someone here that realizes a bass nor its body of water is universal.
RoLo reply :
My wife & I watched the Glenn Lau series of bass videos.
As you'd expect, bass would inhale the lure head-first...but not invariably.
In fact, I found it quite disturbing to see a few bass whack the tail or the side of the lure!
In any case, I will sacrifice the short-strikers and continue to strike the instant I perceive a strike.
On the upside, that might help to explain some missed hook-sets that we blame on ourselves 
Roger
Hyrule Bass reply :
while i agree with setting the hook right away, bass will "double strike" a bait. fishing a live crawdad last year off a dock in shallow clear water i witnessed it. bass hit the crawdad head first but didnt have the whole thing or hook in its mouth, i watched this, it the second strike was to inhale the rest of the crawfish, and thats when i set the hook. but the only way to truely know is if you can actually see the fish biting your bite
Alonerankin2 reply :
Small bass ( lmb ) seem to be culprits at striking at the claws of a crawfish ( plastic ) quick double taps.. Bigger fish? Not so much.. In my experience, seems they are more capable
& inhale the bait more readily. Bigger crushers?
I understand smallmouth are really keen on biting the pinchers off crawfish.. We don't have good numbers of smallies so I'm not positive on it, but I've read much from these forums and smallmouth fisherman that say this. I have no reason to doubt them.
RoLo reply :
On 4/15/2015 at 12:43 AM, Alonerankin2 said:Small bass ( lmb ) seem to be culprits at striking at the claws of a crawfish ( plastic ) quick double taps.. Bigger fish? Not so much.. In my experience, seems they are more capable
& inhale the bait more readily. Bigger crushers?
I understand smallmouth are really keen on biting the pinchers off crawfish.. We don't have good numbers of smallies so I'm not positive on it, but I've read much from these forums and smallmouth fisherman that say this. I have no reason to doubt them.
Totally agree.
The larger the bass, the higher the odds of an instant wolf-down 
FrogFreak reply :
Right or wrong, when Catt and some others on here who have fished for over 50 years says something, I listen. Not blindly but I take their wisdom anytime they're willing to give it. I've listened to Catt on many occasions and went out on the water and applied what he's said and I've caught more fish. The older I get, the more I realize I don't know much.
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