Will Fluro Increase My Hookup Ratio W/ Soft Plastics?

[AirbusAngler]

So have I have 6'6'' Medium action Carbon lite I use for light plastics such as Texas rigged Eeliminator, Money Minnows etc...

Yesterday I caught a nice 4lber on it but then missed 3 or 4 for hooksets. Today I Hooked 2 more 4 lbers but missed a few other hooksets (3 for sure). Sometimes I feel my rod is a little to "soft" combined with the trilene 14lb mono and hooksetting is difficult. I am tempted to spool up with Fluro with no stretch do you think this will help? Im a little less confident changing lines after today because I got 2 nice fish on it tho....

Please let me know your 2 cents

If anything will Fluro decrease my performance? Strictly keeping Rage Eeliminator and Money Minnow in mind.

(I know it will increase sink rate and stuff with the line so no need to talk about that, strictly hooksetting ability please)

[loodkop]

Some of the flouro brands have the same stretch as mono and will not improve hook setting ability. There are a lot of recent threads about flouro lines you may want to check out. For hook setting power braid is hard to beat with or without a leader.

[roadwarrior]

Your rod is too soft, for bottom contact baits. Use it with "moving" presentations.

If you don't buy another rod, try 20/6 braid. If the water is gin clear, add a fluoro

leader.

[Catt]

With Texas Rigs & Jig-n-Craws your hook up ratio problems are usually operator error not tackle error.

The biggest error is usually not feeling the bite early resulting in setting hook to late.

The second biggest problem is the operator refusing to admit the error is him!

When my hook up ratio drops I examine me first

[K_Mac]

I'm with Catt. The med Carbonlite fishes much like a MH made by many other manufacturers (think GLoomis), and is heavy enough to get a good hook-set in most situations, IMO. The MH Carbonlite is my go-to rod for 1/2 oz and better jigs and large worms on heavier weights, or where heavier line is required. Good luck, and keep swinging!

Edit: I don't know which Trilene mono you're using. XL is stretchier than the others...a good copolymer is my choice.

[Sam]

I use a Medium Heavy fast tip rod, a 2500 size Shimano spinning reel spooled with 8 pound flouro and so far have not had any problems with hookups.

I usually fish a shaky head, Senko, Texas rig in the wood structure and a drop shot rig on the spinning combo mentioned above.

I also keep a finger on the line at all times to feel the bites and what is on the bottom.

So far, so good. My advice is to keep a finger on the line at all times with both a baitcaster and a spinning rig when fishing plastics. You will have to judge when to set the hook by the feel of the bite.

As Hank Parker says, "hooksets are free so have as many as you like."

[backcast88]

Your rod is too soft, for bottom contact baits. Use it with "moving" presentations.

If you don't buy another rod, try 20/6 braid. If the water is gin clear, add a fluoro

leader.

I usually agree with you but not on this one.

I have 2 6'6" medium rods and one is a Carbonlite and never have any issues with hook ups on fish.

I agree that it's more technique then equipment but fluorocarbon might help you detect a bite sooner so it could help with carting more fish. People often suggest braid but I hate braid with a passion and find it lacks a lot to be desired when slack is in your line.

[stevec328]

Your rod is too soft, for bottom contact baits. Use it with "moving" presentations.

If you don't buy another rod, try 20/6 braid. If the water is gin clear, add a fluoro

leader.

I'm with Roadwarrior with this one. My soft plastics fishing is with braid ( w 6' to 8' leader ) and a medium rod. Hookset is not a problem and pretty much have zero problems with line ( Nanofil ).

[Raul]

Fluoro WILL STRETCH, as much as nylon does, in the aspect where fluoro will help is not in the elasticity ballpark but on the increased sensitivity it will provide, you´ll be able to feel better the bites.

Soft plastics can be fished with in practical terms any rod, the catch is the technique, a cross their eyes hookset is not always the best approach when trying to set the hook with lighter line an/or a less stiff rod, for that not only you have to change the way you hook your bait, also with the diameter ( thickness ) of the hook, the sharpness of the hook and the proper hooking technique for the power of the rod & line you are using. All you have to do if you have the right elements ( right rigging, right thickness of the hook and razor sharp hook points ) is to maintain the pressure and a tight line, the fish will hook itself.

[Sherlock 60]

Your rod is too soft, for bottom contact baits. Use it with "moving" presentations.

If you don't buy another rod, try 20/6 braid. If the water is gin clear, add a fluoro

leader.

x2. I use a 7' MH rod with 20# braid for all soft plastics.

[Catt]

I ain't disagreeing with RW cause for my tastes your rod is to light

[eyedabassman]

So have I have 6'6'' Medium action Carbon lite I use for light plastics such as Texas rigged Eeliminator, Money Minnows etc...

Yesterday I caught a nice 4lber on it but then missed 3 or 4 for hooksets. Today I Hooked 2 more 4 lbers but missed a few other hooksets (3 for sure). Sometimes I feel my rod is a little to "soft" combined with the trilene 14lb mono and hooksetting is difficult. I am tempted to spool up with Fluro with no stretch do you think this will help? Im a little less confident changing lines after today because I got 2 nice fish on it tho....

Please let me know your 2 cents

If anything will Fluro decrease my performance? Strictly keeping Rage Eeliminator and Money Minnow in mind.

(I know it will increase sink rate and stuff with the line so no need to talk about that, strictly hooksetting ability please)

Rod companys rate there rods different! You can have one rod company's rod and it will be a 7 ft. MH and have another rod company's rod 7 ft. mh and they are different rod action,different tip! Abu Garca's Veritas rod is a very lite rod but has a stiff tip to it in 7 ft.MH. I can go to a St.Croix Avid 7 ft. MH and the tip is a soft tip compares to the Garca. If you caught a few 4 LBS.fish on that rod than I would think it may be you are the problem ( Sorry not trying to get you upset ). But I don't think it is your line, I have a CL in Mh and I have no problems.As for Fluro. I think it will help you more that it will hurt you.

[scrutch]

Faster tip.

I use mostly xf rods for soft plastics. I like the fast tip to pop the hook in when I feel a bite.

My favorite is a St. Croix TBS610MXF. I use it for soft plastics and shakey heads.

[NCLifetimer]

+4, your action is too light. if you are going to keep using that rod, use braid line or flouro. They will help with hook up ratio with that rod, with braid being the best choice for that rod.

[AirbusAngler]

Thanks guys! have a 7'2'' Cumara with 30lb braid that I use for jigs and I love it-and I miss hooksets far less often when using it.

i did re-spool with Seaguar Flurocarbon line on my Carbonlite, and the next day I went out I had much better hook-up ratios. I did feel the bites WAY more than I previously used to with mono.

There was just about 2 or 3 that I missed--which may just be me sucking lol however I noticed one thing-

The fish I did miss were on the line for a good 3-4 seconds, I thought they were hooked but then when they got off and I looked at my Texas-Rigged Eliminator the hook was still in the (skin hooked) position-

^^is that a sign that those hookset were just simply not hard enough?

Thank you for all the help! I did catch this guy sight fishing which I've never done before but wow was it fun!

[MichBassMan]

Lots of variables here that aren't given, But to give the short answer to your two questiones posted.(1)"Will Fluro Increase My Hookup Ratio W/ Soft Plastics?" Yes it probley will help some.(2) "If anything will Fluro decrease my performance?" No, not likely

[scrutch]

Thanks guys! have a 7'2'' Cumara with 30lb braid that I use for jigs and I love it-and I miss hooksets far less often when using it.

i did re-spool with Seaguar Flurocarbon line on my Carbonlite, and the next day I went out I had much better hook-up ratios. I did feel the bites WAY more than I previously used to with mono.

There was just about 2 or 3 that I missed--which may just be me sucking lol however I noticed one thing-

The fish I did miss were on the line for a good 3-4 seconds, I thought they were hooked but then when they got off and I looked at my Texas-Rigged Eliminator the hook was still in the (skin hooked) position-

^^is that a sign that those hookset were just simply not hard enough?

Thank you for all the help! I did catch this guy sight fishing which I've never done before but wow was it fun!

Sounds like you're not giving it a good whip. Drop the rod tip, reel up the slack, and set the hook... harder. Reading you describe it, I'd say you're just giving it a slower, gradual pull as you feel the weight of the fish, then as soon as the fish opened his mouth, bye bye. You aren't gonna yank it out of its mouth, it's closed. It only comes open when it feels you tug. If the first thing it feels is a hard hookset, it doesn't have time to open up and expel the bait. It's caught.

[AirbusAngler]

Sounds like you're not giving it a good whip. Drop the rod tip, reel up the slack, and set the hook... harder. Reading you describe it, I'd say you're just giving it a slower, gradual pull as you feel the weight of the fish, then as soon as the fish opened his mouth, bye bye. You aren't gonna yank it out of its mouth, it's closed. It only comes open when it feels you tug. If the first thing it feels is a hard hookset, it doesn't have time to open up and expel the bait. It's caught.

Thats exactly what I was doing lol (just slowly pulling when I felt the wait of the fish) but ok I will start giving it more of a crack with my lighter rod. Thank you!

[tomustang]

Like what's been quoted already, hooksets are free.. once you feel the first nudge set that hook