Setting The Hook With A Texas Rig

[Oregon Native]

I know this is a re-run but I looked and had no luck.  Was out on the water yesterday and it was slowwww.  Just before going in decided to fish a worm on a Texas Rig.  1/16 oz bullet, 2/0 EWG, non-pegged by the way, ten pound braid with 10 pound fluro leader, four inch worm.

Had heard mentioned a straight over the head hookset was best so this was in the back of my mind.  Well, we got lucky and started getting a ton of bites.  First three hooksets were to the side....miss,miss,miss.  So then remembered....started the over the head and did much better.....much.  Wasn't 100 percent but noticably better.  Does anyone have any input on this.  Partner had same results.

Thank you much and tight lines

[Bluebasser86]

Straight up hookset is a much better angle for the hook to find something to bury in. Side set and it might just be pulling it right out of the fishes mouth. 

[Jar11591]

With T-rigging, you have to pull the hook through the worm as well as the fish on the hookset. Maybe you're not setting the hook hard enough? Also with worm hooks, the point is usually in line with the eyelet, so hook up ratios aren't going to be 100% IMO.

[Brian Needham]

with texas rig worms you have to wait a second on them.... you cant go full atomic on them the instant you feel the tick, like you can with a jig.

thats been my experience.

[Crappiebasser]

with texas rig worms you have to wait a second on them.... you cant go full atomic on them the instant you feel the tick, like you can with a jig.

thats been my experience.

X2 I also like off set round bend worm hooks. I feel I get more hook ups than with EWGs.

[geo g]

I use overhead sets 90% of the time on Texas rigged plastics.  The exceptions would be Carolina rigs and when fishing under overhead branchs.  When I side set a hook I have to reel like a scalded dog to keep the fish on.  The hook set just isnt as good as an overhead set..

 

I love EWG hooks, especially since I'm throwning thicker baits for their size.  They work great on senko type baits. 

[Mike L]

I use overhead sets 90% of the time on Texas rigged plastics.  The exceptions would be Carolina rigs and when fishing under overhead branchs.  When I side set a hook I have to reel like a scalded dog to keep the fish on.  The hook set just isnt as good as an overhead set..

 

I love EWG hooks, especially since I'm throwning thicker baits for their size.  They work great on senko type baits.

Agree

Mike

[Grizzn N Bassin]

Yup over the head most of time. Sometimes if they nail it and dart left or right and taking line quick, ill do a sweeping 10 o'clock set.

[Fishes in trees]

Whenever I get a strike, it happens quick enough that I don't get a choice of how I'm going to set the hook.  My reflexes just aren't that finely honed.  With tx rigged baits, (mostly the jika rig these days) I try to go as vertical as possible, but I can honestly say that no two hook sets are exactly the same angle.

 

With a tx rigged bait and a slip sinker, my hooking percentage was bad enough that I don't fish that type of bait very much any more.  I'm finding the jika rig much more reliable.

[pitchin fool]

It's winter here, so I have to really dig down into my memory banks, but I don't ever recall having a terrible time with texas rigs not hooking up.  The texas rig is what got me back into bass fishing after a loooong hiatus.  The one trick that my buddy told me, is that when you feel the bite, lower your rod tip super fast to make your line go limp from the bait before setting the hook.  If the bait has the same constant pressure the hook is essentially pointed right at the hook-eye digging itself just deeper into the plastic.  When you knock that slack in the line and jerk the hook wants to pop out of the plastic easier and into the fishes mouth.  Give it a try.  Oh, yeah, I do hate worm hooks and always use ewg's.

[Wbeadlescomb]

I don't guess I even think about it anymore when a fish hits it's just instinct. I have tried to trip them up in the past if the fish hits the bait and runs to the right I set the hook back to the left.seems to work

[B_Gilbert]

Easy thing to remember... Generally trouble hooks you can set the hook to the side, non trouble hooks real down and set it straight up.

[michang5]

I've been fishing beds recently with a 1/0 EWG, 1/16oz pegged, 15# braid, 10# fluoro leader. Throwing baby brush hog or GYCB hula grub. Bank fishing with spinning gear.

What had worked for me is: feel tap or see bite > drop rod tip > count to 2 while reeling slack > pop the rod tip up to set the hook. Not sure if it's the pause or vertical hookset or both, but it's been working.

With Carolina rig, I'm always dragging to the side, so my hooksets are side sweeps.

[RoLo]

When a bass clamps down on a single hook, the hook will often be laid down edgewise

rather than remaining in an upright swimming position. For this reason, I prefer to set the hook with a vertical upstroke,

because regardless of the hook's position in the bass's mouth, the rod is always higher than the bass.

In short, a vertical hook-set raises the odds of hooking the upper jaw, and lowers the odds of popping thru the lips.

 

Roger

 

 

[Smallmouth Hunter]

I avoid setting the hook straight up mainly cause I don't the bait flying out of the water straight at my face so I just use a diagonal hook set. Usually just set it over my left shoulder.

[tatertester]

Reel down , set hook up....That is the normal hook set, but, I've found with lite wire hooks that a sweep set is enuff to get hooked. Heavier gauge hooks need more umph to set the hook....One thing I simply cannot get down is getting hook ups on frogs in lily pads.I have tried every tip imaginable but still struggle .

[Oregon Native]

Great info .... thanks.  I have kind of got away from the ol Texas Rig since I lived in Oregon and now find it works pretty darn good around here.  So am going to do some more research including here....thank you.  The slack line and upward hookset is interesting.

Tight Lines

[Catt]

Never wait on nothing!

Drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook straight up like you're trying to break some thing!

[FlipnLimits]

If you wait, he already dropped it.  Hard, Sharp, and straight Up! 

 

FL

[lmbfisherman]

I avoid setting the hook straight up mainly cause I don't the bait flying out of the water straight at my face so I just use a diagonal hook set. Usually just set it over my left shoulder.

This...

 

I do this because a local pro gave a tip that a straight up vertical hook set doesn't take up as much line and slack than a diagonal hookset.  A diagonal hook set (across the body) takes up more line to drive the hook home harder because of this. 

[Mike L]

1st tap, she picked it up....

2nd tap, she let it go....

3rd tap is me on your shoulder asking why you didn't set the hook....

Down here a t rig is a staple, it's just what you do.

Maybe not all day, but at some point you're throwing some kind of plastic.

But on average, in the grass hitting holes as you move along, a hard veticle set, is always best.

Now if you're in deeper, rocky areas without a lot of growth maybe a side set would work, I wouldn't know.

Mike

[geo g]

Line makes a big difference when fishing plastics.  I use Berkeley 100% Professional Grade Floro.   I can feel every piecec of grass on the bottom, branches and rock and can tell the difference between them..  When I set the hook, its short, and solid, with no line stretch.  The floro is near invisable in water.  As you can tell I really like this stuff.  Expensive, but to me worth the extra fish.  There are people that hate this stuff but other then cost its in a class by itself.  Not all Floro's are the same, this stuff is good.  You need a quality reel or you may have more problems then with regular mono line.  Every little thing helps.

[Siebert Outdoors]

When a bass clamps down on a single hook, the hook will often be laid down edgewise

rather than remaining in an upright swimming position. For this reason, I prefer to set the hook with a vertical upstroke,

because regardless of the hook's position in the bass's mouth, the rod is always higher than the bass.

In short, a vertical hook-set raises the odds of hooking the upper jaw, and lowers the odds of popping thru the lips.

 

Roger

 

 

 

This!!,   The sweep tends to pull the hook out due to less resistance and less for the hook to catch.

 

I always set the hook as soon as I feel the hit. 

[JaxBasser]

I drop the rod and set straight up like im trying to break something as soon as I feel a tap.

If I even think it's a bite I swing for it. Hooksets are free (heard that one on here many years ago).

[deadadrift89]

Never wait on nothing!

Drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook straight up like you're trying to break some thing!

Exactly This !!!