Missing fish / Bad hookset

[mvanstr]

Just started fishing from a kayak last week, and I am having trouble landing fish after they bite. I'm talking I've missed about 10 in the past 2 days.  Mainly on a Texas rig, 4 0 wide gap hook, with a Medium 6'6" spinning set up. Not sure if the lighter rod is the problem, if I'm not letting them take the hook, or if the leverage is off since I'm used to standing on the bank. Also been missing a lot on top water hollow body frog. I'm using a 7' 3" heavy casting set up. Why do I suck?

[scaleface]

9 minutes ago, mvanstr said:

  Mainly on a Texas rig, 4 0 wide gap hook

 

What size worm ?

[lo n slo]

i do alot of fishing from a small jon boat at times. my texas rig set up is a 7' MH rod, 12 lb fluoro, and a 3.0 off set shank worm hook. no EWG worm hooks, even with lizards. hope this helps. good luck.

[mvanstr]

5 minutes ago, scaleface said:

 

What size worm ?

5" Senko. I've fished it weightless and weighted. 

[CroakHunter]

Your kayak is acting as a shock absorber, use straight braid, and really cross their eyes when you set the hook. And set the hook straight up

[mvanstr]

Just now, CroakHunter said:

Your kayak is acting as a shock absorber, use straight braid, and really cross their eyes when you set the hook. And set the hook straight up

This could def be a factor. I just put 30lb braid on my spinning reel yesterday with 12lb flouro leader but only got one bite...and missed it. I've been using braid on my frog, so i'm thinking  I've been doing something wrong there. 

[CroakHunter]

The frog could be the angle you are not use to, sitting in the water pretty much in your yak. 

[scaleface]

7 minutes ago, mvanstr said:

5" Senko. I've fished it weightless and weighted. 

 

Then I would try lo n slow's advice .  Might  even  go down to 2.0 . 

[Mike L]

The equipment you're useing for what you're doing is fine.

This is one of those questions that are hard to answer without actually watching you and seeing exactly what you're doing or not doing. 

 

That said, my first thought is it's in your hook up procedure.

Start small...Are your hooks sharp? 

What position is your rod at when trying to set the hook?

Are you reeling down after getting bit before setting?

Are you sure that you're actually getting bit and not just experiencing short strikes? Etc. 

 

Just a few thing to evaluate 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[bagofdonuts]

 The lower you are the less line you are picking up with the rod sweep, and you can't get any lower than a yak. Make sure you reel up a lot more slack than your used to on the bank. A longer rod and less stretch in the line would help as well.

[mvanstr]

8 minutes ago, scaleface said:

 

Then I would try lo n slow's advice .  Might  even  go down to 2.0 . 

I will try this, I didn't consider a smaller hook would be easier to penetrate, so thank you!

2 minutes ago, Mike L said:

The equipment you're useing for what you're doing is fine.

This is one of those questions that are hard to answer without actually watching you and seeing exactly what you're doing or not doing. 

 

That said, my first thought is it's in your hook up procedure.

Start small...Are your hooks sharp? 

What position is your rod at when trying to set the hook?

Are you reeling down after getting bit before setting?

Are you sure that you're actually getting bit and not just experiencing short strikes? Etc. 

 

Just a few thing to evaluate 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Hooks have been new, cant recall the brand but I assume they are sticky. I think part of the problem is from the kayak I have been keeping my rod tip down and at an angle (6-oclockish) and when I go to set I'm not sure where I've been going with it. lol Will try and focus more on reeling down when the line is slack. If the line feels tight when they bite is it still important to reel in before you set the hook? Thanks! 

[scaleface]

9 minutes ago, mvanstr said:

I will try this, I didn't consider a smaller hook would be easier to penetrate, so thank you!

 As long as  the hook is twice the diameter as the bait it is sufficient . I like lighter wire hooks because they penetrate easier .  Sometimes a stronger hook is needed in heavy cover .

[Mike L]

6 minutes ago, mvanstr said:

I will try this, I didn't consider a smaller hook would be easier to penetrate, so thank you!

Hooks have been new, cant recall the brand but I assume they are sticky. I think part of the problem is from the kayak I have been keeping my rod tip down and at an angle (6-oclockish) and when I go to set I'm not sure where I've been going with it. lol Will try and focus more on reeling down when the line is slack. If the line feels tight when they bite is it still important to reel in before you set the hook? Thanks! 

 

You reel down to take up slack to put your rod in the best position to get a strong set. 

Don't forget you're lowering your rod, reel down then set. 

 

If you feel the bite with a tight line wait a 1/2 second to feel the fish.

Just because you feel a bite doesn't mean he bit it. Plastic fishing is not like fishing a 3 trebled jerkbait where more times than not he hooked himself. 

You're gonna swing and miss more times than you would expect. 

 

Personally I think you have a combination of short strikes and poor leverage.

 

 

 

Mike 

[Leftymuk]

My frog hookup ratio changed greatly after bending the hooks slightly away from the body.....there's a good video on modifying frogs on YouTube......check it out

[Mike L]

Another opinion....

For me a 4/0 hook for a 5" Senko is just right. Downsizing to a 3/0 and then a 2/0 may work,  but I'm old school. I want to use the biggest hook I can get away with, not the smallest..Especially if I'm having hookset problems. 

But that's me. 

 

Try the smaller hooks as suggested, for your style it may be the right thing to do.

 

 

 

Mike 

 

 

[mvanstr]

1 minute ago, Mike L said:

Another opinion....

For me a 4/0 hook for a 5" Senko is just right. Downsizing to a 3/0 and then a 2/0 may work,  but I'm old school. I want to use the biggest hook I can get away with, not the smallest..Especially if I'm having hookset problems. 

But that's me. 

 

Try the smaller hooks as suggested, for your style it may be the right thing to do.

 

 

 

Mike 

 

 

yeah, I might try it to see if it helps but then move back up to a more "correct" application. 

 

and I agree about leverage and short strikes. Ill work on feeling him take it and getting that good set and let ya'll know if I have any more luck. 

[scaleface]

6 minutes ago, mvanstr said:

yeah, I might try it to see if it helps but then move back up to a more "correct" application. 

 

 

Yeah , its just a suggestion , Gary Yamamoto uses  a 3.0 wide gap . Everyone is different . I switched to wide gaps for awhile but felt I was not sticking as many fish . I now only use them on tubes and fat baits .

 

 

[NiX]

There is some good information in this thread. Since we are on the subject, what are some ways you guys adjust to short strikes?

 

For example; lately I have been fishing a new weed line on my lake. When I am hopping my jig back ill get smacked, wait a second but they never actually take it. My lure is literally just getting tapped.

 

Usually I get the tap and then I try to reel in the slack to feel the fish on. I have caught some decent fish in this area but I experience more of those type of strikes then actually catching fish.

 

It even happens when i downsize to a small 1/4oz shaky head with a zoom trick worm.

 

 

[clh121787]

Slow down when you set the hook. Lower rod tip, crank down, come tight, then set hook. Hard.  

[J Francho]

On 7/27/2017 at 9:22 AM, CroakHunter said:

Your kayak is acting as a shock absorber, use straight braid, and really cross their eyes when you set the hook. And set the hook straight up

 

I've been fishing from a kayak for over a decade.  Not once have I found this to be true.  Probably one the biggest misconceptions about kayak fishing.

 

To the OP:

Before you make a cast, consider your boat position and bearing, and think about how you are going to set the hook.  I don't feel like there's anything wrong with the gear you're using, though a medium spinning rod with a 4/0 hook seems a little under powered.  You didn't say what line, but braid might actually help here, regardless of fishing on shore, boat, or kayak.

 

You'll get it put together.

Here's my PB kayak bass:

[Sam]

Mvaan, excellent query...difficult answer.

 

As you can note by the replies above, there are a lot of variables involved in attracting, hooking and landing a bass. Way too many for any one person to contemplate as they change with each cast, time of day, time of year, the weather, water clarity, baits, type of hooks, what know to use, line test, reel speed, type of line, rod strength, rod tip speed, using a leader, applying scent or not, how you set the hook, baits you are using, the baits' color patterns, and if the bass are eating or you have just aggravated them into killing your bait.

 

The fun of bass fishing is to take all of the various variables and set up your presentations to fool the bass into hitting your baits and then properly setting the hook. Easier said then done.

 

So for me to tell you what setups you need; what baits should work; how to set the hook; and address any other variables would be foolish as I don't know what you have confidence or your experience in bass fishing.

 

Today, fishing this morning, I missed a bass on a buzzbait but threw it back and a four pounder hit it. She was beautiful.

 

Then, had a bass miss my frog about 10 minutes later.  No other bites. Only those three.  No aggressive strikes. It was after 10 AM so they had already eaten. I think the hits were in aggravation of the baits in their territories, only.

 

Read what the guys have offered; check out the YouTube videos from Glenn May; read magazine articles and books on bass fishing; and go out and clobber them next time.

 

And remember: experiment, experiment and experiment.

 

Tight lines!

[WRB]

You don't need to go with a smaller hook size just smaller hook wire diameter. Owners J Lite hook is a good choice for your tackle. When you hook set reel fast to to tighten the line then make a firm sweep and keep reeling to control the bass. Your drag needs to be set about 1/3-1/2 the line strength; 8 lb line use 3 to 4 lbs of drag.

Control the bass by keeping your rod up and tension on the line.

Tom

[Choporoz]

Good thread. 

 

@mvanstr, would you mind elaborating just a little?     "Missing 10 in two days" sounds bad, but really, it could be an anomaly.  Some days are just like that.  Couple months ago I got real confused and upset when I missed the first five good strikes of the day.  I ended up boating the next eight without a miss.  Dunno if its just the way the fish were taking the bait, or something in my angle/timing that I subconsciously fixed...no clue, but I wrote it off quickly.

   Are you losing fish on the way back to the yak?  Or just not moving them at all?  What are the odds that half of those 'misses' weren't even bass?  An eight inch bluegill can hit a worm like a freight train some days....and still miss the barb.  I especially like @WRB's suggestion about using light wire hooks when possible....an Owner lightwire will penetrate just about anything with even the weakest hookset.