Hooks not penetrating ? Hookset help?

[Ksam1234]

Sooo I haven’t gotten to fish as much as I wants lately but I know I’m not that rusty. Today I was pitching along weed edges and into pockets. Not heavy heavy weeds just minor stuff. I was using a Medium xfast rod , a gloomis e6x. I was using a 3/8 oz tungsten pegged on a 3/0 EWG superline gammy with a strike king rage bug. The problem is that the 3 bigger fish I seem to not penetrate.  I set the hook hard and then when they got close to the boat they come off.  I pull my bait up and notice the hook is still in the soft plastic.. happened 3 times in a row! The hook just didn’t come out.  Idk if maybe using a different hook would be better .. I don’t wanna lose anymore fish 

[A-Jay]

What line ?

A-Jay

[Ksam1234]

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

What line ?

A-Jay

Hello ! I have come back after a small hiatus lol. But I was using 14# fluoro , sunline super fc sniper 

[A-Jay]

6 minutes ago, Ksam1234 said:

Hello ! I have come back after a small hiatus lol. But I was using 14# fluoro , sunline super fc sniper 

That Gammy Superline hook is fairly stout

Don't know if I'd call #14 Fluro Superline or stout.

Perhaps pump up your line a bit or drop back on your hook wire gauge a little.

A-Jay

[Ksam1234]

1 minute ago, A-Jay said:

That Gammy Superline hook is fairly stout

Don't know if I'd can #14 Fluro Superline or stout.

Perhaps pump up your line a bit or drop back on your hook wire gauge a little.

A-Jay

Ok I’ll try that! I thought about maybe trying a flipping hook style so it penetrates easier.  I always have the hardest time threading those on T riggged though lol

[geo g]

Unless your in real thick veggies, I would go with a thinner wire hook.  They stick a lot easier yet strong enough, unless your back in the real thick stuff.

[FishTank]

This is not the best advice but I when I run into the luck of hitting some big fish, I will put my thumb on the spool when I set the hook.  On light line this can cause some break offs and some ripped lips but if you want to drive a hook home this will do it. 

[papajoe222]

It’s much cheaper to go to a thinner wire hook than it is to switch out line and with a Med. Power rod, you’re going to need to do one or the other. Also, check out one of Glen’s videos where he talks about setting the hook when fishing soft plastics. Not catching any fish is frustrating. Loosing fish is a confidence breaker. 

[Bluebasser86]

I'm thinking either a thinner hook or heavier line. I'd also consider maybe one size larger hook. 3/0 will work, but is right on the bubble of what I'd consider large enough for a Rage Bug. A 4/0 EWG is just right IMO.

[WRB]

Medium 3 power rod, 14 lb FC line and heavy wire hook with pegged weight...what could go wrong!

Discribe your hook set?

Tom

[Mike L]

Pitching into weed edges and pockets with what you describe is your problem, assuming your hook is set good. 

 

3/0 superline hook is too much and not enough. 

Considering your setup and where you're using it, an unpegged, 4/0, thinner wire hook would be the way to go. 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[MickD]

I think more rod power, not Xfast action, but Fast action or mod + braid will help a lot.  What many don't consider in this mad charge to Xfast actions is that for a medium power Xfast action, the tip has to be quite soft to keep it in the medium power range.  Better to go to MH power and mod-fast action to get the stiffer tip.  Braid won't stretch, so most of your hook set force will go right to the fish.  Hook advice sounds good, too, but maybe not necessary if the other changes are made.

[Ksam1234]

7 hours ago, WRB said:

Medium 3 power rod, 14 lb FC line and heavy wire hook with pegged weight...what could go wrong!

Discribe your hook set?

Tom

Yeah I guess I was being a bit lazy ha. I had something else tied onto my MH rod. But my hookset is the drop and set. Drop down reel and then set hard with a little slack to get it to hit hard into there mouth 

[WRB]

1 hour ago, Ksam1234 said:

Yeah I guess I was being a bit lazy ha. I had something else tied onto my MH rod. But my hookset is the drop and set. Drop down reel and then set hard with a little slack to get it to hit hard into there mouth 

Snap set should work with a more vertical short cast perfectly.

Your rod is more then likely taking up the hook set force and not transferring it to the hook.

14 lb FC should be OK as long as you are not breaking off.

Tom

[scaleface]

I'm thinking   un-peg the weight and peg the hook .

[J Francho]

For the Superline Gammies, use braid and at least a MH, if not a H power rod.  For your medium setup, a standard wide gap will work fine. 

[Ksam1234]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

For the Superline Gammies, use braid and at least a MH, if not a H power rod.  For your medium setup, a standard wide gap will work fine. 

I’ll try and step up the rod.  I have a ALX zolo MH F rod. I’ll try that and maybe go to 16 pound fluoro 

[fishballer06]

I'm going to put the blame on the Medium powered rod here. Using a heavy wire hook takes a stouter rod to drive that hook into the boney parts of a bass's mouth. I'll personally fish a texas rig on my medium powered rods, but I'll always use a lighter wire hook if I do. 

[Spankey]

This might be a dumb question but are you running the hook point all the way through the worm and backing it all the way out until the point is at the worm outer surface. With a straight shank hook. Or just burying it onto the plastic enough to be weedless?

 

On a southern sprouted hook from the end of the hook radius to the hooks point it lays exposed along the back of the worm. It’s exposed but still weedless, no resistance from penetrating the worm.

 

Don't mean to ask a question so simple. Everybody has their own way to rig things. I’ve never fish with heavy super line hooks. 

[deadadrift89]

4 hours ago, Ksam1234 said:

I’ll try and step up the rod.  I have a ALX zolo MH F rod. I’ll try that and maybe go to 16 pound fluoro 

That rod with 14lb Sniper would be fine. I would go with the light wire Gamakatsu as others stated and use a 4/0 depending on bait

[fin]

19 hours ago, Ksam1234 said:

I set the hook hard and then when they got close to the boat they come off.  I pull my bait up and notice the hook is still in the soft plastic.. happened 3 times in a row!

If you're saying the point of the hook is still embedded in the plastic, I think what you're dealing with is the fish has clamped down on the line ahead of the tungsten with the entire soft bait inside its mouth. She's holding onto it and then spitting it out when she gets close to the boat. You've missed the first chance to set the hook, and now the only real chance to set the hook is when she opens her lips. Giving her a little more time is probably the best thing to do, but it's hard to know when they're just holding the bait like that. It's frustrating. I'm using braid, a sensitive MH 6' rod, thin wire, and I still have the same issue this time of year going into the fall.

[scaleface]

Where is that video Glenn made on hook setting with Texas Rigs ?