Worst hooksets?

[billmac]

In your experience, which baits are the most difficult to get a good, consistent hookset with?

I'm guessing for many, the answer will be with jigs.  That isn't my experience but that's more to do with the fact that I don't use jigs much.

I only started fishing chatterbaits last year, but I had quite a bit of difficulty getting a good hookset with them.

[JediAmoeba]

Crankbaits and Jerkbaits - because if they swipe at it and you only get one hook meagerly in the lip, your only hope is they turn and get the other hook in the face.

[Michigander]

Any bait can have an awful hookup ratio when fished on the wrong rod/line setup.

[MassYak85]

Frogs for me, even with the right setup my timing is just off sometimes and if they wrap your line around cover you can end up setting the hook around something like a clump of lily pads and miss them through no fault of your own. 

[Jermination]

10 minutes ago, billmac said:

In your experience, which baits are the most difficult to get a good, consistent hookset with?

I'm guessing for many, the answer will be with jigs.  That isn't my experience but that's more to do with the fact that I don't use jigs much.

I only started fishing chatterbaits last year, but I had quite a bit of difficulty getting a good hookset with them.

not sure if it's necessarily the hookset, but i lose more fish on lipless than everything else combined that i throw.

 

my guess would be if you're having a tough time getting a good hook with a chatterbait step up a notch in rod power, should throw them on at least a MH to drive that big hook home & keep em buttoned

[A-Jay]

12 minutes ago, JediAmoeba said:

Crankbaits and Jerkbaits - because if they swipe at it and you only get one hook meagerly in the lip, your only hope is they turn and get the other hook in the face.

If I fished stock treble hooks, I'd agree with this.

But I do not, so this is not something I have to deal with.

Once Hooked, I Very rarely lose Crankbait or Jerkbait fish.

 

However, please do not ask me about my hollow body frog hook up ratio - because it's a little embarrassing. 

A-Jay

 

[Choporoz]

30 minutes ago, billmac said:

I only started fishing chatterbaits last year, but I had quite a bit of difficulty getting a good hookset with them.

What rod, line and chatterbait brands are you using?  I quit trying chatterbaits for about 2-3 years after starting with zman originals -- don't think I ever hooked up with them.  Now that I use better lures, MHF rod w/40# braid, the only time I miss is when they don't bother to hit until 3 feet from the boat....I do miss a good number like that every year.

[JG233]

I rarely whiff on a hookset while fishing the Seibert Fogy chatterbait. They're also very affordable. 

[JediAmoeba]

9 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

If I fished stock treble hooks, I'd agree with this.

But I do not, so this is not something I have to deal with.

Once Hooked, I Very rarely lose Crankbait or Jerkbait fish.

 

However, please do not ask me about my hollow body frog hook up ratio - because it's a little embarrassing. 

A-Jay

 

I almost always change out my hooks to owners or gamakatsu's but lose more of these fish than all others combined.  It may have to do with the small fish I target unlike the BIG bass you are catching ?

[PhishLI]

27 minutes ago, billmac said:

I only started fishing chatterbaits last year, but I had quite a bit of difficulty getting a good hookset with them.

I can't say why exactly but I had a bad habit of pointing my rod directly at the lure when I first started  throwing chatterbaits. Especially on straight chuck and wind retrieves. Hookups were terrible. I'm now in the habit of instantly indexing to the right or left once the bait hits the water which brings my rod about 90 degrees to the line. Hookups went up like crazy. The reason is obvious..

[Hook2Jaw]

Frogs, mostly because it's hard to keep in mind I should be waiting before I slam them but also because I don't have a dedicated rod to drive the double hooks home.

 

Crankbaits also give me a time.  I lost a beauty last year because the rod I was using was undoubtedly too stiff.  I think I'm going to ask for a deep cranking rod for my birthday.

[Cdn Angler]

For whatever reason I've had a lot of whopper plopper fish come off, especially smallmouth and in the 110 size. Less so when using 75. I speculate that the 110 is too big for their mouth and I only get 1 hook in and they then can shake the heavy bait. I've tried horsing them and playing them with the same results. Mono seemed to be better than braid. Anyone have a suggestion? 110 specifically. 

 

I bought a D&M inline buzzsaw buzzbait this summer that had a massive 6/0 hook. Hook ups were not the issue, but the hook was so big nearly every fish was hooked through their eye or close. I stopped throwing it. 

[scaleface]

Toads %$#

[J Francho]

2 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Toads %$#

Same.  Although, I wonder if the fish are missing just as bad as me.  About half the time, I catch them with a follow up bait.

[Jrob78]

I might be interpreting the question differently than some of you but for me it's frogs and weightless plastics, like Senkos and Flukes. Frogs don't always get the bait well and with weightless plastics bite detection, line management and line stretch can be an issue. Plus frogs and plastics generally use a big heavy hook so driving it in can be a problem. 

 

Treble hooked baits are pretty easy as you don't have to slam a hookset to drive the hook in and the baits are moving already so you just sweep into it and momentum usually hooks them. I also change out the majority of my hooks so I don't lose many fish once hooked up.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Texas rig with mono. That rubberband stretch though... ??

[JustJames]

Jig for me, I lost too many fish on Jig especially when I’m on floatable device. I don’t have problem on land BTW.

[fishwizzard]

Huddgills.  Hit to land ratio has to be no better then 30/70 and likely worse. 

[keagbassr]

Frogs/toads for sure

[J Francho]

38 minutes ago, NittyGrittyBoy said:

Texas rig with mono. That rubberband stretch though... ??

Anything with mono, really.  But you have to remember we used mono for everything for at least 20+ years (in my days, at least).  It was without issue back then - I really don't remember whiffing on too many.  Maybe braid has made us all soft? 

[collinfiske_RFC]

Frog is tough even on some of the best days with the right gear. I'm envious of those with a really high hookup percentage. Opening those hooks up from the frog and using a softer frog helps a little bit I've found. Also if throwing the frog, and a hookset is missed, keep a rod rigged next to you with something quiet, light and low profile and send it right in there. Mine is usually a senko or something like that. I've gotten plenty of secondary strikes on the drop right after the blow up. 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I'm trying to be all nostalgic like Catt and use that old school stuff ?

[Shimano_1]

Frogs have been the only thing I've ever had any problems with. Certain frogs just didn't seem to be able to hook up for me. Learned to bend the hooks up a little and stick to a cple that have done better for me

[TnRiver46]

Frogs/toads

[Jermination]

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Frogs/toads

boys the key to catching fish on frogs is hold your rod tip high & count to 3 after its underwater. They miss the frog more than i miss them