Lipless Hook Set Question

[t_bone_713]

Evening,

 

My past 2 trips out I have had 3 or 4 different fish attack my lipless or squarebill from directly underneath the bait. The bend of the hook is the thing they get first and if I set over the top I pull the bait out.

 

If a fish does this is a sweeping hookset the only way to get them pinned? Should I always attempt a sweeping hookset on the baits? What's your preferred hookset method on lipless or squarebillls?

 

Tight Lines,

 

T

[jbsoonerfan]

Any crankbait just gets a sweeping action from me. No "hook set" as one might attribute to that of a jig or texas rig for example. I may be in the minority here, but once I feel the weight of the "bite" I sweep the rod and wait for a reaction. If there is a reaction on the other end of my line it is then that I begin to reel. If I don't feel anything then I relax the rod because more than likely I am hung up in the grass, brush, wood, etc. I almost exclusively throw a crank in or around cover or structure so this is what I have trained myself to do.

[jimmyjoe]

   ^^^^^ this ^^^^^.

 

   I firmly believe that when you use a crankbait, the fish hooks itself. And that's the way it should be! By the time you feel resistance, the barb is already set. All you do is hold, lift the rod tip, and reel.

   Otherwise, you get into the situation that some people describe as "pulling the lure away from the fish" or "pulling it out of their mouth". It sounds like that's what you're doing.

   Don't anticipate when you're using trebles. You'll get ahead of the fish.       jj

[t_bone_713]

50 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Any crankbait just gets a sweeping action from me. No "hook set" as one might attribute to that of a jig or texas rig for example. I may be in the minority here, but once I feel the weight of the "bite" I sweep the rod and wait for a reaction. If there is a reaction on the other end of my line it is then that I begin to reel. If I don't feel anything then I relax the rod because more than likely I am hung up in the grass, brush, wood, etc. I almost exclusively throw a crank in or around cover or structure so this is what I have trained myself to do.

 

39 minutes ago, jimmyjoe said:

   ^^^^^ this ^^^^^.

 

   I firmly believe that when you use a crankbait, the fish hooks itself. And that's the way it should be! By the time you feel resistance, the barb is already set. All you do is hold, lift the rod tip, and reel.

   Otherwise, you get into the situation that some people describe as "pulling the lure away from the fish" or "pulling it out of their mouth". It sounds like that's what you're doing.

   Don't anticipate when you're using trebles. You'll get ahead of the fish.       jj

This is the kind of second to second information I was looking for. Thank you!

[Mbirdsley]

On cranks usually I just pull up firmly after the fish grabs it.  Or I guess the technical term would be sweep up or what ever direction I have my rod at 

[Catt]

5 hours ago, jbsoonerfan said:

Any crankbait just gets a sweeping action from me. No "hook set" as one might attribute to that of a jig or texas rig

 

Ain't nothing I hate worse than ducking a 1/2 oz Trap flying at my head because someone thought it was a jig!

 

My Trap rod has to have a slightly longer handle which lays against my forearm on hook set.

[OnthePotomac]

I guess I am doing something right because my trap bites are pretty self inflicted and I just reel them in.

[Cgolf]

I can't really say that I set the hook on cranks initially, they tend to hook themselves. After they are initially on, I will give a fairly good tug just to ensure they are solidly hooked, but that is 2 to 3 seconds after fish on. 

 

The craziest hookup I have ever seen was a bass going all out directly at a speed trap I was burning in. Thankfully is was a smaller legal bass, because the hit was epic to see and feel. I would have been holding on to the rod for dear life with a larger bass.

[Fishes in trees]

I don't think that a straight up over the shoulder hook set is a great idea for a lipless crank.  Like you've experienced, that kind of hookset has removed the bait from the fish's mouth in the past.  My strategy has been to (a) recognize there is a bite, (b) QUICKLY make your best guess as to which direction the fish is moving and then (c) firmly and quickly tighten up in the opposite direction.   I don't think that I ever "snap my wrist" like you might do in a worm or jig hookset.   Using this system, I land the majority of the fish that bite and I'm certain that all the ones that I miss are 

6 lbs + or better.

[LonnieP]

1 hour ago, OnthePotomac said:

I guess I am doing something right because my trap bites are pretty self inflicted and I just reel them in.

I agree, I catch more bass on lipless cranks than anything else. I never set the hook, just start reeling harder.

[Jaderose]

Weird..I don't think I've ever lost a fish that hit a lipless crank.  Just a quick sweep to set and they hook themselves.

 

[Revival]

What lipless cranks and squarebills are you using?  Only fish I have lost were on the KVD red eye shad and KVD 1.0 using their stock hooks.  I have since changed the stock hooks to Mustad triple grips and never had that problem ever again.

[t_bone_713]

It sounds like the answer is either a delayed sweep left or right (not up) 2 to 3 seconds after the fish has hit it on all lipless or squarebill bites if any hookset at all. In these instances I was using a Cordell Cotton Super Spot and water was clear and I saw the fish hit is from underneath not from the side. Thanks for the replies everyone!

[roadwarrior]

On 3/30/2020 at 10:09 PM, t_bone_713 said:

Is a sweeping hookset the only way to get them pinned? 

Yes.