Bridge Hooksets?

[FloridaMadness]

So i've recently been fishing a bridge thats about 12-18 feet high in the air, whenever I get a bass, I do a normal up hookset for the lure which ends up either throwing the lure out the water or the bass holds it in its mouth, but I didn't hook the bass properly which lets the bass spit it out easily. Any methods of hookset to ensure the lure doesn't get out of the basses mouth?

[papajoe222]

Tell us about the lure/presentation that you're using. I'm assuming that it's a single hook of some sort. Whatever you use, make sure your hook is sharp. There are videos on how to sharpen hooks here.  Second, make sure your equipment is up to the task. Med. Hvy power and a faster action, or heavier. Lastly, if you're pulling the fish up out of the water to you on the bridge, your hook-set may not be the reason. The hooks could be tearing free once the fish is out of the water.

[FloridaMadness]

Mostly it’s the strike king stick worms on a 4/0 EWG hook that I hook on the fish which has pretty sharp hooks. I was running on a 1500 size reel on a smaller 5’7ish rod with 10 Lb mono. I usually don’t get the chance to get them right under the bridge. The bass just jumps out the water spitting my worm

[CrashVector]

2 minutes ago, FloridaMadness said:

Mostly it’s the strike king stick worms on a 4/0 EWG hook that I hook on the fish which has pretty sharp hooks. I was running on a 1500 size reel on a smaller 5’7ish rod with 10 Lb mono. I usually don’t get the chance to get them right under the bridge. The bass just jumps out the water spitting my worm

 

Are you leaving the hook tip exposed?

 

Alternatively, the fish might be grabbing the end of your stick worm, and not actually getting the hook.

[islandbass]

2 hours ago, FloridaMadness said:

Mostly it’s the strike king stick worms on a 4/0 EWG hook that I hook on the fish which has pretty sharp hooks. I was running on a 1500 size reel on a smaller 5’7ish rod with 10 Lb mono. I usually don’t get the chance to get them right under the bridge. The bass just jumps out the water spitting my worm

Couple possible things. 
1) the distance between you and the fish - it’s pretty far for such a short rod

2) could be the hook if it’s too thick a gage the rod just might not  have the backbone to drive it home. Combine that with the far distance and the short length of the rod, and it does not help your situation. 
 

I would try going with a lighter gauge hook AND using a light wire 3/0 straight shank hook. Yup, I said it. Straight shank hook. Light wire. As long as a sufficient amount of slack is removed before the hook set, I am willing to bet a floating rapala minnow you will notice an increase in hook ups. However as mentioned above, if the bass has your lure in its mouth but not the hook, and that is possible, especially when you see them “throw” the hook, all bets are off. ??

[CrashVector]

1 hour ago, islandbass said:

Couple possible things. 
1) the distance between you and the fish - it’s pretty far for such a short rod

2) could be the hook if it’s too thick a gage the rod just might have the backbone to drive it home. Combine that with the far distance and the short length of the rod, and it does not help your situation. 
 

I would try going with a lighter gauge hook AND using a light wire 3/0 straight shank hook. Yup, I said it. Straight shank hook. Light wire. As long as a sufficient amount of slack is removed before the hook set, I am willing to bet a floating rapala minnow you will notice an increase in hook ups. However as mentioned above, if the bass has your lure in its mouth but not the hook, and that is possible, especially when you see them “throw” the hook, all bets are off. ??

 

I'm a huge advocate of light wire hooks for multiple reasons, but one of em is this situation.

 

Lighter gauge hook = just lift the rod tip and you get a good hookup.

[islandbass]

46 minutes ago, CrashVector said:

 

I'm a huge advocate of light wire hooks for multiple reasons, but one of em is this situation.

 

Lighter gauge hook = just lift the rod tip and you get a good hookup.

Yes, sir! When I discovered this for myself, it was practically a night and day deal. Huge revelation. Light bulb ?, I mean LED lit up, lol. 

[cyclops2]

 Why I do not use light & ultralight off of any bridge, pier or steep sloped R R track locations. Another loser location is a high rock cliff that lets you see the fish coming to the lure. Any wind at all is ridiculous to take up all that slack & droopy line.  You are dependent on a stupid fish giving you 3 seconds to tighten up the slack . I had a 40"  Tiger Muskie grab my Mepps spinner / minnow combo 4 times as fast as I could recast to her. 5 th  time.   I turned & RAN away from the fish cranking my big Mitchel spinning reel super fast.   Bigger fish can clamp down quite hard if they have been C & R  several times.

 

Wear shatter proof glasses. WITH side shields. Full hat with face & neck cover closed up.  You can learn how fast you will get shocky  with a lure in your face or neck as you drive alone to the E R room. 

 

All my hooks have the barbs crushed down.   I just slide the hook out of me in a 1/4 of a second.  The fish DOES NOT throw the hook IF  IF   I keep the line tight all the time..  Coming straight  at me fast ? I  lose a few.

[papajoe222]

It sure sounds like mismatched equipment.  10lb test line, other than braid, just isn’t the right choice for that big of a  hook. With a short rod, you can’t move enough line to make up for the amount of line stretch and still have enough force to drive that hook home. I’d switch. To either a heavier line, or light wire hook and possibly a longer rod. 

[CrashVector]

3 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

It sure sounds like mismatched equipment.  10lb test line, other than braid, just isn’t the right choice for that big of a  hook. With a short rod, you can’t move enough line to make up for the amount of line stretch and still have enough force to drive that hook home. I’d switch. To either a heavier line, or light wire hook and possibly a longer rod. 

 What?

 

I fished my whole life up until 3 years ago using nothing but mono...including offshore saltwater.

 

Mono doesn't stretch as much as you are making it sound like it does.

 

You most certainly can generate plenty enough force to set a hook on 10lb mono...even on a light power rod.

[cyclops2]

2 important points. Fishing from bridges & cliffs  20 to 50' above the water in a breeze is a very DROOPY line.

Using a single hook compared to a hard body lure with 2 or 3 trebles ?  The fish has a lot in his favor.  

 

Non pro people rarely yank the fish as hard as the pros.  T V shows them pulling so hard small & medium fish come whistling by or smashing into the boat side.  2 minute no fishing penalty.

 

 

 

 

[papajoe222]

4 hours ago, CrashVector said:

 You most certainly can generate plenty enough force to set a hook on 10lb mono...even on a light power rod.

Yes you can, just not with the hook, line and rod he's using. Try attaching 20yrds of 10lb. mono on to a stationary object and walk backwards two steps and you'll see why I said the rod was too short to generate enough power to get that 4/0 hook to penetrate.

I fished mono exclusively and successfully for over 40yrs. including muskie and flathead cats.

[CrashVector]

1 hour ago, papajoe222 said:

Yes you can, just not with the hook, line and rod he's using. Try attaching 20yrds of 10lb. mono on to a stationary object and walk backwards two steps and you'll see why I said the rod was too short to generate enough power to get that 4/0 hook to penetrate.

I fished mono exclusively and successfully for over 40yrs. including muskie and flathead cats.

Mm...flatheads.

 

I'm gonna have to go catfishing.

[Scott804]

Sounds to me like you need a stiffer rod.