Question about your successful hook set rate and fish loss rate

[fin]

I hate ticks. I can’t think of anything that creeps me out more. And then add the prospect of Lyme disease, as if they aren’t bad enough without that.

 

I was stripping down and cleaning a rod and reel I found the other day. Someone had apparently snagged on it and pulled it out of the lake and just left it on the bank. When I got inside the reel, I found these tiny little  red worms that had what looked like pinchers on either side of their mouths. Years ago I used to wade in that lake in shorts and old sneakers. I don’t know if those red worms were parasites, but after seeing them, I’d be real hesitant before wading deeper than my knees (if you know what I mean).

 

I just saw where you were looking at spending $150 on a new rod to try and solve your problem. Maybe you should save that money toward a kayak or some kind of floating device.

[Mbirdsley]

once  i’m hooked up on a fish my success rate is around 98%.  I may loose 1-2 fish a year while fishing offset worm hooks or ewg’s.  generally speaking the 2  fish that i do loose will be smallies when they start to jump.

 

 i’m 6ft4 260 lbs and i don’t really employ a hard hookset most of the time.  usually it’s just quick set up and the fish is on. punching i do  tend to crack them a little harder. 

[txchaser]

It's not about time - quit counting - just reel the slack up as fast as you can. 

The big side sweep hookset will help too as you can move way more than an 'up' hookset. More margin for error.

Fish hitting it from behind is tough, they are moving right at you and it's hard to get the slack out. 

 

[papajoe222]

I stopped using EWG hooks for flukes.  I was missing too many fish.  I switched to a round bend offset worm hook and now I rarely don't hook up.  As for fish getting off, with single hooked soft plastics, I, too, am surprised when it happens and when It does it's almost always because the plastic balled up and the barb never penetrated.

[Functional]

I dont know if you are fishing a fluke like a t-rig or swimming it but something not mentioned here is retrieval rate if swimming.

 

If you are swimming it try speeding up and also try slowing down your retrieval speed. This can change depending on water/weather/fish preferences day to day. Some days they prefer faster vs slow and vice versa. You can get a lot of half-A bites which would cause your success rates. If you get the speed in their preferred zone they should engulf it and get a better hook placement in the mouth.

 

3 seconds is definitely too long if you are feeling an active bite, slack line suddenly, etc. 

[CDMTJager]

On 6/6/2024 at 9:14 PM, txchaser said:

It's not about time - quit counting - just reel the slack up as fast as you can. 

The big side sweep hookset will help too as you can move way more than an 'up' hookset. More margin for error.

Fish hitting it from behind is tough, they are moving right at you and it's hard to get the slack out. 

 

You sir are exactly correct. I now do precisely as you describe/advise. I detect the strike fast as possible take up slack by reeling down and to fish make huge side sweep to my right as I retrieve with my left hand. I went 10 for 10 last night but as stated lost two to my knot slipped and failed.

On 6/6/2024 at 10:15 PM, papajoe222 said:

I stopped using EWG hooks for flukes.  I was missing too many fish.  I switched to a round bend offset worm hook and now I rarely don't hook up.  As for fish getting off, with single hooked soft plastics, I, too, am surprised when it happens and when It does it's almost always because the plastic balled up and the barb never penetrated.

I agree with you. Last night used only a Gamak Super Line screw lock hook hooked up 10 for 10 but lost two due to knot failure caused by eyes no longer able to see small knots well enough to confirm knot tied correctly. 

[CDMTJager]

On 6/7/2024 at 8:44 AM, Functional said:

I dont know if you are fishing a fluke like a t-rig or swimming it but something not mentioned here is retrieval rate if swimming.

 

If you are swimming it try speeding up and also try slowing down your retrieval speed. This can change depending on water/weather/fish preferences day to day. Some days they prefer faster vs slow and vice versa. You can get a lot of half-A bites which would cause your success rates. If you get the speed in their preferred zone they should engulf it and get a better hook placement in the mouth.

 

3 seconds is definitely too long if you are feeling an active bite, slack line suddenly, etc. 

Thank you for your advice. So far I only ever work my flukes as a soft jerk bait. But I absolutely always speed up my retrieve every retrieve and undoubtedly over 50% of my strikes occur either when I stop and the bait falls or after I have speeded up a retrieve and pause. And yes I have caught more than a few fish that hit while I was just reeling in the fluke towards the end of a retrieve but I have not enjoyed as much success working T-rigged boot paddle swim baits as flukes.

In my lakes exposed hook swimbaits or flukes are nothing but veggie salad harvesters.