Setting the hook on spinnerbaits?

[wapiti]

I'm new to fishing spinnerbaits, as they've always seemed intimidating, with all those blade and skirt selections.  I've been fishing a weedy pond/lake with excellent water clarity and have been casting a 1/4 ounce white/blood stained spinnerbait with willow leaf blades, and have lost two fish that I felt had pretty solid strikes.

I've been casting as close to shore as possible, and lifting up on the rod, to keep the spinnerbait just under the water's surface.  Often I have been getting hits as soon as I begin to reel.  Since the water is so clear I can usually see the bass take the lure, or at the very least I see movement in the water, and I've trained myself to wait until I actually feel the fish before setting the hook.  

Everything has been going fine, until Saturday night, I began reeling with a steady retrieve, and felt a small tap.  I continued to reel in and felt no pressure on the line, but not two seconds later I got another tap and saw a monster of a pike attack my spinnerbait maybe four feet under the water.  I jerked instinctively when I saw the pike and took the lure right out of its mouth. --> This experience put me under the impression that perhaps setting the hook on spinnerbaits wasn't such a good idea/important.  (landed the pike maybe four casts later)   8-)

Well that same night, I was casting close to shore, with a steady retrieve.  I didn't get a strike right off shore, so I continued to reel in, all the while plotting where my next cast would be, when I felt a solid tap tap tap.  I was taken by suprise. . . that coupled with my previous encounter with the pike meant I never set the hook on the fish.  I got him close to the boat, but to my dismay the bass jumped out of the water and simply spat out my lure.  --> This puts me under the impression that I need to set the hook, but only after I feel the fish hit with that tap tap tap?

What are your thoughts/techniques for getting solid hook sets with spinnerbaits?

        Thanks

              Nate

[Wayne P.]

Use a high quality trailer hook.

[Steve H]

I agree with the trailer hook. Also, is the rod your using really limber? A spinnerbait actually has a pretty big hook on it and while a forgiving tip can help, you really need some backbone.

[wapiti]

I guess I am off to go buy some trailer hooks. . . however, I've read several posts on this forum about people who do not find trailer hooks necessary for spinnerbaits, what are disadvantages to using trailer hooks?

Yes my rod is really limber, but I'm looking to buy a new rod soon.  I've narrowed my search down to a Fenwick HMG or Shimano Compre spinning. . . any advice on which rod to purchase?

[dave]

I do not use trailer hooks.  MH moderate action for me.  

[Raul]

I don 't use trailer hooks, don 't find them necesary, when I detect the fish are striking short I slow down a little bit or change for a shorter armed shorter skirt spinnerbait; also, I don 't set the hook until I feel the fish weight pulling the line just as a precautionary measure when in very thick cover, in my experience it 's not necessary to set the hook most times, normally when the fish strike a spinnerbait they impale themselves on the hook, but of course, my hooks are always razor sharp.

[basser89]

I guess I am off to go buy some trailer hooks. . . however, I've read several posts on this forum about people who do not find trailer hooks necessary for spinnerbaits, what are disadvantages to using trailer hooks?

Yes my rod is really limber, but I'm looking to buy a new rod soon. I've narrowed my search down to a Fenwick HMG or Shimano Compre spinning. . . any advice on which rod to purchase?

Disadvantages? Hmmm, well, you might get hung up once in a while or maybe get some grass caught up in the hook but the benefits (IMO) out weigh the disadvantages by a landslide! It is EXTREMELY rare that I fish a spinnerbait without a trailer hook.

For me, I prefer a 7' MH baitcasting rod and I prefer to fish with flurocarbon (17#) since it has less stretch than mono. I'm not familiar with your two choices of rods so my advice to you is go with the one the you have the most confindence in!

[Sam]

USE A TRAILER HOOK ON SPINNERBAITS AND BUZZBAITS.

One size smaller than bait's hook size.

After you catch some using a trailer hook you can the decide not to use one and see how that catch ratio compares to the ratio with the trailer hook.

Now, with that said, I must admit that I use trailer hooks in tournaments and not when fun fishing.

So how do you set a spinnerbait hookset?  Cross their eyes.

Yes, point rod tip towards bait and pop those wrists and bring the rod over your head with a lot of tension on the line. Be sure to reel in the flourocarbon line to remove the slack before you set the hook, if you have any slack in the line which you should not since you are reeling in the bait. But it does happen.

And keep the line tight throughout the enitre fight.

Check your drag and make sure it is set, correctly.

You will be standing there, bored, just minding your own business, after make about 10,000 casts with the spinnerbait and then, out of nowhere, you will feel the tug and weight and you better be ready to set that hook.

So no day dreaming when you are fishing a spinnerbait.  Be alert and yo-yo the bait; let it drop and rip it off the bottom; have it hit some cover or structure; reel it through and over wood, grass, pads; try to skip it under a dock or a pier (and be ready to get out of the boat to retrieve it when it lands on the dock or pier); reel it fast and then slow;  stop it in the middle of your retrieve and let it helicopter down to towards the bottom.

Just don't throw it out and reel it back.  Do something with the spinnerbait to make it do crazy things.

And use a trailer hook to get those rascals that short strike or hit the spinnerbait to kill it.

Now go out and have some fun with spinnerbaits.  

[hawghunter1744]

A trailor hook is a must for me. There is no telling how many fish  I've hooked on the trailor hook and not the spinnerbait hook.

Also try not looking at your spinnerbait. It was always hard at first for me because I wanted to watch the fish hit my spinnerbait. You'll miss more if you do because you react to sight not feel. Try checking out the landscape or looking around for your next casting location and set the hook on feel. Those two things helped me catch a SIGNIFICANT amount more fish..

[wapiti]

Thanks for all the input

[BillBrett]

For what it's worth, I fish a shallow (ave. 3 feet deep) heavily stained, slow moving, weedy river from shore using 3/8 ounce spinnerbaits (white and chartreuse/white) on which I thread 4-inch Bass Pro Tripple Ripple white grub tails. Bass hook themselves on this type of lure, as do chain pickerel, yellow perch, and black crappies. I've never felt the need to set the hook and don't think I've ever lost a fish other than when small bass jump completely out of the water and throw the hook. I also never use a trailer hook because that would result in more weed pick-up. I should add that my spinnerbaits all have double Colorado or combination of Colorado/Indiana blades which slows down my presentation. Willow blades don't work for me in shallow water because they make my spinnerbaits swim too fast. Way too fast. 

[everythingthatswims]

I use a firm side sweep, I find that winding really hard while doing that is more important than the rod movement. Usually they're coming towards you when they eat it so you need to keep up with them.

 

I'm not sure why people think they don't need trailer hooks, there are days when 75% of the fish I catch are only hooked by the trailer hook. I can understand not using one around weeds/wood because they get hung up, but even in those situations I still tend to use a trailer hook!

[scaleface]

When I feel a bite I just sweep the rod . No crossing their eyes hook sets . I rarely use a trailer on spinnerbaits . Its a heavy cover lure . I just dont like the idea of the lure snagging up a few more times a day .

[Catt]

Trailer hook or not?

Set hook when ya feel tap or wait until ya feel weight?

Mono, fluoro, Copoly, or braid?

Fast-n-high in the water column or low-n-slow?

 

Each bass is different, each bite is different, each fight is different!

 

 

[RB 77]

Side sweep.

[J Francho]

Use an extra fast rod, and wack them with the same hookset you'd use on a worm hook.  Always use a trailer hook!

[A-Jay]

On 12/10/2017 at 11:34 PM, everythingthatswims said:

I use a firm side sweep, I find that winding really hard while doing that is more important than the rod movement. Usually they're coming towards you when they eat it so you need to keep up with them.

 

 

And another one from the archives . . . 

 ~ X2 ~

 Spinnerbait bite is a fan favorite.

Once I get bit, I keep reeling, and as the rods loads - so do I !

A-Jay

 

 

[Dtrombly]

Side sweep ?

[IndianaOutdoors]

If I feel a hit I set the hook.  If I feel weight I side sweep and load the rod up.  Most spinners have a heavy enough hook that it's not going to set itself. @Catt is right though. There are many variables when fishing a spinner.  I started using trailer hooks last year and I'm still pretty indifferent about them.  I have rarely had them hooked on the trailer.  That said the only time I have had issues with the trailer hook is when pitching to cover. O and I don't care for the trailer hook sticking small fish in the gills occasionally when they bite the main hook.  I have an HMG MH that I bought use for 3/8-1/2 spinners.  It's works just fine.  Just be careful with the line guides on the last gen.  They crack easily.  I believe the new gen has different material to fix this. I have no experience with the Shimano.

[DINK WHISPERER]

I never use a trailer hook on mine and I set the hook just like a jig or worm. 

[Catt]

38 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Use an extra fast rod, and wack them with the same hookset you'd use on a worm hook.  Always use a trailer hook!

 

When I set hook with any lure it's done with authority!

 

It's at this point in time ya wanna be in total control!

 

32 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

And another one from the archives . . . 

 ~ X2 ~

 Spinnerbait bite is a fan favrite.

Once I get bit, I keep reeling, and as the rods loads - so do I !

A-Jay

 

 

They bow up on me...I bow up on them ?

[Columbia Craw]

I do it exactly as A-Jay, only different.

[soflabasser]

I cast my spinnerbait, reel it in,and let the bass set the hook themselves.

[RB 77]

On 12/11/2017 at 7:21 AM, A-Jay said:

And another one from the archives . . . 

 ~ X2 ~

 Spinnerbait bite is a fan favrite.

Once I get bit, I keep reeling, and as the rods loads - so do I !

A-Jay

 

 

 

I love this pic. Bendo baby!