Setting the hook

[boatless_tom]

I'm new to the forums.  I need help with my worm fishing... I fish in shallow water, full of weeds.  I fish my worm weightless, with a 4/0 hook.  I cant keep a fish on the line.  Whats the secret to setting the hook?  I usually wait 1-2 seconds before setting the hook as hard as possible.  Anyone with more experience than I please help me out.

[gamblerOH]

HOW ARE YOU RIGGING THE WORM? WHAT KIND OF WORM? ARE YOU USING A WIDE GAP HOOK?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

I feel I am pretty good at setting hooks with plastic worms so I will give you my technique.  I use 3/O or 4/O Gamaaaaaaaaaaasjcnsdvasdfibv LOL hooks Extra Wide Gap ( ithink this is pretty important) making sure the end of the hook is exposed but lie flush against the worm keeping it weedless, as soon as I feel any thump,nick, anything I reel down pointing my rod tip directly where my bait is (be sure to keep contact with your bait at all times), and then yank with all my force.  If you are fishing this time of year, depending on where you are at in the country, with colder water temps I find it harder to keep them on.  It seems like they'll bite it, they just won't eat it this time of the year.  I watched this video a few years back of a deep sea diver that went under water and filmed a guy while he was bass fishing in this clear river.  I was amazed at how many times a bass picked up his worm and he was unaware of it.  I took this into consideration the following season and started yanking at ever little bump and I ended up catching more fish than I ever had before.  Example: that summer I was fishing with my father and I was showing him this technique I desrcibed above.  I reeled down and yanked back to show him the motion.  Ya know what?  A 5 lbs. beauty was on and I didn't even know it.  Tricky little bugers.  Anyways good luck and I hope this helps a little.

[Marty]

I make sure that the hook gap is about double the diameter of the worm. I'm a line-watcher, because almost all of my soft plastic bites are detected visually, that is, I see the line moving off to the side, then I set the hook.

Are you feeling good resistance after your hookset and then losing the fish? Or are you not feeling that resistance? If it's the latter, maybe you're getting bluegill taps? They'd feel like a series of quick taps.

[Stickling]

i use a 2/0 gomakatsu and have only lost 1 fish. Dont set the hook too hard, but dont se it too light. I went fishin with a guy the other day and everytime he tryed to set the hook he would come close to hittin me he set it so hard. he lost a couple fish becouse of that.

[Snag]

I usually wait untill I see my line move and feel dead weight then I give a good solid hook set (not to hard) and keep a tight line all the way in keeping my rod tip down a bit to keep the fish in the water. I have lost very few fish this way but there is always the ones that get away. I want to get the hook through the mouth of the fish but I don't want to rip their lips off lol...

Tight lines,

Snag

[roadwarrior]

Re-read KU_Bassmaster! That's EXACTLY how I fish Senkos and I rarely miss a fish. If I do miss,  I cast right back to the same spot- the fish had the worm by the tail and never felt the hook. He will pick it up again, promise.

[Bigjig]

I also use a 2/0 or 3/0 ewg gamagatsuuuuuuuu. however there are times when i will downsize to a 1/0.  i feel it falls more naturally and the bass tend to take it in better.  Also for me, the smaller hook tend to penatrate easier.  

As far as hookset, when I feel a bump I reel down and set straght up. If the bass seem to be very subtle I will gently lift the rod tip to see if there is pressure.  If there is I will use the set descibed  above and by others.  hope this helps.  

[boatless_tom]

Thanks for the help.  The fish I am losing are on my line...I'm not good enough yet to notice these small taps and such.  I get real heavy, agressive bites.  I set the hook and always lose him when i start reeling.  I use standard 7.5 inch culprit or charlie worms with a weedless hook.  When I miss a fish, my worm comes back balled up around the hook.  

How much of the hook should I be exposing, KU?

[reellittlephish]

Use offset worm hook or use 50# test mono to "peg" the worm.  Insert 50#mono threw rigged worm, passing through the hook eye and out other side of worm. Clip off short so no fouling on moss or weeds.  Go fish.

Do some online research on the "slack line set".  

Try "skin hook" which is hooking point in side of the worm; work the point back and forth to create a channel in the plastic.  You may need to view video on the subject

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Above is exactly how I rig my up.  I barely stick the point back into the side of the worm so the hook will still lay flush agaist the side of the worm.  When you feel around the worm where the point is you should be able to feel it fairly well.

[Trivib1]

There is a few possibles that can be causing this condition.

One. The hook could be too small for the size body of worm you using or the hook is not sharp enough.

Two.  You're waiting too long to set the hook, I recommend setting the hook  As soon as you feel the tap.  If you wait the fish can do one of two things swallow the hook, or spit it out.

Three.  You could be using a rod not suitable for worming.

[reellittlephish]

"The fish I am losing are on my line...I'm not good enough yet to notice these small taps and such.  I get real heavy, agressive bites.  I set the hook and always lose him when i start reeling.  I use standard 7.5 inch culprit or charlie worms with a weedless hook.  When I miss a fish, my worm comes back balled up around the hook.

A 4/0 hook should be fine with a 8 inch Culprit - I don't know Charlie Worms -  You may have to sharpen the hook however and create that channel I mentioned.  Worm balling up means either you made too loose of a hole in the inital threading and bass are grabbing the rig right at the front of the hook - thus pulling the worm down.  Solution for that is mono pegging and or an offset hook.  Buy a pack of Extra Wide Gap offset hooks and try them.  Lots of articles on internet showing rigging and discussing hookset methods.

Let us know how suggestions are working..

[Chris]

If your missing fish it might be your rod. I use at least a 6'6" or 7' med/heavy action rod with atleast 14 lb test line. I also use high speed reel atleast 6 to 1 gear ratio. Try a Gambler screw weight to peg the worm and leave about a half inch of worm between the weight and hook. This will prevent a fish from pulling down your worm on the hook. That Charlie Ingrim worm is about the same size as the Culprit and I would use a 4/0 or 5/0 wide gap hook. You might try cutting it down some to see if they will hit it better. You might be dealing with smaller fish that can't get a good mouth full of an 7.5" worm. When ever you feel a tap tap its usually a bream, small bass, or a fish trying to crush it . Spray it with scent they might be rejecting it. When I set up to hook a fish on a worm from bite to set is about 2 seconds. With that bigger hook if he has any of the worm in its mouth he also has hook. Fish tend to stop a worm which is the first tap you feel and suck it all the way in on the second tap you feel.(if its a bass big enough to eat the worm)

[Fatdaddy150]

Always set the hook with just a little slack in the line. The hook will penetrate farther and you'll catch more fish. This method also keeps you from yanking the bait away from the fish.

Tight Lines,

Fatdaddy151

[crankbait]

Set that hook until you cross that fishes eyes...! :

[Chris]

Has any of this stuff worked for you?

[playmaker47]

It doesnt hurt to set the hook twice just to be sure

[earthworm77]

Funny story.....I drew a partner in a Tx several years ago who had a false leg. I had my limit very early and this guy only had a dink in the well. I kinda felt bad so I brought him to a spot where only one of us could fish while the other ducked to avoid trees and stayed on the motor. He dropped several fish right away and I made a little joke about his hookset technique. I told him he set the hook like a pansy and that he should set it like he meant it. Well, at about that time, I looked down to change speeds on the trolling motor when the boat rocked and I heard a tremendous splash, my partner had fallen off the back of the boat attempting to put more umph into his hookset. Remembering he had only one leg, I promptly jumped in after him. I grabbed him by the collar and brought him up, it was fairly shallow but this guy was totally dunked. I wanted to laugh so bad but I didn't want to make him feel bad. When I got his head up I saw he had a big grin and I just lost it. It was a funny site to see. Good laugh. And he missed the fish!

[D.Taylor]

Buy some braided line like Power Pro. This has less stretch and is more sensitive. the longer the cast the mono will stretch on a hook set and could be part of your reason.

[tritonman]

Make sure your hooks are sharp. I have noticed over the time off a tournament my hooks will dull, so I will change hooks and check my lines for wear for a better hookset.