setting the hook on big fish

[jeronimo]

do i need heavy wire hooks for fish over 8lbs or am i just setting the hook too hard? i caught a bunch of freshwater drum on the week end and i kept straightening my hooks . is my drag just too tight ?

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Go with the heavier guage hook.

Stop taking steroids

lol

[CJ]

If you are targeting drums go with a heavier hook.Drums have a thicker,tougher mouth than do largemouth bass.I have never had a big largemouth straighten my lightwire hooks(not saying they couldn't).

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

We have had fish as small as 4 lbs straighten thne hook on terminator finesse jigs.  Those are actually more of a medium wire, the light wire stuff doesn't stand a chance.

[CJ]

We have had fish as small as 4 lbs straighten thne hook on terminator finesse jigs. Those are actually more of a medium wire, the light wire stuff doesn't stand a chance.

When I said lightwire I was probally refering to a medium wire.About the same guage as a 5/0 worm hook.

[jeronimo]

the hooks i am using are mustad 3/0. i didnt know there were diferent wire sizes until last night when i heard someone say heavy wire hook on tv.

[jeronimo]

If you are targeting drums go with a heavier hook.Drums have a thicker,tougher mouth than do largemouth bass.I have never had a big largemouth straighten my lightwire hooks(not saying they couldn't).

i wasnt realy targeting them but i found a school of them and they are quite fun to catch. they pull like a freight train.

[russ0101]

i think i got a bad batch of mustad hooks a while back, i couldnt keep them straight after catchin a fish... switched to gamatsku (however you spell it) and my personal favorite Owner Hooks...

[RoLo]

With regard to the 'wire size' of hooks, I believe that fishermen often move in the wrong direction.

Back in 1979 I visited a Shark Seminar in New Jersey hosted by Pete Barrett, Al Ristori and a few other

local gurus. It seemed that every speaker that night held up a heavy wire hook that had been

straightened by a shark.

I didn't say anything that evening at the seminar, for fear of making waves and sounding like

a young upstart. Regardless, I felt that all the speakers were moving in the wrong direction.

I believe that their hooks opened at the bend for the simple reason that they were never

set home "beyond the barb". This is a common occurence when using heavy wire hooks.

Even when using a heavy wire hook, you cannot play a 300 lb shark on the End Of The Hook Point

without opening up the hook-bend. If the fellows had moved to lighter wire instead of heavier wire

I believe they would have improved the odds of getting the flesh into the bend of the hook.

Once the hook is set beyond the barb and the flesh of the fish is resting in the bend-of-the-hook,

the line-of-pull is parallel to the hook-shank.

     Bend your index finger into the letter "C" so it resembles a fish-hook.

Now, if I hook my thumb underneath the tip of your index finger, I should be able to pry

your finger open now matter how hard you resist. On the other hand, suppose you and I

both form a letter "C" with our index fingers and hook them both together at the bend of our fingers.

We could pull with all our might, but someone's index finger will be dislocated before either index finger

will open up at the bend of the hook.

My two cents.

Roger

[BD]

My lord, is that a smallie in your photo?

[BD]

Okay, wow brother....I saved that pic to the desktop to further view that baby!!!

%^&*%#^&!$^!^

lol

What did she weigh??? (sorry for the off topic post, but you guys HAVE to see his smallie!!)

[jeronimo]

My lord, is that a smallie in your photo?

yup its a smallie. she weighed 5lbs 1oz.caught it on a green-pumpkin hulla-grub.

[Siebert Outdoors]

I agree with everyone else, you need a heavier wire hook.

[Biglouie]

I'm not sure, Rolo's argument seems valid when I think about it too????  Why not try it both ways?  I know Gamakatsu makes a heavier hook for braided line's, I think it's called something like super line hooks.  They are heavier dutier than the standard hooks.  Why not try both ways and let us know what happens.

[volpster31]

man that bass sure looks bigger than 5.1   .... :o

   must have been a hell of a fight.......

[bassnleo]

Man, I agree, I've caught 6 lb smallies on Lake Erie that didn't look that big. What a TANK!