Commom mistake while texas rigging.

[BASSclary]

What have we all been taught to do when a fish takes our lure?

Thats right

1.Lower your rod tip.

2.Reel in the slack

3.Set the hook.

While for almost every bait this works, its actually not what you want to do when texas rigging. You want a powerful sharp hookset, on slack-ish line. Here's why, Check out my experiment below.

DON'T Try this experiment

Take a regular texas rigged worm, get it wet and form a fist around it (Dont grip very hard were simulating a fishes mouth). Now take your line and pull with a slow, steady motion. The worm will slide out of your fist never hooking you. Now try again with a very fast, sharp motion. You will probably have to go to the hospital the hook is so deep in your hand.

The extra fast tip gives you that fast, sharp hookset.

[Nibbles]

I've always set the hook with a sharp snap of the wrist. Works for me with everything from T-rigs to frogs.

[skunked_again]

What have we all been taught to do when a fish takes our lure?

Thats right

1.Lower your rod tip.

2.Reel in the slack

3.Set the hook.

While for almost every bait this works, its actually not what you want to do when texas rigging. You want a powerful sharp hookset, on slack-ish line. Here's why, Check out my experiment below.

DON'T Try this experiment

Take a regular texas rigged worm, get it wet and form a fist around it (Dont grip very hard were simulating a fishes mouth). Now take your line and pull with a slow, steady motion. The worm will slide out of your fist never hooking you. Now try again with a very fast, sharp motion. You will probably have to go to the hospital the hook is so deep in your hand.

The extra fast tip gives you that fast, sharp hookset.

i dont know if i agree with this.

[K_Mac]

I think the "snap set" you're talking about is an effective way of setting the hook.

There are many of us who use the 1,2,3 method with excellent results. There are many ways to skin a cat, grasshopper.

[etommy28]

What have we all been taught to do when a fish takes our lure?

Thats right

1.Lower your rod tip.

2.Reel in the slack

3.Set the hook.

While for almost every bait this works, its actually not what you want to do when texas rigging. You want a powerful sharp hookset, on slack-ish line. Here's why, Check out my experiment below.

DON'T Try this experiment

Take a regular texas rigged worm, get it wet and form a fist around it (Dont grip very hard were simulating a fishes mouth). Now take your line and pull with a slow, steady motion. The worm will slide out of your fist never hooking you. Now try again with a very fast, sharp motion. You will probably have to go to the hospital the hook is so deep in your hand.

The extra fast tip gives you that fast, sharp hookset.

I just thought I would mention this. if you set the hook with slack line(with the line snapping tight) while using braid on a big fish you will likely snap your line, I have done it and seen it done pitching and flipping several times in or near heavy cover places like okeechobee, in fact it cost me quite a few spots at the southern open there by braking a fish off.

[BASSclary]

What have we all been taught to do when a fish takes our lure?

Thats right

1.Lower your rod tip.

2.Reel in the slack

3.Set the hook.

While for almost every bait this works, its actually not what you want to do when texas rigging. You want a powerful sharp hookset, on slack-ish line. Here's why, Check out my experiment below.

DON'T Try this experiment

Take a regular texas rigged worm, get it wet and form a fist around it (Dont grip very hard were simulating a fishes mouth). Now take your line and pull with a slow, steady motion. The worm will slide out of your fist never hooking you. Now try again with a very fast, sharp motion. You will probably have to go to the hospital the hook is so deep in your hand.

The extra fast tip gives you that fast, sharp hookset.

I just thought I would mention this. if you set the hook with slack line(with the line snapping tight) while using braid on a big fish you will likely snap your line, I have done it and seen it done pitching and flipping several times in or near heavy cover places like okeechobee, in fact it cost me quite a few spots at the southern open there by braking a fish off.

Thanks for pointing that out  ;D Hadn't thought about that!

[curls00]

I think it comes down to a mix of both of those methods.  Specifically, step 2 should be "reel in almost all of the slack".  ie: leave just enough that you are not pulling the hook at all out of the mouth of the fish, but enough that you're not getting 1/2 way through the hookset before the slack is taken up (that will cause quite the shock on the line and it'll often break).

I'd say that the tip of the rod should be loading up as the last of the slack is taken in mid-hookset (by the tip, not the reel). That means the backbone of the rod, when it kicks in, is on taught line and you won't have that sudden shock on the line, knots, and hook.

[Catt]

Take a regular texas rigged worm, get it wet and form a fist around it (Dont grip very hard were simulating a fishes mouth). Now take your line and pull with a slow, steady motion. The worm will slide out of your fist never hooking you.

Who ever sets hook like this needs their Man Card taken away!!!

Drop the rod, reel the slack, & set hook like you're try to break something

[SuskyDude]

I'm confused on how this experiment has anything to do with setting the hook with slack line vs setting the hook with a tight one.  :-? All it proves is that you want to set the hook fast not slow.

If you set the hook with too much slack, you won't create enough tension on the line to penetrate the hook point. That's why you drop  the rod, reel the slack, set the hook (hard, of course).

[Scorcher214]

The experiment really doesn't do anything to prove the point. On taught line, nobody slowly sets the hook. Or slack line for that matter.

[texanbassangler]

Roll your skirt up, reel up the slack, and slam your rod back like a man! lol Seriously, though WHO sets the hook with a 'smooth steady force"? :-? The fish would let it go when it detects a pressure in it's mouth

[BASSclary]

Okay maybe not the best of word choice's when I said "SLOW. AND Steady. I saw a video on it somewhere i'll have to dig it up so I can prove my point.

[farmpond1]

I must provide a dissenting opinion.

The purpose of lowering of the rod tip and reeling in some of the line is primarly to be in the proper position to set the hook hard and then to keep pressure on the fish once the hook is set. Have you ever tried to set the hook when the rod is already at the 11, or 12 o'clock position or when when line is loose? By the time you've exerted enough force to set the hook, your rod tip will be at the 1 or 2 o'clock position somwhere behind you (if you are even fortunate enough to get a good hook set at all(unlikely)). How awkward and ungainly is that?

I think I'll stick with the earlier method. It's served me well many years.

[Fat-G]

What have we all been taught to do when a fish takes our lure?

Thats right

1.Lower your rod tip.

2.Reel in the slack

3.Set the hook.

While for almost every bait this works, its actually not what you want to do when texas rigging. You want a powerful sharp hookset, on slack-ish line. Here's why, Check out my experiment below.

DON'T Try this experiment

Take a regular texas rigged worm, get it wet and form a fist around it (Dont grip very hard were simulating a fishes mouth). Now take your line and pull with a slow, steady motion. The worm will slide out of your fist never hooking you. Now try again with a very fast, sharp motion. You will probably have to go to the hospital the hook is so deep in your hand.

The extra fast tip gives you that fast, sharp hookset.

I just thought I would mention this. if you set the hook with slack line(with the line snapping tight) while using braid on a big fish you will likely snap your line, I have done it and seen it done pitching and flipping several times in or near heavy cover places like okeechobee, in fact it cost me quite a few spots at the southern open there by braking a fish off.

And your rod...

[SDoolittle]

Drop the rod, reel the slack, & set hook like you're try to break something

Exactly!

[SoFl-native]

adicting? really?

[BASSclary]

I think i'm going to admit. Im wrong.

[roadwarrior]

You're a stand-up guy.

Let's move on.

Good night Irene.

-Kent  a.k.a. roadwarrior

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