setting the hook with top water lures

[crankbait2009]

i have a question about setting the hook while using top water lures.

today while i was out fishing i was throwing my normal everyday crankbaits, caught a few largemouth all was well.

well, a couple days back i received the latest issue of Ohio Game and Fish magazine. In the magazine they talked about lures that worked well in the Fall season. they mentioned cranks and top waters.

as i continue, i thought to myself, well lets see if the magazine knows what its talking about. so i went ahead and threw out my Heddon Mini Torpedo. I ripped it in a few times................nothing. so i threw it out again and decided for some reason start jerking it and treating it as a popper. BAM, i got a nice sized Smallmouth with it. Released the SM and continued fishing it the same way. nothing.

then i decided to change the lure, and i threw on a BPS XPS Professional Series Topwater Hardbaits - Popper. I have tried this out in the past but never got a single hit. so i gave it up till this afternoon. today was a totally different story. ilike the 3rd time i threw this out, i started getting hit hard. cast after cast, fishing were slamming it like crazy. the problem was i NEVER landed a single fish.

i couldnt figure out what i was doing wrong. as soon as theyd hit, i would set the hook....................nothing. lost it.

is there a specific time/way to set the hook when using top water poppers???

it was a blast seeing this ruckus but it was dissapointing never bringing anything in.

any help? :'(

[aarogb]

i have a question about setting the hook while using top water lures.

today while i was out fishing i was throwing my normal everyday crankbaits, caught a few largemouth all was well.

well, a couple days back i received the latest issue of Ohio Game and Fish magazine. In the magazine they talked about lures that worked well in the Fall season. they mentioned cranks and top waters.

as i continue, i thought to myself, well lets see if the magazine knows what its talking about. so i went ahead and through out my Hedon Mini Torpedo. I ripped it in a few times................nothing. so i threw it out again and decided to some reason start jerking it and treating it as a popper. BAM, i got a nice sized Smallmouth with it. Released the SM and continued fishing it the same way. nothing.

then i decided to change the lure, and i threw on a BPS XPS Professional Series Topwater Hardbaits - Popper. I have tried this out in the past but never got a single hit. so i gave it up till this afternoon. today was a totally different story. ilike the 3rd time i threw this out, i started getting hit hard. cast after cast, fishing were slamming it like crazy. the problem was i NEVER landed a single fish.

i couldnt figure out what i was doing wrong. as soon as theyd hit, i would set the hook....................nothing. lost it.

is there a specific time/way to set the hook when using top water poppers???

it was a blast seeing this ruckus but it was dissapointing never bringing anything in.

any help? :'(

That's your problem right there.  Try waiting about two seconds before you set the hook.  That should show an increase in your fish count.

[Koop]

Let them eat it, don't rip it away as soon as your see the splash... just like fishing a frog, let them get it.  If you see the blow up, give it a second, reel in the slack and you should feel them, then just give it a little swift swipe down to the side to ensure those trebles are in.  

At least with a popper you don't really have to do as much as with a soft plastic frog.  Popper is a great bait, just be careful or you'll fall in love with them and start spending $15 a pop on yellow magic  : :-/

[crankbait2009]

i will try that, thanks. will poppers be a great lure for the whole Fall season? Should i change lures the later it gets into the Fall season?

i have never fished fall season before so this is my first.  im just going by what i read.  thanks for the advice

[Steve_in_Maine]

I use a jitterbug a lot............and normally when they hit the lure, the treble hooks catch something, give it a second then set the hook, and they are on for the ride. With 6 hooks swinging around, they are bound to hook the fish somehow.

Steve

[Use ONLY Stren]

Reel until you feel.

[iceintheveins]

DON'T SET THE HOOK TILL THE FISH DRAGS IT UNDER AND YOU FEEL HIM PULLING!

[Catt]

Wait until you feel the weight of the bass

[looking4structure]

Wait until you feel the weight of the bass  

x2

i missed alot of fish by swinging for the fences when a fish would hit my topwater.By waiting to feel the weight of the bass and then setting the hook i never missed one.

[Kayakist]

I've also found that switching to braided line has increased my topwater hookup rate.  The stretch of mono was working against me.

[cantcatchfish4somereason]

I think the best thing to do is try and controll the excitment of seeing them blow up your lure first off.

[J Francho]

I don't use anything other than pressure to set the hooks. The fish sets the hooks by itself.  Sharp hooks and the right rod go a long way here.

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

I've also found that switching to braided line has increased my topwater hookup rate. The stretch of mono was working against me.

I like braid too,but as always everything has it's disadvantages.braid can be a real mother on certain topwaters as it tends to foul the front hooks and or props. Double prop baits in particular. >

To the original question:Reel until you feel the bass or SEE your line moving off rapidly in one direction,put pressure on them and try not to yank.This isn't a texas rigged worm and good trebles should hang any fish that takes a sniff at it.Easier said then done,and even the best of us get an itchy trigger finger sometimes. Once you get better at it then the blowups won't faze you as much and when a fish just completely misses your lure you will be able to keep it in the zone,pause and twitch,or make the bait run like hell.If they are hot and heavy on a topwater bite they will come back to it or another fish may take a swipe at it after the first one.Schooling fish will usually compete to see who gets it first.

Another suggestion is to keep a plastic bait handy to followup the misses,usually a slow sinking seductive type bait..I like zoom flukes,senkos,trickworms or a lightly weighted 5 inch grub.Black for dark water or if they are on a shad bite and also hitting white topwaters I like to use whites for the followup baits. Throw them right to the area where the fish struck.

[CWB]

Read the attached tip. For frogs but probably for all topwaters as well.

http://www.snagproof.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26

Make sure lure disappears.

I recently had a couple of explosions like Bobby is talking about and reeled down and felt the fish and right before setting the hook, the line seemed to go limp and I missed him. Maybe he felt me when I felt him and spit the bait. Probably best to wait but next explosion I get, I'm going to hit him right away and see what happens.

[riverfisher]

Top water baits dont work at all!! I will PM you my address please send them to me for proper disposal!!

[Raul]

Well, popular consesus is to wait until you feel the weight of the fish before pulling to set the hook and there 's a lot of truth behind it, incredibly bass seem to be stupid as heck when they strike a topwater bait, many times they miss it  :, thus what you see may not be what is really happening.

[steezy]

Top water baits dont work at all!! I will PM you my address please send them to me for proper disposal!!

Should I include all the fish I catch with all my topwater lures?

;D ;D ;D