The Right Hook Set Is Critical In Landing More Fish

The Hook Set is one of the most crucial skills that an angler must learn. If you are getting bites and are not catching fish, there is a really good chance the problem is your set. Most anglers I know do not really know how to properly set a hook after the bite. There are some fundamentals that may really help you in your quest to becoming a better angler.

The most common mistake that I see anglers make when setting the hook is that they move their arms instead of moving the fishing rod. It is very important to keep your elbows by your sides when you are fishing. This may sound cruel to some, but, my son asked me to help him set his hooks one day. So after about 3 hours of him flailing his arms around, I took off my belt and beat him. JUST KIDDING! I placed his arms at his side and looped my belt around his biceps and torso. When he needed to set the hook he could not move his arms more than 6 or 8 inches. His catch rate increased instantly. I think he may have out fished me for the first time that afternoon. After he saw the resulting catches of not moving his arms so much he became an expert hook setter in a real short time.

(Don’t try this if you are in a boat or near real deep water because without the stability of your arms your balance is greatly reduced.)

The setting motion is largely dependent on the game fish you are after. Smaller fish such as trout and perch often only require a smooth sweep of the fishing rod to effectively set the hook. Northern Pike and Walleye a fast hard hook set with a back step are often required to bury the hook in its mouth.

When a fish hits your line you must take up the slack in the line while moving the rod tip towards the water, the instant that you feel the fish’s weight on your rod, make a sweeping motion up over your shoulder to bury the hook. If you are fishing Pike or hard jawed fish start retrieve as soon as the sweeping motion is finished. This keeps tension on the fish as you bring the rod back to the working position.

There are no hard and fast rules of hook setting, if fish are lethargic and slow biters you need to wait and ensure that the fish has the hook in its mouth. If fish are aggressive and hard fast hitters you need to set the hook as soon as possible.

All different sport fish species require different hook setting techniques. Monofilament lines require harder set than that of braided lines. It is not uncommon to bend even the strongest hooks straight when using super braid style lines.

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