Hook setting question.

[IAY]

Hello fellow forum members,

I am coming across more situation where the fish is hitting my top water spooks at end of a long cast (40 yards ish) when fishing from the bank. What is the best method to set a hook on a still bait from such distance? I have yet to set the hook on one with most of them coming off when jumping.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

[Afrayedknot]

I'm no master at this but this works for me on the times where I do it right. Just sweep with your whole body when you set the hook, and step back too so you can sweep the rod further. Also, don't set it to quickly like a jig hookset, just sort of ease into it. This will help you out also when a fish misses your bait because you can stop yourself from jerking the bait away from him. As soon as you finish the sweep, start winding so if he comes at you then you can keep up.

[vinnieb729]

Not sure what rod you're using but consider braid…it floats, there is no stretch and you will only have to reel set the fish…no hook set needed even at those long distances.

You can try changing trebles too (I use Mustad triple grips with great success)…I rarely ever set the hook with any treble baits.

[IAY]

I was throwing a pretty new Sammy so I don't think the hook's sharpness was the problem. I will definitely try to step one foot back to get more leverage next time after letting it take a bit more. I think one of the hit was extra tough, since the fish started to swim rapidly towards me. Thanks again for all of the advice!

[BucketHunter]

Actaully, LC's hooks can be a little suspect. You change them out for one size bigger short shank triple grips and you should notice a significant difference.
Beefing up your line so you can tighten down your drag and set as hard as possible is also not a bad idea. I don't like braid on moving baits with trebles, you're gonna lose some big fish at the boat.

[BucketHunter]

Just for proof and reference, I frequently make 65-70 yard casts with Gunfish 135's on 17 pound mono and 6'6" MH rod and have no problem setting the hook.
Timing is important too.

[IAY]

What mono line do you use?

[BucketHunter]

Nothing fancy just good old XT. I spend my money elsewhere, mono is mono to me as long as it's not complete crap.

[IAY]

I have been throwing the sammy on fluorocarbon... I know its wrong but I just started bass fishing and I don't have too many set ups :/. I should switch one of my two baitcaster reels to mono or braid.

[angry john]

I use owner st 41 hoots on my topwaters. Once i feel the weight i just start cranking. Never really needed a hook set on 10 lb YHB.

[RipN-Lips]

I usally have that happen mostly in the Spring. Sometimes I think the fish are just good!!

[Jighead61]

Not sure what rod you're using but consider braid…it floats, there is no stretch and you will only have to reel set the fish…no hook set needed even at those long distances.

This would be my advice as well. Keep in mind that braid is NOT mono.... you have to back off your drag to compensate for the lack of stretch. Many people that lose fish on braid do so because they threat it like mono with locked down drags and monster hook sets.

[BucketHunter]

I'd be careful with braid and the kind of hooks that come with, and are often appropriate for most topwaters, which is to say lighter and thinner wire. Even with glass rods, you can start to threaten the integrity of the hook and lose fish due to bend outs. Happens quite often with jerkbaits too.
Smallmouth then to be bigger offenders here with the longer hard runs they make.

[Thor]

Bend outs?

I fish both fresh and saltwater. I have caught thousands of smallmouth from Maine to Alabama to the Quetico and out to Oregon. Never, ever had a bend out in freshwater and I use nothing but fine wire hooks. Stick a hook in a fence post, attach your line, run the line through the guides of your rod, step back 10 feet and bend the hook out. I have to see this to believe it.

[BucketHunter]

I understand your skepticism.
I guess don't really have any way to prove it to you, and history has taught that me that the only person you'd listen to would be the Lord Almighty, and I have some doubts about that as well. But for everyone else that wants to know...
I saw it again on Thursday. Kettle Point in Lake Huron. If you want I can get you the weather report and pull up some logs on the weather conditions Thor.
20lb Braid, Wright and McGill Glass Jerkbait rod, Perfect 10 Rogue with Gamakatsu hooks. Smallmouth that weighed 3.8 pounds.
Granted this was not me, as I use 8-10lb Hybrid for Jerks on a graphite rod at present. My buddy was amazed to see one of the points bent out at (I am guessing, I didn't have a protractor Thor) approx 45 degrees.
I had the issue on the smaller size of RC Stick on 10lb braid with a Shimano Crucial dropshot rod. Granted those hooks are small and maybe suspect, but it happened multiple times on big Lake Erie spawners.