Hook Set on Top Waters - and a Question at the end.

I have got a pretty good hook set figured out for topwaters. They say never
set the hook until you feel the hit. I partly agree. I don't set the hook
when I see the strike, but quite often when a fish takes the bait under I do
not feel the strike.

This can happen in a couple different circumstances. The first one that
comes to mind is when I basically bump a resting fish on the nose. I have
had this happen on weed points and under docks when I figure the fish was in
ambush position. They sucked down the tidbit and just sat there.

I have also had it happen when fishing in a current like a main irrigation
canal. The fish hits and rides with the current or worse swims towards me
with the current.

If I waited to feel the strike in either of those situations I would never
set the hook. What I have found I have to do is watch the water very
carefully. If my topwater has not resurfaced by the time the splash from
the initial strike has settled down I crank down the line until it starts to
straighten out, but I don't feel the weight of the fish. Then I give it a
long hard hook set.

It takes between 1/2 and 1 second to tell if your bait is still on the
surface. If you wait too much longer though the fish often releases it and
you see it float back to the surface.

I have had the strike and fish on with no strike felt in open still water as
well, but not as often.

One thing I can say is that almost everytime I got excited and set the hook
as soon as I saw the strike I missed the fish.

Now for my question. I got into some smallmouth on a local canal that I
managed to hit the same time on three different days. On two of those days
I tied into a larger fish that got off. They both got off when diving away
from me in the current. I had tension on them, but because they had the
current helping them I was careful not to horse them. I basically felt like
the hook just pulled free. They didn't shake it out.

Today I boated a 14 inch LM fishing the mouth of the Arizona Channel on the
Colorado River. (picture in ABPF) He was barely hooked by one barb of the
rear hook. If I had a long fight or if I had to drag him out of the current
I am sure that hook would have torn out. What can I do to minimize the loss
of lightly hooked fish like that?

One of the smallies I lost was probably a much larger fish based on the
fight.


--
Bob La Londe
Yuma, Az
http://www.YumaBassMan.com
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