Muskie Discussion Forums
| ||
| Moderators: Slamr | View previous thread :: View next thread |
| Jump to page : 1 2 Now viewing page 1 [30 messages per page] Muskie Fishing -> General Discussion -> One hookset or two |
| Message Subject: One hookset or two | |||
| Cutt'em all Jack |
| ||
![]() Posts: 139 Location: Slippery Rock, PA | How many guys here set the hook multiple times on a fish? Lately, I've been loosing fish that I thought I got the hooks in pretty good. It's only been on one particular type of lure, a rapala super shad rap. I've lost 5 fish in the past two weeks and lost my biggest ever today. I'm fishing braid and most of the fish toss the lure when they first come up to the surface. A couple of them have jumped and threw the hooks. Should I hammer them again or just stay with the one hookset? Thanks! | ||
| JKahler |
| ||
Posts: 1308 Location: WI | I'd hammer them again. You sharpen your hooks right? | ||
| Manta18 |
| ||
Posts: 375 Location: Browerville, Minnesota | Give 'em the old Linder hookset. Set it once, reel down tight, and give it to her again! | ||
| Don Pfeiffer |
| ||
Posts: 929 Location: Rhinelander. | What type of action does the rod have that use. I think that some of us have gotten to much longer and more light action rods. With rods like that you may not get hooks into the fish with 1 set. Also wnder if your drag is slipping? Pfeiff | ||
| jdsplasher |
| ||
Posts: 2331 Location: SE, WI. | First thing you should do is change the hooks on the shad rap. They have a small gap and are very beefy. Go to a wider gap hook, like a vmc or a L 774 eagle claw hook like reef hawg uses. Then get a file, and make sure you sharpen the barb slightly for better penetration. One hook set is all you need if you keep a tight line and use a longer rod with some flex...Hope this helps;-) Edited by jdsplasher 6/25/2007 6:57 AM | ||
| muskie! nut |
| ||
Posts: 2893 Location: Yahara River Chain | jdsplasher has nailed your problem "First thing you should do is change the hooks on the shad rap. They have a small gap and are very beefy. Go to a wider gap hook, like a vmc or a L 774 eagle claw hook like reef hawg uses." I always change my front hook to a 5/0 Mustad hook on my Super Shad Raps. I don't bother with the rear hook as they always hit the front of the bait, but if it makes you feel better change that was well. Just make sure that rear hook isn't too big that it tangles with the front hook. Personally, i prefer the front hook bigger as that the one that they hit the most. Of course as stated - sharpen those hooks! | ||
| THA4 |
| ||
Posts: 468 Location: Not where I wanna be! | ditto, change the hooks!!! took the words out of my mouth | ||
| muskie! nut |
| ||
| Did not. They were my words. | |||
| esoxaddict |
| ||
Posts: 8863 | Two! One to actually penetrate the bony mouth structure of the fish, and a second one to make the hole big enough so you lose the fish before it gets to the net. Saves you from getting your hands all slimy... | ||
| nwild |
| ||
Posts: 1996 Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | One hookset, nothing good can happen on the second. Lots of times a second attempt at a hookset will create a slack line situation. You are much more likely to lose a fish to slack line than you are from a marginal hookset. I view the hooks in a musky's mouth much like a grappling hook. You may not get penetration on the initial hookset, but a sharp, sticky hook will stay put as long as there is tension on the fish. How many times have you gotten a fish in the net, and the hooks fall out as soon as they are given slack line? I try to avoid slack at all costs....one hook set for me! | ||
| nwild |
| ||
Posts: 1996 Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | One hookset, nothing good can happen on the second. Lots of times a second attempt at a hookset will create a slack line situation. You are much more likely to lose a fish to slack line than you are from a marginal hookset. I view the hooks in a musky's mouth much like a grappling hook. You may not get penetration on the initial hookset, but a sharp, sticky hook will stay put as long as there is tension on the fish. How many times have you gotten a fish in the net, and the hooks fall out as soon as they are given slack line? I try to avoid slack at all costs....one hook set for me! | ||
| B420 |
| ||
Posts: 382 | Give them the "Tuna Pump"!! Multiple hooksets in lighting quick time! | ||
| Bytor |
| ||
Location: The Yahara Chain | I agree with Norm, a second hookset will just create an opportunity for the fish to get off. Don't give it any slack. | ||
| bn |
| ||
| I'd have to disagree with some...no need to tuna pump...one good solid swing of the body rod while reeling like a mo fo to pick up any slack created by the fish is all you need..let the hooks/rod and fish do the setting for you....imo. | |||
| scott24 |
| ||
Posts: 89 | One good one and then it's all about tension. It's the dance between me and that fish that makes it for me. It pulls, you give, you take, it tugs, maintaining the connection all the while. It's a ballet except one player has a set of incredibly sharp hooks in its mouth and ain't wearin' a foo-foo. You're not gonna see that on any stage. | ||
| CommonSense Guy |
| ||
Posts: 136 | One and done. In my opinion you don't have to give it everything you've got even though on plenty of occasions I have. If you have sharp hooks and load the road hard the fish will do the rest. Big thing is to get the fish moving and keep her head down. | ||
| muskyboy |
| ||
| Only one, or you risk losing the fish from undoing the hook penetration | |||
| gills |
| ||
Posts: 129 | I agree with one. I used to set the hook twice, but it seemed like I lost more fish that way. | ||
| MuskyHopeful |
| ||
Posts: 2865 Location: Brookfield, WI | I set the hooks on a musky once. Oh, wait, twice. Once on Eagle and once on Okauchee. I'd like to try it again sometime. Kevin My skin is cooling. | ||
| The Wanderer |
| ||
Posts: 158 Location: Burlington, WI | One. I agree with what some of you have said that with the second hookset more bad things will happen than good. No one has mentioned to make sure your drag isn't completely locked down. I've lost quite a few fish in the last couple of years because I think I had my drag set too tight, and I actually ripped the hooks right out of the fish. Maybe I don't need to set the hook as hard either, but i usually go by the saying "either break your line or break the fish's jaw", but I definitely think considering where your drag is at is probably more important than two hooksets. | ||
| Ed BZ |
| ||
Posts: 80 | One is all anyone needs, with no stretch super lines and fast graphite rods our hooksets are 3xs what are fathers and grandfathers were. Like all the other wise gentlemen stated the odds are against you on the 2nd one, to many factors. One thing is do you have that slippery superline taped to the spool or mono backer on? The stuff likes to spin on the spool if not giving the false assumption of a slipping drag. Good Luck. | ||
| Cutt'em all Jack |
| ||
![]() Posts: 139 Location: Slippery Rock, PA | A follow up to some questions. Yes, I got mono on as backing and I'm throwing the lure on a 6 foot heavy action rod. My drag isn't slipping. I've lost one small fish at the boat that jumped and threw the back hook. The others, I've set the hook hard and it seems that as soon as the fish comes up it pops out. These fish aren't jumping, but just coming up to the surface. I'm going to change out the hooks and see if that helps. Thanks! | ||
| jdsplasher |
| ||
Posts: 2331 Location: SE, WI. | Buddy; Invest in a good quality rod in the lenght of 7' 6" or 8 '. Or even a 8,6" lamiglas. Your losing fish will come to a end for the most part. I believe the problem rely lies in your short pool que type rod. The flex in the rod is what keeps the line taught!!! JIM:-O | ||
| Lightning |
| ||
Posts: 485 Location: On my favorite lake! | One hookset is all you need especially with the superbraid. | ||
| musky-skunk |
| ||
Posts: 785 | If on your first hookset you feel good weight with solid bend in your rod you are good to go, HOWEVER with jerkbaits and twichbaits you often times have your rod pulled off to the side so when you set the hook on the "twitch" you don't get the full swing, in this situation reel up the line keeping it tight and then hit em' again. If you have no slack in the line when you do this the hookset should come tight with no slack added... unless it a 20"er that just drags through the water! I usually go for two and have had good sucess, the only problem with this isn't typically slack but the possibility of openening up a bigger hole in the fishes mouth for the hook to come out of. | ||
| Krappie |
| ||
Posts: 419 Location: Appleton, WI | Ditto on the the longer rod. I use to use a 6 footer many moons ago and I definitely lost more fish on it than the longer rod. This is especially true now days with the superbraids. They have very little stretch and that can actually work against you with a short stiff rod. The longer rod will act as a shock absorber and maintain more tension on the fish. Look how well flyrods usually maintain a hooked fish (I could go on in on, but you probably get my point). Also as has already been said setting the drag is also crucial. If you do decide to cinch it tight than be ready to free spool and use your thumb as a break. I've had some bad luck at times though with a fish at boatside, and making a sudden rush with hooks pulling out because of too much tension. So I've backed off slightly on the drag and just break the spool with my thumb on the hookset. I know I'm taking a risk flattening out my thumbs, but if the fish will break them it must be a good one!!! Fish will get hooked and brought to the boat and some will get off. That's just the nature of the beast. Just be happy that you were able to contact that fish. It always sucks loosing a large fish, but it make it that much better when you finally are successful landing a big one. catch ya later, Krappie | ||
| LOTWOODY |
| ||
Posts: 5 | IN SHALLOW WATER I WOULD SUGGEST ONLY ONCE KEEP YOUR TIP DOWN AND BE READY TO FREESPOOL. IN OPEN WATER IF THE FISH TURNS AND RUNS DEEP I WILL SOMETIMES SET A SECOND TIME.IF THE FISH IS FACING ME NEVER. | ||
| Believer |
| ||
Posts: 39 | 1. One set 2. Get rid of the mono and replace with Power Pro 3. Get a longer rod (I like a 6'9" jerkbait rod and an 8' for bucktails/topwater) | ||
| Pikiespawn |
| ||
Posts: 921 Location: Apollo, PA | Once, twice, three times a lady........ | ||
| ESOX Maniac |
| ||
Posts: 2754 Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | "I'm fishing braid and most of the fish toss the lure when they first come up to the surface." - I really don't think the fish is hooked up. They are simply opening their yap when they surface. With hard plastic lures or soft plastic lures like Bulldog's or Alien's they can clamp down on the lure and you can't move the hooks unless you have a super stiff short rod, and really put your whole body into the hookset. ( The Steve W. chair trick) Most guy's don't back off the drag after the initial hookset, so now the fish is facing you when it surfaces, i.e. because it has no chance to turn away from you! Now when she opens her yap and the lure comes out. Backing off the drag immediately after the hookset with the rod tip up does two things, i.e., it allows the fish to turn and swim away and when she opens her yap she finally gets hooked up, i.e. in the corner of the mouth or the side of the head as the lure comes out....... Just a thought -works for me! Have fun! Al | ||
| Jump to page : 1 2 Now viewing page 1 [30 messages per page] |
| Search this forum Printer friendly version E-mail a link to this thread |


Copyright © 2026 OutdoorsFIRST Media |
