I went out to Kaweah again today and fished the 4" Storm in blue gill. Got bit once real good on a slow troll in my tube. When I felt the tap, tap, tap I kept paddling for a while to make sure it was a fish, I stopped and let her eat on it a while and fed her some line. Then I slowly started reeling in to see if she was serious about keeping hold of the bait and when it got real tight, I felt confident she really wanted it, so I reared back on the stick and pulled the dang bait right out of her mouth x( I could tell she was a solid fish after battling those monsters last week as she felt a lot like them. Later I caught a 2 pounder no problem, he set the hook himself.
My question for you regular trophy hunters is- how do you set the hook when you know you have a real hawg on? What's the difference between having a single hook and a treble on your bait? Does the stick have a lot to do with it? The one I was using tonight has a fairly soft tip for cranks and a good backbone but its only 6'6". I'm really sold on swimbaits now and want a regular swimbait stick, I'm thinking of getting either an Okuma heavy, a Crucial heavy, or a Rogue. Sorry for the long post, I have trouble keeping it short.

You need to get the right gear, I had the same problem when I first really got into throwing big baits. The guys on this forum convinced me to save the money and buy the Okuma Heavy and I do like the rod (it was a toss up between the H and XH). However, someday I would prefer to have a 7'11" rod. Based on the description of your rod, I dont see how you could set the hook with a big swimbait.

How to set the hook? Hmmm, thats a good one, and one Im still working on. When I get bit, I lower the rod tip, extend my arms, and start reeling faster. If I feel any tension, I hit the fish as hard as I can. Its hard to explain, but you will just know when to set the hook, or you will know to keep reeling since the fish doesnt have the bait (ive never heard of anybody letting the fish "chew" on a swimbait). Many times the fish bites again! Without a doubt, the most important thing for me on each and every cast is to be in the perfect position to get a good hookset. Im amazed at how many bites I miss cause I lost my concentration for a spit second.

Hope that helps. Order that rod today.

Based
>on the description of your rod, I dont see how you could set
>the hook with a big swimbait.

That may explain why I've yet to land one using those swimbaits yet.

If I feel any tension, I hit
>the fish as hard as I can.

That's how I pulled the bait out of her mouth.

(ive never heard
>of anybody letting the fish "chew" on a swimbait).
I don't know if she was "Chewing" on it, but I could feel her continue to tug lightly on it as I fed her free line. I did this in hopes of getting her completely committed to the bait so she would have it completely in her mouth before I really heaved back on the stick.


Order that rod today.

I'm going to one from in H from Tacklewarehouse today and some different kinds of swimbaits too.

Thanks for your your great replies. BTW Urban, how's the shoulder?

Well, I'm still new to swimbaits too but I was told to do exactly the opposite of what you described. I've been somewhat sucessful using Matt's Baby Bass and to a lesser extent, his Blugills. What I was told was to keep the rod pointed directly at the bait on the retrieve. As soon as you feel(and most times they've been very light hits) the bite, start reeling as fast as you can and then do a side sweep with the rod. It's known as a "reelset" not a hookset. This advice came from the new book "Big Bass Zone" that can be bought here:

http://www.stoegerpublishing.com/books/detail.tpl?CAT=5&SKU=BK0523

The reelset is a completely different way to hook one and I have to keep reminding myself to do it; no dropping the rod, throwing slack in the line, no feeling for 'weight', just reel and sweep.

Dan

Dan: The way you described setting the hook is actually what I do, just slightly modified. It is a sweeping set (for me to the right and up), but I do it hard. I lower my rod and extend my arms so I can move more line, and the quick reel gives me a good idea of whether the fish has it, or whether it just nipped it. I dont care what anybody says, Im hitting a fish hard when its got my swimbait, thats just what works for me though. If you set, or reel set or whatever it is you do, when you feel that first nibble, you will pull the bait away from many fish (lots of them will just come up and half heartedly nip it before engulfing it). This is why I start reeling faster, if I feel tension I set, if not I immediately slow down and many times that nipper will come back and commit. Keep in mind this all happens in less than 5 seconds. Like I said though, this is what works for me, but Ive still got lots to learn like most of us do.

Lightnin: shoulder is doing good, but its obivous that its going to be at least 6 months or more before its real good. I have been fishing now for several weeks, and I stuck a few decent ones the other day. I just have to modify the lob cast so as not to agitate the shoulder, setting the hook is mostly with my other arm. Other than that Im good to go!

ill tell you one thing but i dont know if im right whenever you feel a bite dont stop cause sometimes fish just attack something not to eat just to attack and if it stops they think they killed it, i guess kinda like a cat? (stops moving they stop playing)so they leave.So if you feel a bite just set the hook or keep reeling, thats all i have to say

PS: get the okuma heavy, great rod and price




Justin

Here's a good post about the same subject from awhile back.

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=4996&mesg_id=4996&page=4

Also I have never heard anyone mention the type of hook-set they use depending on if they have a treble hook or single hook, stinger or no stinger. I would assume they use the same general principle for each.

Trev-