Reinventing the wheel

[DTro]

Using some experiences from the past couple of years added to a few this year, I’m starting to change my thoughts on hook setting a bit. What has been happening is that I set the hook and POP the line just snaps immediately.

At first I blamed break-offs on my line, so I went to a different brand and strength. Then I continued to have similar issue, they were at a much less frequent pace, yet it was still happening.

I’m really starting to think that is a combination of the beefy poles I used added to the aggressive hook set that is shocking the line and snapping it.

After breaking off on what I can only assume (felt it for a second) was a large fish on Sat night and hearing a comment from Steve D about the aggressiveness of my hook set, I’m thinking that maybe I should be thinking about giving it the radish instead of the onion. I barely hook my bait through the skin, so it shouldn’t take much to rip the hook free.

My next few fish, I’m going to try a simple flick of the wrist and see what happens. It worked fine on the fish I caught last night, but really cannot draw conclusion on one fish.

[wooduck26]

. What has been happening is that I set the hook and POP the line just snaps immediately.

I had that EXACT thing happen friday night......Very irritating!

[merkman]

What has been happening is that I set the hook and POP the line just snaps immediately.

Could it be your knot?

[DTro]

While it’s possible yes. I try make sure to try and tie a very good knot. I could see it happening on occasion, but not as many times as it’s happened to me.

All I use is a Palomar knot and I’ve done quite a bit of testing on a calibrated Chatillon gauge and the line has always broke before the knot.

[merkman]

Time to test your hook set on the calibrated Chatillon gauge.

[PierBridge]

I've been telling myself the same thing...slow down on the hook set velocity ...but it's easier said then done.

I actually blamed "loud curses and texts" my New line "Suffix" for a couple of recent back to back hook set break offs until I realized it was Power Pro still on that Rig! Doah!

[Cooter]

Suppose the fish are swimming your line in nasty snags between taking the bait and the hookset? 80lb braid?

[ec30_06]

I have only had it happen once this year and I have swung at a lot of fish already. The time it did happen I knew it was going to because I forgot to change my leader after noticing a bad spot in it. Are the fish swimming away fast when you set? I have been waiting until they stop or slow down at least.

[bronzeback]

give em the sweeper.

watch some Kevin Van Dam on youtube. Different gear and different fish but his hooksets are beautiful, and I'm sure in someway the technique could translate.

[fishuhalik]

I had the same problem with my bass rigs last weekend. Snapped off fish after fish. I figured they were nords till I checked my drag. It was cranked all the way down, and I was fishing with 10lb line. Doh!!

[maj330]

I've had similar things happen to me except my line broke where the main line connected to the swivel/leader instead of at the hook. I have a 7'10" spinning rod and 65lb PowerPro braid. I used standard palomar knots on each end of the swivel and a snell knot on the hook. I reduced the drag on my reel to just barely enough to retrieve the rig and it seems to have prevented breaking lately. I'm wondering if a twist in the line at the knot would concentrate the stress and make it easier to break the line during a hookset? The main line wrapped around itself would be much more likely to break when stressed compared to the line wrapped around a heavy barrel swivel or hook because the line radius is much smaller than that of the metal bits. Does your rig ever come back twisted around itself?

[Gordie]

Ive had very good luck this year with a sweep set I let the fish pull line off of a free spool with my thumb as a drag and when I feel the fish has had enough line I click the bail and follow the fish with the rod letting the fish have good tension on the line then when the rodpoints down stream at the fish I slowly sweep until I feel the hook set then give it an extra tug and this has been very sucessfull for me. I use to be one of those on point guys with an agressive hook set took some getting use to but now its second nature for me and I have not had one break off. I also feel that with the super line they are much faster and no strecth and that the line loads up shocks the knot into breaking.

[Surreal Deal]

Time to test your hook set on the calibrated Chatillon gauge.

My thoughts Exactly!

An abrupt application of force translates differently than a gradual application. If you can figure out how to measure the force of your hookset, I would love to know the results of your experiment.

In some other thread I was talking to LFC about shock leaders and I believe he said that he used a monofilament shock leader to add a little 'give' against the heavy action rod and the braided line he uses (Forgive me and please correct me if I've misquoted you LFC!)

[RAB]

Go out and put your hook on you car bumper, stand back and try some different hooksets. See if you can snap your line as easy as you do when you are fishing.

[Surreal Deal]

Here's what LFC said.

It was in the thread for the 2009 Catfish Insider review:

PP= power pro, its a braided line. I use stiff rods so I like having a mono leader with a tiny bit of give. As with any rig set up you need to watch your rigs and tie quality knots.

The break offs I've had.... which are few enough that I'm having difficulty recalling.

It really boils down to what you have confidence in. Many guys do it many different ways and we could argue which is best till the cows come home...bottom line is you need to find out what works for you. There will be a learning curve and if you keep an open mind you will end up trying a number of different things.

[Gordie]

yea start with a VW and work your way up to a lincoln

[DTro]

I really wouldn't want to toss a VW over the fence and into the neighbors yard.

[Gordie]

yea it really wont even help if the parking break was on

[Surreal Deal]

It it's a classic VW there's less than a 10% chance that the parking brake would work anyway.

[Gordie]

then that means theres a 90 percent chance that its going over the fence.

do you think that with no water the line would react any differnt?

[rushing]

First problem you are having is that you are getting fish to bite. Once you stop them from doing that you should be ok. But if you cant stop them then I suggest sweeping hook set instead of the full on "Bass Master" yank the fish out of the water hook set.

And if that doesn't work maybe you can team up with Hanson on the FLW tour.

[DTro]

No matter what happens...

"I'm in a boat"

[DTro]

Here's a good example of my everyday hook set

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I've been having a great year for hooking up. Last year I used 8/0 Team Catfish circle hooks when going for Flatheads and missed a lot of fish. This year I got better gear with clicker features and now I will never use anything other than a good sized octopus hook with a strong yet gentle hook set.

If I get a run on the clicker I'll turn the clicker off and close the spool, leaving some slack for the fish to take the bait. Then I'll very slowly reel up until I feel that fish there and then bam set the hook with a firm swing.

[Cooter]

How many sets of lips have you brought in with those hooksets? Time to step up to 130lb braid!