When to set the hook?

[mnwild14]

When jig fishing, when do you set the hook? I used to usually feed them line and then reel up the slack and if there is tension set the hook. Should I be not feeding them line, and as soon as I feel a tick, tick, tick.. Set the hook? I am thinking I am missing fish because I do not set the hook on these bites?

[Guest]

I always set the hook right away on jigs. If your missing fish, add a stinger.

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[musky hunter]

If you are feeling a "tick, tick, tick" you are doing something to inadvertently pull the bait out of the walleyes mouth. Each "tick" is another attempt by the walleye to eat you're bait. Walleye feed by inhaling the forage whole into their mouth in one gulp. So when jigging, when you get a "tap" a quick, short hook set should do the trick. If you are missing fish, first make sure that you're hooks are absolutely so sharp they will stick into you're fingernail. Then, if you are still missing fish, either downsize to a smaller jig, go to a lighter line weight, or add a stinger hook.

[Pherris]

While listening to a radio show I heard something that will address this question.

"They are not picking it with their hands, so set the hook as soon as you feel it"

[Guest]

But what about drifting/trolling with crawlers?

Broncosguy

[Guest]

Just was wondering about setting the hook when trolling or drifting again.

thanks-
Broncosguy

[Havin' Fun]

Really kind of depends here too. How fast?? Are you using spinners?

Lindy and a crawler, I let line go for 1001, 1002,1003, pull up the slack and feel if it's still there and WHAM!! Sometimes it just doesn't matter. Others it does.

I've found the less line you give, the less gut hooking you do and you will still get most of the fish.

[walleyewacker]

I totally agree with hammer. If you are drifting or slow trolling and you get a bite only a couple seconds is needed. If you can put any tension on the line without the bait coming out of the fishes mouth you can get a decent hook set without a gut hook. If you are goin pretty fast with bouncers all I ever do is drop the rod until I have no further arm reach and set the hook.

[Guest]

most times you wont feel the hit.....i keep my rodtip @ 2 inches off the water and use 1 inch lifts on the rod......if i feel any kind of pressure ....i set that baby hard!!!!!!!.....this has always worked for me.....i see alot of guys let line out before they set the hook and they end up gut hooked.....mine are always textbook.....right on the top lip

[Guest]

I'm not a walleye fisherman but I do it enough to know there are times and places where a little hesitation on the set will get you more fish than not. But as a general rule you do not wait very long.

If the minnows are mostly comming back chewed, only the head, or are getting ripped off than a stinger and a hesitation may get more fish in my experience.

[icehousebob]

When jig fishing, I try to use the lightest jig I can get away with that gets into the zone where the fish are, and set the hook,HARD, as soon as I feel any resistance. If they are striking short, I start using the smallest minnows I have in my bucket. Walleyes will inhale the light jig and minnow more easily than a heavier one.
Last spring,I was on a Mille Lacs launch, slip bobber fishing when the discussion turned to how long to wait before setting the hook. A couple of guys would do a slow five count before setting, and often the bobber came back to the surface before they finished. I balanced my rig with split shot so the cork would go under the waves and resurface in the wave troughs. If it didn't resurface, I set the hook. Before the night was done, I had people borrowing split shot and I didn't hear any more counting, so it must have worked. In heavy waves, balancing your rig will cut down some of the vertical motion on the bait, and keep it in the fish's strike zone more of the time. That makes it easier for the fish to get.

[cartfan]

Do you set the hook right away when fishing a jig on a bobber?

[Scott Steil]

I rarely set the hook right away when jigging in a river. When a fish hits, I let it hold, check that it is there and then set into it. I keep my line tight but am not applying a lot of pressure. I still do this even if I am using a stinger hook. It has helped my up my hooking percentage a lot.

In lakes it is a little different. I let the fish determine what I should be doing. If I am able to use a very light jig, I may give them line. If I am using a heavier jig, fishing vertically, I may just check that they are there and then set into them. If they are aggressive and really slamming it, I just set into them. Let the fish tell you what to do.

The type of jig you are using will have a lot to do with this. If you are using a heavy jig, letting the fish "take it" may be a problem, as they will feel that heavy jig if you give them slack.

While rigging, your rod will have a lot to do with when to set the hook. If you are using a rod with a fast tip you better give them some line. If you are using a long rod with a slow tip you most likely won't need to give them line. I usually use the drop my rod tip back approach, and then carefully check if they are still there. 90% of the time this is the best way to go. I do not set the hook if I don't feel the fish first, jigging or rigging.

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[MJCatfish]

When I'm fishing a jig below a slip bobber, I try to wait until the bobber is either out of site or has been under for about 5-10 seconds. (If it's bobbing up and down, but not going under, you either have perch or a small eye pestering you.) Reel up any slack in your line and point your rod tip low and towards the bobber. Set the hook with a fairly quick, steady over-the-shoulder sweep and grab the net!

Ice House Bob, very nice adjustments. It's always fun to be the leader on a change in technique isn't it? I especially agree with adjusting the balance of your bobber. We call it setting it to "hair trigger".

MJ

Works for me.

MJ

[Guest]

Yep, nail em hard as soon as you feel anything, i like to jig, and i do it alot, and 90% of the time you wanna hit em right away. sometimes when the fish are biting light, i give em a second or two- just kinda set the rodtip back and wait for the slack to go away and nail em. if your missing fish, just take a look at your bait, and it will tell you what to do. Also, alot of people beleive in going to a smaller hook(from what ive seen on here) your gonna do better, but i beleive the exact opposite. Its tough to get a decent hook set if your hook is too small!! I almost always just stick with 1/4 to 3/8 OZ fireball jigs.. the only way to go.

[deadeye]

I agree with these guys, when I am jiggin I nail the fish as soon as I feel a bite.If I am getting bait stollen then I just add a stinger hook. When I do the lindy rig thing I usually let the line go as soon as I get a bite and wait three seconds, then set the hook. The same goes for bobber fishing, I wait three seconds after the bobber goes down then I set the hook. This usually works for most situations, sometimes they are more agressive/neutral and you have to adjust but most of the time it works. ><>
deadeye

[Guest]

How do you balance your slip bobber? Do you add weight to counter the bobber or what???

[Guest]

How do you balance your slip bobber? Do you add weight to counter the bobber or what???

[MJCatfish]

I either put a smaller bobber on, use split shot or weight the bobber. You can buy circular lead weights that have rubber sinchers with them to snug up against the bottom side of the bobber. That is nice if you need weight to cast into the wind.

MJ

[icehousebob]

When balancing a slip bobber rig, I use a 1/32 oz. jig. I cast my own, so I squeeze a #4 hook into the mold, but I've found several places that sell that combination. Then I balance the set up with split shot, but don't bunch them. Put one 18 inches up from the jig and space any more that are needed at one foot intervals. The Wave Buster bobbers are perfect for fine tuning. you can either cut one to the right length, or if you already have several shortened, switch until you barely balance it on the surface. If I ever meet the guy who invented them, I think I'll kiss him on all four cheeks. They're like a license to steal.

[Guest]

a person can usually tell how much line to give depending on the strike if its a hard strike i never give line and if its a light tap i will give enough to know that the fish is still on there but other than that you can usually tell what to do when they hit