jigging/quick hookset or wait?

[CALVINIST]

I have been missing alot of fish whilst jigging, so it must be technique. Last night I bought the jig back several times, stripped of bait . I have always used the quick hookset-as soon as I feel a fish, I set the hook. I have caught some doing this, but for each one I catch, I lose at least 2 or 3...bad bad bad! I want to convert those losses into catches, but first have to figure out what I am doing wrong. I use Fireline, I don't like stinger hooks (imo, too cumbersome), I have been using minnows hooked through the head, but want to experiment with putting the hook in mouth, through gill, and into the back, to convert those short strikes. Anyway, I want to take a poll and find out how people are setting the hook...quick, as soon as a bite is detected, or wait a moment after the bite. Also, with soft plastics, should hooksets be immediate?

[nofishfisherman]

I usually do the quick hook set as well. I found the hooking the minnow through the mouth out the gill and then into the side keeps you from loosing alot of bait.

As for missing the fish, the walleye seem to bite really soft in the fall so you will miss more then you catch usually. When they are biting harder but you still miss the fish try down sizing the hook and jig size.

I miss my fair share of fish as well so maybe this advice is bunk but its what I have found to useful.

[Walleyeguy31]

I think I have the answer.

Fireline has no stretch, so when you set the hook right away it pulls the lure away from the fish. Count to five and I think your odds will improve tremendously.

[Northlander]

When jig fishing I set the hook as soon as I feel the hit. If your getting short hits and losing minnows you can do several different things.

1st I would make sure Im using the smallest jig possible.

2nd I would use a stinger hook as much as you dont like it. I will use these and they will greatly improve hook ups on short hits.

3rd downsize minnows

4- let the fish move with the bait. This is tricky with jigs because the least bit of resistance and fish spit it out.

5- make sure your hooks are SHARP.

6- Dont over set the hook with superlines. Let the drag slip on the hookset. At times you will rip the jig right out of a fish with a big Bassmasters hookset.

7- go to a live bait rig and that will allow you to wait on the fish to get the bait mouthed.

As far as plastics I find that you need to hit them right away. I have tried scents, dips and the Gulp and Power lines and the fish will not hang onto the plastics as long as live bait. Therefore I cross their eyes on 1st feel.

With bigger plastics I almost always use a stinger hook.

One good things about the plastics is some of the most fierce hits I get in the fall are on bigger plastics.

Power Pogies, Bassassasin paddle tails, Berkley Power shiners, Zoom Flukes, tube jigs, Northland Mimic Minnows, Super Doos and ring worms are just a few I like to use.

I havent noticed a big difference in numbers of hits with scents. The fish do hold onto the baits a bit longer once you get a hit though if the plastics are scented.

[musky hunter]

All good replies. In my estimation,the sharp hook, and hooking the minnow in the mouth, out the gill plate, and back through the body is key. Unless the fish are extremely negative you shouldn't need a stinger hook. (I do not like stingers because they snag up a lot). Second, hook set technique is vital. I use Power Pro or Fireline with a short flourocarbon leader. I ALWAYS have the line between my index finger and middle finger during a retrieve. That way, I can feel the hit long before I see the hit, and can feel hits I'd never see. It's my eyes and ears of the rod, I don't even have to be watching to know I have a hit, and the hook set has become a conditioned reflex. It isn't a problem with biters that nearly yank the ploe out of my hand, it's the light hits that only transmit through the line that I feel with the fingers. Then, the hook set needs be nothing more than a quick flex of the wrist. With Power Pro, only about 6" of rod tip movement is necessary to set the hook. It doesn't take much, but it has to be quick. It also takes a high modulus graphite rod.

[markkstanley]

Quick set but you don't need to do much like musky hunter said. I also start reeling as I lift making sure no slack gets in the line. Takes a little practice to reel while you set but with braid/flouro setup it is worth learning. My miss ratio dropped a lot especially with plastics. And I am a line watcher. Any little change in the line and I set. At night I am trolling for pigs not jigging so I am no help there.

[Mike Walerak]

Well said Northlander, I would first try to downsize the jig, next give the fish a few seconds to take in the bait. third I would use a stinger.

I have faced this same situation on fall walleyes. My typical fall presentaion is to cast out and slowly drag the jig in along bottom giving it few hops and rests along the way. Many times a simple delayed hookset will result in more hookups.

mw

[Dave B]

With the fireline, you should be able to feel everything. If you feel ticking something that is like non-constant pressure, then wait. When you feel solid weight, just lift the rod tip in a smooth sweeping motion. You can rip the hook right out if you set too hard w/ fireline.

I do this w/ lindy rigs too, there is no reason to set the hook right away-the fish wants to eat, dont worry about them spitting out bait until they actually start doing it. Sometime when you put some pressure (put a little bend on your rod), they will grab on harder-then you have them.

Try it!

[Big Julie]

I fish with a good friend who is a very good fisherman and a guide.

Last weekend again, he substantially outfished me.

I have always tried to feel for the fish to hit then begin moving off with the jig. He hits them right away.

When he misses a fish he aggressively jigs and usually the fish comes back and hits it again and he gets them.

I asked him about this style and he said 'just what do you think is happening down there?

He explained:

The fish inhales the jig and minnow and usually has it fully in it's mouth (he likes his minnows on the small side) and if you hesitate, it can spit it out like a sunfish with a jig.

I have begun to try to emulate his technique.

Hit them immediately upon feeling the bite.

No doubt when the fish get more aggressive they hang on and you can hardly shake them off.

That is later.

[CALVINIST]

Thanks for all the input. I'm going to spool up with mono, and jig with that for awhile and see if I'm not pulling the jig out of the mouth with the superline. If I still cannot connect, i'll experiment with delayed hookset a bit. Sooner or later, I'm sure I'll find what works best and stick with it.

[slick814]

Have the same problem during the later part of the season.

I give it line for a few seconds, (s - 10 count) then reel in a little slack and set the hook. Don't miss many, unless they aren't taking in the bait fully. Unlike some others, I prefer a little bigger jig and bigger minnow, so sometimes you need to give them an extra couple of seconds. When I find that my bait is getting bit behind the hook, I add on a sstinger, hook one of the trebles into the back behind the dorsal fin, and then work it the same way. Don't have any problems with the stinger getting hung up, and have caught a lot of fish on the stinger when the bite was lite.

[CrappieJohn]

Going to the s,mallest jig weight that will still get hits is important. Personally I find little need for the braids if you are fishing less than 40 feet of water. A premium fluorocarbon has very little stretch and will serve the same purpose. My hookset, incidently, is immediate and like Mark, the reel is turning as I hit it.

[PerchJerker]

I think the rod / line combination is the biggest thing to feeling what's going on on the other end. Some guys swear by Fireline for jigging, I swear at it. Personally I get way more fish jigging with mono, and I hit them as soon as I feel them. Not all monos are created equal either, certain lines like Stren (aka Stretch) will feel different than other lines like Berkely Transition.

I'd switch to mono and see what that does for you. At times I use stinger hooks and I catch a lot of fish just on the stinger. Another tip is to open the gap of your hook slightly, and point it off slightly to one side -- usually results in better hookups. Good luck.

[CALVINIST]

Well, since switching my jigging stick to mono, I am definitely turning more fish . What I have been doing is this, once I feel the "thunk" of a fish, I pause for just a fraction of a second, then set the hook. Still need to fish more with mono to confirm, but I believe I have yanking the jig out of fishies mouth with superlines .

[CrappieJohn]

Perch has hit on another issue here. A balanced outfit will do a lot to get you fish! Even then you may need a couple different ones to adapt to changing conditions.

When I look to balance a rig, I start by looking at what the heavist jig ever used might be, and then go to the other end of the weight spectrum. I reduce the heavy end by an 1/16 ounce, maybe even an 1/8, and then have the rod weight.

The action of the rod is very important. I prefer a fairly fast rod with about the top 1/4 possessing the loose tip, then prompt stacking of flex to give a solid hook-set. A rod designed for trolling bait will likely be too soft for good hooking with jigs.

Next is length consideration. A rod of 6 to 6'6" is good for me, some people prefer longer, some shorter.

Then I add a reel that offers immediate anti-reverse and the capability to handle six pound line and has a retrieve of about 5.3 to 6.3 to one ratio.

Now the line.

Properly balanced equipment using a premium mono or a fluoro will be almost as sensitive down to 35-40 feet when vertical jigging.

One of the tricks is to keep the line used as light in weight as possible and as limp as possible . You will get the best jig response with the lightest line and on the limpest line, your jig will hang straight under the jig's weight with no coiling from line memory.

You have to do some shopping and thinking about what line will best work for you. I fish pools 4 and 5 of the big river and use 4 and 6 pound line. Trilene XL works well for mosy applications as does the Vanish in the same weights. I don't use the hybred monos simply because I have found little need to use any other lines than these that I just mentioned.