TackleTour

When setting the hook using a jig do you set the hook straight up or across. Say you hold the rod with your right hand and reel with your left. Do you set the hook with the rod to your right shoulder or bring it across to your left shoulder. Im throwing 3/8oz jig with trailer on mh xfast rod with braid and flouro leader. And lost a couple of fish yesterday. I think im not setting the hook hard enough as i was just setting the hook straight up.

I set it across.

Sort of off topic, but I think your problem may be your rod+line. Using an x-fast action rod and braid together means that you will set the hook almost immediately when they bite it since braid has 3% or so stretch max and an extra fast tip doesn't have much "give". I think you can picture what is happening when they bite it in your head. They bite the jig, but there is no give. The fish can't take the jig because they are almost directly fighting a stiff tip of the x-f rod. When you set the hook, there is not much room to work with and the jig ends up hooking him thinly or on the very outside of their mouth. Of course, there are exceptions to this and that's why some fish end up getting hooked nicely.

I sold my x-fast rod for a fast action rod with a softer tip and the hook up / landed fish ratio has increased majorly. I am using braid btw.

Afrayedknot wrote:I set it across.

Sort of off topic, but I think your problem may be your rod+line. Using an x-fast action rod and braid together means that you will set the hook almost immediately when they bite it since braid has 3% or so stretch max and an extra fast tip doesn't have much "give". I think you can picture what is happening when they bite it in your head. They bite the jig, but there is no give. The fish can't take the jig because they are almost directly fighting a stiff tip of the x-f rod. When you set the hook, there is not much room to work with and the jig ends up hooking him thinly or on the very outside of their mouth. Of course, there are exceptions to this and that's why some fish end up getting hooked nicely.

I sold my x-fast rod for a fast action rod with a softer tip and the hook up / landed fish ratio has increased majorly. I am using braid btw.

Im using a Kistler 6'9" helium 3 mh xf and the tip is pretty soft for xfast and I figured the mh will have some give compared to a heavy action. I was actually dropping my rod and waiting for the line to move then set. I also noticed a couple of times the hook fell right off once I flipped the fish in. I think I will try setting across and harder. Im use to fishing jerk baits and cranks and not use to the hard hook sets.

I set the hook across as well, but I use my body if that makes any sense.

How are you losing the fish? Are you not getting hooked up or are they popping off after you fight them for a few seconds, jump, ect?

With jigs, I hookset immediately after I feel the bite, whether it be a thump or a tick or two. It's usually automatic after you feel a tick with a jig. I also don't wait a second or 2 like I do with t-rigs.

I set the hook going across but step back with back foot so I can use my body more.

I fish my 3/8 jigs either on a 7'1 medium fast rage with twelve floro in rocks and light brush or on a 7 fast mh avid with 17lb floro in heavier cover. I find that I lose fish with jigs either if I do not set hard enough or if I do not wait a little. I find that with trigs if i am using a worm that longer then 6 inches i will wait a second or two then set the hook but with creature baits I set right when i feel the tick.

ogrich31 wrote:I set the hook across as well, but I use my body if that makes any sense.

How are you losing the fish? Are you not getting hooked up or are they popping off after you fight them for a few seconds, jump, ect?

With jigs, I hookset immediately after I feel the bite, whether it be a thump or a tick or two. It's usually automatic after you feel a tick with a jig. I also don't wait a second or 2 like I do with t-rigs.

Im hooking up with the fish but when im reeling it in they come off, they are not jumping and shaking the hook either.

Hookset away. YouTube some videos of jig fishing for examples.

ogrich31 wrote:Hookset away. YouTube some videos of jig fishing for examples.

yeah I did watch some videos and I think Im not swinging away like I should

suprteck wrote:

ogrich31 wrote:I set the hook across as well, but I use my body if that makes any sense.

How are you losing the fish? Are you not getting hooked up or are they popping off after you fight them for a few seconds, jump, ect?

With jigs, I hookset immediately after I feel the bite, whether it be a thump or a tick or two. It's usually automatic after you feel a tick with a jig. I also don't wait a second or 2 like I do with t-rigs.

Im hooking up with the fish but when im reeling it in they come off, they are not jumping and shaking the hook either.

Check the weed guard on your jig. Sometimes some jigs have stiffer, longer or more extra fibers on them during production.
Try to tune the weed guard on your jigs and try it again if it helps.

Sometimes it's your equipment. Sometimes it's the way the fish are biting. Sometimes it's your hookset technique.

First, make sure you have a rod that is stiff enough for the thickness of the hook on your jig. An old western pro named Rich Tauber used to show people in seminars how little pressure you are puting on the hook at the end of a long cast. Have one of your buddies walk away with your rod while you hold your jig. You will be amazed at how little pressure you feel on the jig when he is 80 feet away. It will be better with braid, but not as good as you think. As has been said, also make sure that your fiber weedguard is the correct thickness for the application and not full of paint.

Second, you will rarely catch them all, even when they are engulfing the bait. A color change will sometimes get them to take the jig deeper and allow you to boat more fish. The fish this time of year (spring) have a habit of not fully taking the jig into their mouths.

Lastly, be ready for the strike. The biggest problem that I see with hooksets is that guys are off-balance and not ready to strike. If you know that you didn't generate much power on your hookset (it happens to all of us), set the hook again during the fight. I regularly do this with casting jigs with success.

I have had similar results fishing bottom contact lures in the past. I think this video about sums it up for me! Hope this helps...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhSaf8m0Xto

thanks for the tips!
wondering if you guys set the hook with one arm or two on the rod?

suprteck wrote:thanks for the tips!
wondering if you guys set the hook with one arm or two on the rod?

One hand on the reel handle, one hand on the rod for me.

facelessnewsouth wrote:

suprteck wrote:thanks for the tips!
wondering if you guys set the hook with one arm or two on the rod?

One hand on the reel handle, one hand on the rod for me.

Yep....length of line out, type of line, size of hook, water temp (ie, aggressively biting/swallowing fish vs light pick up). I always trim back the weedguard and spread it out in a "V" pattern every time before using. Braid works better for long hooksets (like when you are casting more so than pitching), however certain fluoros transmit much better on a slack line short to med ranges.

FWIW, I sweep with lighter powered rods and light finesse type hooks on any type jig/tube/plastic...and on others, I am able to set plenty hard and effectively with a short "wrist torque" + arm lift while using my hips for additional torquing, usually to the side and upwards, but it really depends on where my rod angle is at when the fish hits. Trust me when I say that I have snapped off 20lb test leaders on short - med line lengths setting hook this way because of the "snap" of the technique (kinda like a small circle upper cut with a rod/reel if you will ).

I have never personally understood why some of these vids show guys literally jumping out of their shoes to set a jig fish? But to each their own as it makes for good TV.

Good luck.

So today I went out and threw a jig most of the day and didnt lose any more fish. So I guess all I needed to do was set the hook harder.