Technique: Hooksets

[Don Wittenberger]

Performing the hookset properly is crucial because you may go many hours or days between strikes and you don't want to lose a fish because you didn't hook it.

The #1 rule is SHARPEN YOUR HOOKS! Hooks on new lures aren't sharp enough out of the box. File your hooks to a chisel point, not a needle point. It's sharp enough if it sticks when you drag it across a fingernail. A small flat file is ideal for this task.

It's difficult to set the hook if your rod tip is pointing straight at the lure. At the beginning of your retrieve, point the rod tip at the water and to the side. To set the hook, sweep the rod up and sideways. This gives you good leverage and the rod tip will end up where you want it to be when you begin fighting the fish -- high, and with a good bend in the rod. I set two or three times, because you don't always hook them on the first try.

Finally, a word about setting hooks on figure-8 fish. There are two schools of thought about this. 1) Tighten the drag and engage the spool. 2) Disengage the spool and clamp your thumb firmly on the spool. As for me, I trust my thumb more than any drag ever made. When you hook a fish on a figure-8, you've got only a couple feet of line and leader between the rod tip and fish, so let the fish take a few yards of line to give yourself some fighting room.