Hooking fish while dropshotting

[Kentuck]

Out on the delta a couple of weeks ago I lost two fish while dropshotting. When I first tried dropshotting the person I was with told me not to set the hook but to just load the rod and the fish would hook itself. I did that and lost two fish. The second one I actually let it swim away before I loaded up. Is this the proper way to "set the hook" while drop shotting?

Kentuck

[rexford]

Depends on what type of hook your using. A circle hook
you should avoid setting on. Thats why I gave em up

[Dewayne]

Just reel down till the rod starts to load then a load the rod with without jerking a hook set.

Of course there are some plastics that do require a firmer set. Also using too big a hook can prevent getting goog hook penetration with a load hook set.

[Ron C]

If I am dropshotting with my worm nose hooked on a dropshot hook, I simply (and quickly) reel into the fish. However, If my worm is rigged weedless (as I usually do at the Delta or Clear Lake), I hit 'em, just like I do with a Texas Rig or splitshot rig.

[Dan McKenzie]

Kentuck,
I have had many tell me not to set the hook, for whatever reason that just didn't work for me. I use a sweeping hook set instead of
the more traditional lift up. I find a lot of fish get stuck inside the roof of their mouth if you just reel up/lift up, any slack and that fish is off. With a sweep it seems to move the hook into the fleshy jaw part where the hook gets much better penetration.

[Kentuck]

*NM*

[Jason C.]

With me, I show no mercy. I lay into the the same way I would with a jig or anything else. I have only had about three come unbuttoned during the fight. And I have caught alot of drop-shot fish. I use a little red Gamagatsu Octopus hook. Hope this helps.

[kazk]

For the last three years my son and I have gone to using the Owner Mutu Lite modified circle hook. We have not had any fish throw the hook in three years. Our hook sets are non-existent. For the 4" baits we ust the sixe 6 on the 6" or 8" worms we use the sixe 4. If we use a creature bait like a lizard we go to a size 1. using 5# maxima ultra green at 50 to 60 feet we have not lost a fish because of a spit hook. Only lost fish is when we do a dumb thing and break off.

Chris Koda

[Steve]

I always nose hook a bait if I can, but in many lakes you encounter situations where you need to texas rig your dropshot bait. Oroville is a great example. Its a royal pain in the butt to have to retie a dropshot everytime you want to go from a nose hook to a texas rig (unless somebody can tell me how to t-rig a circle or octopus). Ive played around alot at solving this problem, and Ive found the perfect hook thats works well with nose hooking and t-rig for worms up to 6 inches. Not only that, im convinced the hooking percentage is as high as it gets. Heres the hook

http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpage-GOGL.html

I use it in size 1 or 1/0. It only takes two seconds to re-rig the worm from nose hook to t-rig.

With nose hook, just a reel set with a slight jerk upwards works for me. With t-rig, the slight jerk is slightly harder and comes a little quicker after starting the reel set. Hope that makes sense.

[photon]

I use a pretty flimsy rod to DS, and I've noticed that if I try a "hook set", I don't get much hook penetration.

But, if I reel 4-5 times real fast to load the rod, then give it a little pop set, I almost never loose a fish(knock on wood). I use a #1 fine wire worm hook.

[Steve]

I forgot to mention this. I always miss dropshot fish if I rear back and set the hook. Mechanically, Ive always asked why. Best as I can figure is that a strong hookset jerks your weight up, and then it falls back down. And somehow the weight flapping around like that causes missed fish, maybe it even pulls the hook out when it falls back down. Something like that anyway.

[Marc]

...for all conditions.

There are just too many considerations to lump all situations into a single hookset style. I decide how to set the hook first and foremost by the style of hook I am using and how I am rigging it in the lure. I also consider the type and size of line I am using. The objective is to get your hook point to grab as quickly as possible, and then receive enough force to penetrate past the barb. The thicker the hook wire, the more force will need to be applied. The longer and/or bigger the barb, the more force will be needed.

With a 4" dropshot worm, I like to use a #4 Gamakatsu dropshot hook, and nose hook it. Since this hook is very thin in cross-sectional diameter, and has a tiny barb, simple and firm pressure is all that is necessary to get it to penetrate and hold. The best way to accomplish this is when pressure is felt, reel quickly until you take out all stretch in your line and rod tip (so your rod is fully loaded). After that, the struggle of the bass is enough to cause this hook to penetrate and hold. On the other hand, if you were fishing this rig in deep water, or on a long cast, and then felt pressure and used a typical hookset, you may just stretch your line and rod tip and never apply the amount of pressure necessary to cause barb penetration.

The closer your lure is to the boat, the less success you will have with a reel-hookset, and you should consider using a quick hookset instead. At all times you need to assess how you will take up all slack, line stretch, and rod stretch so you can get hook penetration, without exceeding the breaking strength of the line. This is where experience and paying attention to detail makes a huge difference in your landing success.

If you are using a larger hook, or rig your worm weedless (Texas style), you are better off reeling until your rod is fully loaded, and then using a standard hookset. This assumes you are also using heavier line that will allow you to drive the steel into bone.

Circle hooks do not do well with traditional hooksets because the sudden jerk doesn't allow the hookpoint to grab and hold flesh or bone. A slow, gradual and steady force is needed to allow the circle hook to catch, turn, and penetrate fully in the corner of the mouth as it is engineered to work.

I think in general it makes sense to set your drag so your line will slip just before reaching the breaking point on a hard hookset. This gives you the insurance you need so you can load up your rod and line and then set the hook, without breaking your line.

[Kentuck]

*NM*

[Jason C.]

Steve,
I use those octopuss hooks and I do texas rig my Robo Worm with it. Its not to hard. The only thing is, is that after a few fish you have to either A) Bite the tip off and re set it. Or B) just keep slideing it back up every few cast. All you really need to do is get put the hook in and about 1/4 inch down the hook or into the worm just slide it out pushit up past the eye, knot and the tag and it should be good. I always use 10 pound telst flourocarbon and a red Gamagatsu Octopuss hook with a 1/4oz weight. Try it..I think youll like it.