Watching Tim Dotson's Strike Cam Video post...

[Caudawg]

That was a great post by Tim Dotson! Here it is in case you haven't seen this thread.
http://www.westernbass.com/forum/strike ... 84931.html

Watching a video like this really makes you think. Why did some of those followers not bite? Why didn't some of them that DID bite not get hooked? What does it take to increase your chances of a hook-up?
I've personally found that every little thing I can do can help increase that hook-up ratio helps including:

1. Using fiberglass rods for reaction baits because their softer action offers less immediate resistance to a lure being retrieved. A bass can essentially suck that lure in from a small distance. Whereas with a stiffer graphite rod there is more resistance and less "give" to a lure being retrieved and a bass can't suck it in from a distance (i'm talking inches).

2. Keeping your hands clean and free of gas & oil residue when handling the lures.

3. Adding scent surely can't hurt

4. Retrieval methods can be adjusted to be faster, slower, stop and go plus purposely ricocheting the bait off of structure. Or ripping it through vegetation or at least "ticking" the vegetation.

5. Change out factory hooks- I often change out my hooks to higher quality trebles with a round bend. Many hard baits are now coming out with high quality hooks but when they don't...it really can help by changing them out with Owner, Gamakatsu or VMC hooks.

What else do you guys do to increase your hook up ratio?

[gabuelhaj]

What else do you guys do to increase your hook up ratio?

Bo James did some videos on his nutech jig styles and weed guards to increase hooking those jig fish.

Good luck!

[Burke]

John,

Your list of "must do" items are exactly the same things that I do. For me, the most important item is to change out "stock" stuff for higher quality stuff if the lure doesn't come with the higher quality stuff. Besides hooks, I also change out the split rings. If the lure has a split ring for tying my line, I change the round split ring to an oval split ring. I've also gone with 4x hooks so that I don't want to lose any hook-ups because the hook straightened out. In the 10+ years that I've been changing to higher quality split rings and hooks, I have never lost a fish due to split ring or hook failure.

I use the "stop n go" retrieve. I've been doing it for years and it's so automatic that I don't think I can do a steady retrieve. Depending upon the lure I'm using, I change the pace of my "stop n go".


Burke

[Caudawg]

Burke, your post reminded me of changes I make to Zara Spooks. I add round split rings to them to allow the trebles to swing more freely. It also helps prevent the hooks from getting leveraged against the bait by a hooked fish and in my opinion keeps them on the hook better than without adding the split rings. The hooks hang a bit lower as a result of this addition and I believe it increases the chances of a hook up by bass that take a half-hearted swipe at the bait.