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TIMING IS EVERYTHING!
Some thoughts on when to set the hook.
By: Greg
Brush
Seasoned salmon fishermen, as a whole, are an
opinionated bunch. It seems that "their way" is the
"only way" and that's that! Worse yet, gather
around a group of professional salmon fishing
guides, and you are likely to witness a discussion
to rival any presidential debate. If the
conversation isn't heated enough for you, throw a
little gas on the fire by asking the seemingly
simple question "When do you set the hook on a
salmon?" Now, just stand back and watch the
fireworks!
After participating in several of these
monumental discussions myself, I came to realize
what a confusing topic this really was. Perhaps a
clearer picture can be painted by first identifying
our real objective when we attempt to set the hook.
In most cases, the fish has bit and actually hooked
itself, albeit just barely, before the act of
setting the hook ever begins. A sharp and fast jerk
on the rod ensures that the salmon will remain
hooked for the duration of the fight. The bottom
line is that our main intent is to drive the hook
deep into the salmon's mouth, hence the word
'set.'
TIMING IS EVERYTHING!
Initially, it is a relatively straightforward
and simple question: "when do you set the hook on a
salmon?" Dozens of factors ultimately interplay to
muddy the waters of what at first appears
cut-and-dry. A fisherman must take into account
each of these elements in order to hook and land
salmon on a consistent basis. The only hard and
fast rule is that the fish, not the fishermen,
dictates when to set the hook. Like so many things
in fishing, timing is everything. Set the hook too
soon, and you will take the bait away from the
fish. Wait too long to set the hook, and the fish
will surely throw the hook before you have a chance
to drive it home.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that
fishermen in general consider the hook set to be a
rather minor detail, giving it very little
forethought. After all, when you get a bite just
give your rod a jerk and reel your salmon in,
right? Ha! You, the angler, must have a plan prior
to getting a strike, or your adrenaline will surely
kick in and emotion will likely spoil your
opportunity. You must learn to 'read' the bite,
factoring in how you are fishing, where you are
fishing and what you are using, ultimately
assessing whether the time is right to set the
hook.
ALL BITES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!
Before we commence, one must realize and accept
that all species of Pacific Salmon strike
differently. The fact is, king, silver, pink, chum
and sockeye salmon are totally different beasts and
their bite will likewise differ. To complicate
matters furthermore, each individual fish within
its species will react differently to your lure or
bait. It's almost as though each salmon has his own
personality and mood. Some salmon are aggressive
and some are timid. Some are curious and some are
angry. For example, in the same day of fishing, I
have had one fish that repeatedly mouthed my bait
while another literally attempted to rip the rod
from my hands. All bites are NOT created equally,
and this is a very big part of the reason that
there are no hard and fast rules on when to set the
hook.
HOW YOU FISH
Each individual fishing method will influence
how a salmon strikes, dictating the optimum time to
set the hook. Once you realize and accept this, you
are well on your way to becoming what I call a
'thinking fisherman' rather then the typical angler
hoping to get lucky. Your odds of "hooking up" will
increase ten fold by factoring in how you fish and
anticipating how a salmon will react to your chosen
method. For example, while drift fishing from the
bank, a salmon will often just stop your bait. All
you will likely feel is a hesitation, or perhaps a
subtle tap-tap-tug. SET THE HOOK! Conversely, a
strike while back trolling from a boat will
generally start as a jolting tap-tap followed by a
solid pull on the rod. WAIT! If you set the hook at
this point, you will take the bait away from the
fish nine times out of ten! The angler must have
the self-restraint to wait until the rod is
completely down and stays down before setting the
hook. This remains one of the hardest of all
strikes to score on, as it is imperative that you
do not set the hook too soon. Sit on your hands,
count to ten or do whatever it takes to resist the
temptation to grab the rod. Plain and simple, if
you do not have a strategy prior to receiving this
type of strike, you will almost certainly jerk
early and come up empty!
WHERE YOU FISH
The particular water that you choose to fish is
also a major factor in the type of strike you will
receive. A salmon in tidal water will generally
strike much more aggressively than a fish holding
up river, since it is neither tired nor 'educated'
by fishermen who repeatedly cast to them. Likewise,
salmon in swift water will have a 'push' of current
behind them as they move off with your bait or
lure, jerking your rod down that much harder and
faster. On the other hand, when back bouncing a
slow, deep hole you can anticipate a somewhat slow,
pumping bite rather than a jerk-your-arm
out-of-the-socket type of strike. Again, the
thinking angler plans ahead and is ready at the
moment of truth!
WHAT YOU FISH
Believe it or not, even the type of lure that
you use dictates the timing of your hook set. Some
baits trigger a feeding response, thus the strike
will be somewhat gentler and dictate a hesitation
in your hook set. Other lures, such as plugs and
spinners, agitate salmon beyond control,
stimulating an aggressive response unlike no other
strike in the fishing world. These fish are out to
kill and maim this intruder, and the strike comes
hard and fast, dictating a similar response in the
fisherman's hook set. As I said earlier, each
species of salmon have their own personalities, and
each individual fish will react differently to
different lures. For example, a Coho will slurp and
munch on salmon roe for some time before eventually
moving off with it, pulling your rod down slowly
but deliberately. If you 'swing early' on this type
of strike you will come up empty every time. Back
troll a Hot Shot or K14 Kwikfish for Coho, though,
and you had better hang onto your rod! Strikes are
anything but slow, and your hook set should be
immediate upon a folded rod. Finally, throw a
spinner to a Coho and you will want to reel through
the strike until the spinner stops completely, and
then set the hook. There you have it, three
different lures- three different strikes- three
different strategies. Same fish!
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
In a simpler world, one could just count to
three before solidly setting the hook into every
fish, but as you see it isn't quite that easy.
There are no universal procedures on how and when
to set the hook, and if a fishermen sets a standard
formula that he follows every time, he will
ultimately compromise his success rate and never
reach his fishing potential.
Most fishermen have heard the old adage "ten
percent of the fisherman catch ninety percent of
the fish." This holds especially true in salmon
fishing, as a small group of select anglers put all
the pieces of the puzzle together to consistently
score. Knowing when to set the hook is perhaps the
largest piece of this proverbial puzzle, as all
other elements become irrelevant if you 'blow the
bite.' Become a thinking fisherman, consider all of
the factors in how, what and where you fish, and
learn to anticipate the strike. Finally, have a
precise game plan prior to the moment of truth and
you will undoubtedly see your success rate
skyrocket as you capitalize on nearly every
opportunity. Oh, and welcome to the ten
percent!
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS!
Rule #1- Always use the best hooks money can
buy, and keep them super sharp. Sticky hooks will
'buy' you time on a strike and drive deep easier on
the hook set. Bottom line, sharp hooks will
increase your strike-to-hook-up ratio more than any
other factor!
Rule #2- Make your hook set hard and fast, but
short. Avoid a long, sweeping hook set where the
rod ends up at a high-noon position, inviting a
slack line situation. Hit the fish only once,
unless he is coming at you and your initial hook
set felt empty.
Rule #3- Don't set the hook too early. Far more
strikes are missed by being too anxious then by
'snoozing' through the bite. In fact, hook sets are
rarely too late. If the salmon lets go of the bait
before you get to the rod, an earlier hook set
would have done nothing but yank your bait from the
fish's mouth. Sharpen your hooks, get a 'game plan'
and try again.
Rule #4- Keep your thumb off the spool! If the
drag is set correctly, and you allow the fish to
take all the stretch out of your line on the
strike, you will hear the sweet sound of "ZZZZT!"
on every hook set, which translates to the hook
burying as deep as possible and the drag of the
reel saving you from breaking off. Remember, with a
heavy thumb, even an average King Salmon can 'pop'
30 lb. test every time.
SET THE HOOK NOW!
DRIFT FISHING-If you drift fish from the bank, a
tug that feels like a 'rubber band' often signals
the magic moment. A slack line or pause in your
drift is another common strike.
BACK TROLLING-Wait for the rod to go down and
stay down when back trolling. When line begins to
peel off the drag the time is right. Remember, most
salmon are missed from a too early hook set rather
then one that's too late.
BOONDOGGING-If side drifting (boondogging) is
your method of choice, let the rod pump three or
four times. Like back trolling, fishermen have a
tendency to set too early with this technique.
BACK BOUNCING-When you are back bouncing, a good
rule of thumb is "if it taps-wait, if it tugs-hit
'em!" Basically, wait until the rod pumps and the
fish tries to pull the tip into the water.
CASTING SPINNERS- Salmon usually stop a spinner
with a dull thud. Continue reeling through the
bite, only setting the hook once the reel locks
up.
FLOAT FISHING-Every strike with a bobber will be
slightly different, but a good game plan is to not
set the hook until the float goes under, and stays
under, for several moments.
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