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Another hook setting advantage?

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Mangrove Cuckoo
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Another hook setting advantage?

#1

Post by Mangrove Cuckoo »

This past weekend I hooked then lost three very nice snook. One was very large, maybe the largest I have ever hooked, if not, definitely the best I have seen in a long while.

All three were hooked on lures not flies. In fact, while I had a very good day numbers wise, I caught not one fish on fly... all day! I do not believe that has ever happened before. The problem seemed to be that there was a massive "hatch" of very tiny baitfish. The fish in the shallows were going crazy gorging on the fry, and even the smallest fly I had was simply too large, or something.

What ever was the problem, after a frustrating morning of complete failure i simply stowed the fly gear and went off to explore unfamiliar deeper waters. That is when i stumbled upon a situation that was, up to then, an unknown bonanza that i have been passing by for like 20 years.

I used lures to investigate (tired of fly casting), and when many smaller fish threw the hook i really did not care as then i did not have to handle them. The first two of the big snook also threw the hooks. Gee... maybe the hooks should be checked?

Here is the deal. I have replaced all the treble hooks on my lures with single in-line ones. The replacements are larger, stouter, and not stainless. So the points rust, dull, and are tough to sharpen... if and when you bother. So how come I missed the last monster after sharpening? I had changed lures and did not check the second one. (Smack head!)

So... what has any of this to do with flyfishing?

It made me realize something. When those first two better fish ate I really did try to put the steel to them. Lifting the rod hard (spinning tackle) only resulted in making the drag slip. Tighten drag and it slips again. In fact, to lock the drag tight enough to where it won't slip when setting the hook on big hard jawed fish would probably result in a broken line when the now well hooked fish runs away against that drag!

Fly fishing, and strip setting with little rod cushioning, and a straight line between the hook point and the hand, does not suffer from this conundrum.
With appreciation and apologies to Ray Charles…

“If it wasn’t for AI, we wouldn’t have no I at all.”
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Willy Franzen
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Re: Another hook setting advantage?

#2

Post by Willy Franzen »

I rarely spin fish, but occasionally a guide that my Dad and I fish with takes us fish for big tarpon under bridges. He doesn’t want to lose fly lines, so we use spinning rods. He always reminds us to just keep reeling and to not set the hook with the rod. It seems to work pretty well—but I’m sure he has his drags dialed in just right.
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Paul Arden
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Re: Another hook setting advantage?

#3

Post by Paul Arden »

You make it sound like I should never miss a snakehead, Gary :D

Incidentally speed of retrieve is another big difference too. Bernd did a lot of studies on this and has a stripping technique that is excellent exercise, assuming your arms don’t fall off. But fly size is probably the reason of course.

Sounds like fun!

Cheers, Paul
It's an exploration; bring a flyrod.

Flycasting Definitions
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SevenWeight
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Location: Western Desantistan (Homosassa FL, USA)

Re: Another hook setting advantage?

#4

Post by SevenWeight »

Willy Franzen wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:47 am I rarely spin fish, but occasionally a guide that my Dad and I fish with takes us fish for big tarpon under bridges. He doesn’t want to lose fly lines, so we use spinning rods. He always reminds us to just keep reeling and to not set the hook with the rod. It seems to work pretty well—but I’m sure he has his drags dialed in just right.
Are you spin fishing with lures or live bait? What you describe sounds like the generally accepted technique for hooking fish with circle hooks used with live bait. The hook tends to embed in the fish’s jaw cartilage/lips for easy release.
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Willy Franzen
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Re: Another hook setting advantage?

#5

Post by Willy Franzen »

SevenWeight wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 3:11 am
Willy Franzen wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 2:47 am I rarely spin fish, but occasionally a guide that my Dad and I fish with takes us fish for big tarpon under bridges. He doesn’t want to lose fly lines, so we use spinning rods. He always reminds us to just keep reeling and to not set the hook with the rod. It seems to work pretty well—but I’m sure he has his drags dialed in just right.
Are you spin fishing with lures or live bait? What you describe sounds like the generally accepted technique for hooking fish with circle hooks used with live bait. The hook tends to embed in the fish’s jaw cartilage/lips for easy release.
We were using soft plastic shrimp lures. I have no idea what the hooks were. Been a few years…
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