Setting the hook for dummies

I am a novice fisherman. I have tried for a few years but only this summer have I had success with some artificial lures. I am really interested in catching some crappie. I've got a kayak, and have hit the spillway near my house twice in the past week. I've caught a few fish, but no crappie. I think I have hooked two crappie, one each day. They both threw the hook when they got near the surface. I can't tell if I am not setting the hook hard enough, or setting it too hard. I've been very careful not to set it super hard for fear of tearing the lip. I am using a b 'n m 10ft jig pole and vertical jigging. Should I set it harder? Or if they are coming off near the surface is it from ripping the lip?

Also, for anyone in north MS, what are the crappie doing now? Spawn is over, right? I have been fishing in fairly shallow water, about 10-12 ft give or take. Will there be many crappie in the rivers/spillway or should I head to the lake?

Paper mouths they are called for a reason.I myself use the lift method rather than a sudden jerk to set the hook if I’m vertical jigging.If I am slowly swimming a jig ,fishing under a float or Using a spinner style lure,a gentle sweep has worked well for me.I have fished crappie so much,I probably miss other fish species due to too light hook sets.

A good sharp hook helps a lot. If the jig head has been snagged on something and pulled loose when bending it back into shape make sure the hook point is not over bent

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Originally Posted by Yaker

Paper mouths they are called for a reason.I myself use the lift method rather than a sudden jerk to set the hook if I’m vertical jigging.If I am slowly swimming a jig ,fishing under a float or Using a spinner style lure,a gentle sweep has worked well for me.I have fished crappie so much,I probably miss other fish species due to too light hook sets.

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About how long do I have from the strike to set the hook? It's hard not to jerk the rod up when I feel that first thump... it's a knee jerk reaction sort of, lol. Also I do use a little bit of attractant when I remember to.

A good attractant will make them “hold on” a little longer. I use a #2 hook, and that’ll usually get em in the roof of the mouth. The roof of the mouth ain’t paper, as I often need pliers to remove the hook.

Oh, and I don’t get cheated on my hooksets! I often get a little drag squeal when I set the hook. My feet do stay planted, but just barely!

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Originally Posted by electricvelvet

About how long do I have from the strike to set the hook? It's hard not to jerk the rod up when I feel that first thump... it's a knee jerk reaction sort of, lol. Also I do use a little bit of attractant when I remember to.

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How long before you set the hook, you ask ??? ..... The average reaction time for humans is 0.25 seconds to a visual stimulus, 0.17 for an audio stimulus, and 0.15 seconds for a touch stimulus. (but the "reaction" itself was not defined as movement or simple acknowledgement)

So, for me it's likely about 0.75 seconds from strike (touch stimulus) to hookset :biggrin but I'm old & slow. Seriously though, I set the hook as soon as I mentally acknowledge that a "thump" has occurred ... and I set the hook with authority (but only with my wrist and arm, and not with my whole upper torso). The only time I "sweep" the rod sideways, rather than "jerking" the rod upwards, is when I'm using braid on that particular rod ... as I let the no stretch properties of the braid and the stiffness of the rod do the "hook setting" for me. When using mono or copoly lines, that do have some stretch, and a fast action rod (or especially a med action rod), then I'll set the hook with a wrist/arm upward jerk and let the line stretch and rod bend moderate the power of my hook set.

Now, I will admit that I don't do much vertical jigging .. but even when I have, the hook set timing & speed/power have been the same as when I'm casting. I, too, have lost a few fish at the surface .... but I've also landed fish with the hook point in the fish but not beyond the barb, or with the hook "hanging" on the lip & a large hole in the membrane.

Nobody lands EVERY fish they set the hook on !! nonono

If I miss one fishing as you describe, in that depth, the jig will exit the water, but I use a very limber rod and 4# mono.

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The key for me is not allowing any slack to enter the line after bite/set. If the line goes slack they jerk the hook out.

Don't be afraid to cross his eyes setting the hook

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Originally Posted by Baitwaster

The key for me is not allowing any slack to enter the line after bite/set. If the line goes slack they jerk the hook out.

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I think this might have been a part of the first one I lost. I had a cheapo plastic junk 1:1 "reel" on the jig pole, and I couldn't adjust it for being left handed. pretty sure I gave him some slack when I went to reel him in, lol, but I did get him near the surface!



Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'll try setting the hook a little firmer and quicker. I am not sure that crappie will hold the jig in their mouth very long, like some other fish, where you want to give em a chance to really get a hold of it before you set the hook. I'll report back once I've caught a few!

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Originally Posted by electricvelvet

I think this might have been a part of the first one I lost. I had a cheapo plastic junk 1:1 "reel" on the jig pole, and I couldn't adjust it for being left handed. pretty sure I gave him some slack when I went to reel him in, lol, but I did get him near the surface!
Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'll try setting the hook a little firmer and quicker. I am not sure that crappie will hold the jig in their mouth very long, like some other fish, where you want to give em a chance to really get a hold of it before you set the hook. I'll report back once I've caught a few!

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Unless they're REALLY munching, you're right ... they won't hold the jig in their mouths for more than a split second. That's why it's imperative that you set the hook "fast", not necessarily "hard". They "can" inhale & then exhale a jig a lot faster than you can react, if it's not to their liking. :Doh:
The moment they go "thump", you go "jerk" :biggrin

(you also might consider trading out the 1:1 el cheapo for a small spinning reel) :twocents

Thump/ jerk quick, always use good hooks with good barbs. Some of the sickle hooks just do not have a good barb. You will still lose some. Just keep going!

If you're using an ultra-light rod with mono, you aren't transferring a lot of that hookset to the fish's mouth. Mono stretches and ultra light rods have a lot of bend in them. If you're using a 4# or smaller mono, then you've got even more stretch. My suggestion is to use an ultralight rod with 4# mono, set the drag so that a "keeper" fish can pull it a little bit. Then, go Bill Dance on the hookset. The drag will give before the fish's mouth does.

If you're using braid, do NOT do what I said above as braid has no stretch and the "shock" is directed right at the fish's mouth. If you're using a medium action rod, it's also not as whippy and forgiving. 10 pound braid on a medium action rod, you just need to give it a "pop" of 3 or 4 inches.

Above all, a sharp hook is important.

Quick set not hard set. A good rod will let you feel the hook set . Quick is the ticket.