I have fished with several different people over the past couple weeks and noticed all of them set the hook at a different time when TX rigging soft plastics. Just curious if yall set the hook during the first few taps, pause after the taps a few seconds, or wait to feel tention or see line movement after the taps. I have always gently raised the rod tip to feel tention before setting the hook but may be missing more fish this way. What are your thoughts.

well, actually, i am battling with that myself. i tend to do what you are saying. if i set the hook and nothing is there, i will start setting the hook as soon as i feel the bump. other times i let them run with it a little. i sort of let them dictate it. sometimes the bump is them picking it up. other times the bump you feel may be them spitting it out. if they are biting good, pull the trigger.

The first tap is the bass sucking it in, and the second tap is him spitting it out . . . don't wait too long.

But seriously, I tend to let them run with it a couple of seconds.

Go to You Tube and watch some video of "bass eating _______" (trout, mice, lizards, snakes, frogs, anything). They always inhale even some big prey, so it's hard to believe they would have any trouble getting a plastic worm in on the first try.

I set the hook with a tx. rig worm or a jig immediately.

Only exception is when the fish are pecking at the bait a few times before eating it. Once this happens several times and I come back with nothing or half a worm, I will wait until I'm sure the fish has it.

Carolina rig, I usually wait until I feel the fish a little before setting the hook. Reason is, fish will often hit your weight, numerous times before finding the bait trailing the weight and eating it.

On those fish that I raise up on and they are swimming off with my bait, I set the hook as fast as I can. Many times if the fish feels pressure it will blow the bait out before you can drop and crack the whip.

I know it is cliche', but let the fish and the bite tell you how to set the hook on any given day. Then crack that whip!

Oh, one other thing and it may be my imagination. But Florida bass on pressured lakes will inhale and blow your bait out faster than a cat can....well you know.

As soon as I feel the first tap, I quickly reel up my slack (if there is any) and set the hook. In my opinion most bass, at least keeper size bass, don't "nibble" on their food. They inhale it. I don't wait because I want to slam the hook into them before they can figure out that something isn't right and spit it out.

I may miss some fish that would have come back and "taken" the bait if I had waited, but in my opinion not nearly as many as I will miss if I start pulling on my line...and the fish...to "see if he is there".

Hooksets are free, and if I feel anything that I even think might be a fish I'm ripping lips.

Ill start off by setting the hook on the first tap after ive reeled up my slack. But if I start missing fish ill let them take it longer and wait til I can feel the fishes weight.

I am interested in hearing others thoughts on this as well.

I always have set the hook as soon as I feel a tap or bump. It always seems when I second guess myself and dont set the hook right away I miss more fish. I always thought one of two things will happen: first being they will bite it and you dont have much time before they figure out its a FAKE, two would be they bit it out of some type of defense or reaction and were going to blow it back out and I better set the hook quick.

Then again there are a lot more people on this forum with much more experience than myself so this is just IMO if ya know what I mean.

Compared to others, I'd probably be considered slow on the hookset for T-rigs. When I feel the tap, I reel down to them, and then execute a strong sweeping hook set. It might be bad habit, but I've just always had more success that way.

But, for the times when my line starts moving, I'm a lot quicker with the hookset b/c I know that they have the worm in their mouth.

Hooksets are free cross there eyes when you first feel the bump.

Ditto. My goal is a maximum of 2 seconds between first feel and hook set, preferably less. If I start whiffing 'em, I'll force myself to slow down.

Ive always waited, sometimes i feel as if i wait a little too long. As mentioned above, id say about 90 percent of the time a bass that is big enough to be eating your bait will completely inhale it, and swim. In colder weather ive had them suck it in, and sit there. You dont know what happened until you lift the rod tip.
Its just like choosing how fast to retrieve your rat-l-trap or what color to use. Let the fish tell you whats going on.

For soft plastics, I let the rod load a little before I set the hook. Most of the time I believe they actually still think it's food when they first pick it up with all the salt, garlic or whatever flavor is on the plastic. I give them time to position it in thier mouth before they get ready to swallow it.

Jigs and hard stuff I set quickly because I can't believe it seems natural to them and they're more likely to spit it out quickly.

do like bill dance.....keep your drag loose, wait until your rod is bent double and let it rip.....thought i would throw that in the mix...

I rarely set the hook on anything other than underwater obstructions, such as a stump, other old fishing line, or a rock.

I had a guy tell me that fishermen will miss @ 80% of bites they didn't know about. I try and set the hook as soon as I feel it. I also heard that fish don't have hands and if they're playing with it, it's in their mouth.