After watching ultimate match fishing and a few other shows, I noticed that Biffle sets the hook at 12:00 or straight up. I usually sweep or 2-3:00. Any one else set the hook this way? I don't recall seeing him miss many fish.

Probably cause he is usually fishing jigs or something like that and often is fishing close in.Gets them in the roof of the mouth with that hook set.

on a very similar topic, I recently bought some of his football jigs with the free swinging hook. I have missed 7 fish on this. The jig head is getting in the fish's mouth, but no hook-up. Any tips on preventing this? Maybe the 12:00 hook set would do the trick.

The last fish of the night on Wednesday, I set the hook twice, then thought I'd give it one more tug just to make sure. Broke off a 5lb-ish fish on Eagle Mountain.

He is probably setting the hook straight up to get the fish up and out of the heavy cover when flipping. If you set the hook sideways you are pulling the fish sideways or down into the cover.. The goal is to get the fish heading up and out.

Are you slow cranking it the way Tommy originally designed the bait to fish or a slow presentation on the bottom? Either way, I've been fishing these since they were just prototypes and have never had any issues other than just mistakes I make either waiting too long or not waiting enough. If you haven't tried slow cranking it with a Biffle Bug or Salt Flick'R trailer, you are missing out!! DISCLAIMER - I am on the Gene Larew Pro Staff so may be a little biased, but just ask anyone who has tried these Hard Heads fished that way...Tommy won back to back events last year (1 BASS and 1 PAA) by fishing the hard head with a Sooner Run colored Biffle Bug. ESPN did a great story when the televised the Sooner Run event.

i've been getting bites by flipping, then hopping. they hit it after a few hops on the pause. I've used the flick'r and different creature baits.

New lines don't stretch much.