I have a bad habit of reeling in line then setting the hook. I think it is because I feel the bass swimming with the bait so I think it is already hooked so I start reeling then the line goes slack. Or I set the hook to early and I never hook it. It seems i only have this problem in my kayak but when im on a boat or on the bank im just fine maybe because siting down has somthing to do with it. Last weekend on Dunlap I would of had a good day but I missed a lot of fish and I usually do every trip and I'm getting tired of it. I think My friend is starting to think I'm just feeling the bottom or some structure or thinking I'm making it up but I know the difference and I know when it's a fish. One other thing when a bass tangles you up in brush what do y'all do because last weekend on Dunlap I had a good fish on and I felt it fighting but it never jumped but then it got tangled in brush so after a while of trying to get it free I just let it go slack and when I reeled the lure just came out like nothing so it had to be a fish. So if y'all have any advice for either I would appreciate it. Thanks this is somthing I also posted in the bass section so y'all might have already seen it.

Change hooks. Mabey try braid also. It has more feel.

I may have just missed it in your post, but what kind of lure are you using? Is it one type of lure that your having this issue on, or all lures? Sometimes, depending on the lure.. like crank bait or lures that use treble hooks it seems they just hook themselves... like I said, sometimes.

Take your wife fishing with you, she will school you on how to catch fish. Oh, wait, that was me and my wife.

Sounds like you're fishing soft plastics. If so try a little more weight, the new nail weights are wonderful, will help keep the belly out of the line.

Also, when I experience that problem I almost always find out I'm in the middle of little fish, probably perch. try downsizing your hook and see what happens. The suggestion to go to braid is right on but be careful, there ain't no stretch in braid. You can tear their mouth out with a big hook set.

I buy Mustad hooks for making my lures from Barlows and they are great, but I also buy Gamakatsu Fishing Hooks for my soft baits.

Barlows

If fishing soft plastics slow on the bottom you could be feeling it drag. Even if you are anchored the kayak can drift to the side and causing you the feeling of something picking up your bait.

What type of line are you using?

There could be any number of reasons as mentioned above.
A good rod that has a sensitive tip but some backbone to drive a hook into the fishes mouth. Most any premium fishing line nowdays is going to get the job done but the braided lines have no stretch and are great for driving a hook home. Also as mentioned are hooks and the size of the hook that can make a difference also.
Baits can also be a cause if the bait is too big and small fish may just be nipping at the tail of the bait such as bluegill or crappie.
I'm familiar with Dunlap and it has a large population of monster size bluegills and they will drive you nuts grabbing the tail of a worm.
Usually you will end up setting the hook and either have the worm balled up on the hook or the tail missing.
Try downsizing you're baits and see what happens.

i think its harder to set the hook in a kayak
think of how much you move around with this action

I have found that after kayak fishing for several years now that my preference for rod power has gone from medium/medium heavy for most applications to medium heavy/heavy. This comes from the act of setting the hook in a kayak.

Between the low angle to the water's surface and the less than fixed platform that the kayak provides, I found myself losing a lot of fish after the hookset with the softer power rods. So I made a switch to heavier actions and it helped. I could have went to braid and solved the problem too, but other line types that I tried in the past didn't work out for me. So I stick with P-Line CXX for everything.

I can have same problem sometimes but for me it's usually a combination of wind or me adjusting my kayak with my paddle while I have my line out. For the most part though I don't have a problem. And after losing my net and fishing without one for awhile I realized how valuable a net is. Without it I found myself really having to wear the fish out before I brought them close otherwise they would throw the hook. A net makes it so much easier. And now that they sale the quick collapsing nets made for kayaks I dont ever have to worry about it being in my way!

Also learned my lesson from losing the old net. My new one now has about a 5" section of pool noodle firmly zip tied to it. Floats like a dream!

I still use a medium rod all the time. I think it has to do more with sensitivity of the rod. I caught about 30+ bass this last Sunday all on my 7' medium action Vendetta rod. Now having said this the wind was fairly light that day. Wind is really probably the #1 contributor to missed hooksets in my book. Unless you are anchored of course. But I can see your point about the heavier action rods.

Power ratings of rods vary greatly between manufacturers. My 1st gen 7' medium action Vendetta is as stiff as the heavy action Castaways that I usually use on the river, but its certainly possible that mine is mislabeled or something....

I agree with wind being an issue. That's a good point. Holding boat position in a kayak under windy conditions is hard enough, trying to do it while fighting a fish is always interesting.

pool noodles are on all my stuff too

Thanks for all the replies This problem is when I use soft plastics and I also do use braid. When I started off using braid I use to feel the bottom and think it was a bite but now I can tell the difference. I guess the problem is it just hard for me to set the hook in kayak especially because I have short arms which makes it even harder. I also think I just get to excited and dont set the hook hard enough I also just started using a net which I love.

I also just want to say thanks to all of y'all who have replied because when I post a question in the bass section it seems no one ever replies so thanks Again!