I need some help. What are some thoughts on getting a good hook set on light line. I fished Hawkins and put some 8 lb test on since during pre-fishing the weekend before I was seeing fish on the depthfinder but getting no bites (using 12 & 14 lb). I got some bites in the same spot but broke off the first one, loosened my drag some more and couldn't get the hook through the worm enough to stick the bass on the other ones. I used 1.0, thin wire, wide gap hooks with a 4" worm. Tell me what I am doing wrong rather than just being piss-poor fisherman. Thanks in advance.

dont use a hard forceful hookset... accelerate fast, but start slow. imagine using your trolling motor and just moving up the speeds, from 1-2-3-4-5 ect, its all about constant pressure, that puts the hook in. i use 8lb mono and 10lb braid with this fassion.

KUJO,

I had not thought of accelerating through the hook set rather than one or two hard sets. I will give that a try next time out. Thanks

Just a thought.
The sensitivity of the light line may be allowing you to feel more bites and feeling the bite sooner. Give yourself a mental 2 count when you feel the bite on light line and then set the hook.
A good rod with a limber tip is also key in using light line. You can still set the hook well enough for a positive hook-up but make sure your not doing it too soon.

My suggestions would be to create a pocket in the worm by pushing it through first then pull it back and re-rig it. Then the worm could penetrate into the fish's mouth easier. Make sure you have sharp hooks also, check them on your thumb nail by lightly scratching the surface,if it digs in easily then you are good to go. The appropriate drag should be set so you won't break it on the hook set because sometimes we forget what we are doing in the heat of the moment. Everyone that reads this might need a refresher on checking their drag on every reel that they use because the drag can stick sometimes. I try to pull some drag before I throw a different reel just to make sure that it is set for the specific bait that you are using.

Maybe consider trying that drop shot thing! If you are not fishing around cover, nose hook the worm leaving the hook exposed. When you feel bite, simply raise rod and start reeling at same time. If you are fishing brush or trees, you can bring hook thru worm then just "skin hook" the point back inside(much like a Tx. rig). The skin hook system requires a little more pressure while raising the rod, but not much. I recently arrived in Tx. from Las Vegas. Drop shot'in worked great on Lake Mead and has caught me several fish over 5Lbs. here in Centeral Tx. Good Luck.

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