so watching all the pros their hook set are SO FAST
i understand that knowing the difference in a fish or grass or brush takes experience ... sometimes that mushy feeling is a fish and sometimes its not... as time goes on with more time with that rod in your hand you start to close the gap on what is a fish and whats not much faster and your brain will tell you to set that hook...
but how often even from OLDER guys do we see guys feel something go on point and check and see if its a fish? you just don't see that with the pros.. bam no getting on point no lifting the rod tip to see if a fish is there they set that baby... do we as non pros not fish that way because we don't want to get stuck or don't want to waste tackle that we have to break off on. if tackle was free and unlimited i bet more non pros would be swinging very time too...
just a thought about how you guys think that over time your hook set becomes faster...
i have begun fishing more touneys this year for the first time... so this year i have tried to move away from going on point and rather swing away... I feel like i am catching more fish that way with a very fast hook set and not waiting around to be sure its a fish... i fish a lot of soft plastics so its not killing my wallet if i get hung and have to re tie... just seems like esp when drop shooting or texas rigging when i feel ANYTHING that could be a fish and that I am not 100% sure its rocks or brush or grass I am setting that hook and i am catching more fish this year because of it that i think in years past i would have never even known had my lure in its mouth... so just think how many fish ...BIG FISH have put your hook in their mouth and spit it out while you were uncertain.... just thoughts I'm having..
JD

A good rod and tungsten weights will also help you distinguish between rock/limb bumps and fish also.

As my buddy that I backseat with says, hook-sets are free.

Don't be scared.

Get a good rod, and line, you can feel if it's a fish or rock, brush pile, grass, you can feel anything if it thump's, tick's or the line start's to move it's a fish, set the hook,

lol i use good line and have nice custom made rods.. and use tungsten .. i am not have a hard time knowing a fish when i feel a thump or tick... but you guys can't tell me that no matter your equipment sometimes you go on point and check and see if there is a fish is there... even when you feel that thump or tick... i see almost everyone on the lake go on point and check and see if there is a fish on before they set the hook... i just have not been doing that rather setting the hook the smallest tick or mushy feel i am setting and it seems like i am catching more fish.. so it made me wonder how many fish do we get that pick up our bait.. we feel a tiny tick or get a little mushy and we go on point and see if a fish is on the line .. but in that moment the fish spits it out and we never catch them... in my experience the smaller the fish the more they tick the bigger the less you feel anything and its just mushy or you see your line swimming and never felt a thing...

I've seen it go the other way too.

Had to let them have it for a while and
the hook would barely be in their mouth.

Some of the biggest bass I've caught is when I thought to myself "was that a bite" and jerked. If it feels different, jerk!

If you pull your rod up to feel if that is a fish, you waited to long, most of the time that fish spit it out, most of all the 8-11 pound bass I have caught, I have barely felt, it's like the lightest tap, thump, pressure , or the line moving. I set the hook, if you start to do this you will find out that you will start to catch more and bigger fish, a lot of people sleep on there hook set's and wounder why they have never caught a bass over 6 lbs. those bigger fish are big for a reason, when they pick up a bait they can tell if it's real or fake, it almost seem's like you have a 5 second window.

thats exactly what I am thinking biggish and starting to find out through experience... i am sure i might miss a fish now and again because i am too fast but the trade off has to end up catching more big fish period..

They aren't carrying the bait with their hands. When you feel something, anything, swing. It isn't very often that you can swing too quickly.

You never can be to fast on your hook set, it's going to be a big time learning curve, but when you master it you will be on fire. Another thing to learn when you are taking this new step is to learn how to set the hook with more power, a lot of people set the hook by swinging the rod straight up at 12 o'clock, by doing this you are losing pressure and it is not penetrating the hook all the way thru 60 percent of the time, when you feel a bite start to try to swing the rod to the side not straight up , you will have a lot more power, better hook set's, you can practice this with a old battery, tie your line on the handle of a old battery, and jerk, and you will learn that if you jerk the rod straight up the battery will barley move and you will probley brake your line , now try it by jerking to the side, the battery will fly off the ground , this is because you have more power and pressure, I learned all of this stuff when I started to fish flw , I was watching a lot of people and I mean when some of them would set the hook the fish would fly out of the water , lol

It's always nice to have Bass fisherman out to deadstick winter Hybrids....They don't miss too many.

nice biggish great info thanks buddy!

anytime man, if you need anything or have any question's just pm me.

This is where graphing an area and knowing exactly what you are fishing in can be so important when dragging and bottom bouncing.

If your fishing timber and it doesn't feel like timber, set the hook.
If your fishing grass and it doesn't feel like grass, set the hook.
If your fishing rock and it doesn't feel like rock, set the hook.