Setting that hook

[David Johnson]

I try my hardest to get my clients into fish, but when it's all said and done and the fish are biting it's up to the one who's behind the rod to get that fish in the boat.

Most of the time the hookset is the maker or breaker.

With the thousands of fish that have been hooked in my boat over the years, I can tell you what works and what doesn't.

Here are some tips that might increase your odds of landing that elusive Steelhead or Salmon.

Most of the time the factor that leads to not getting that fish is either inexperience, too much excitement or not listening to (or forgetting because of excitement) the guides instructions on how to set the hook for the days method of fishing.

When trolling or pulling diver & bait or plugs it's all in waiting long enough and than setting the hook with your thumb on the spool in one fluid motion as apposed to taking the rod out of the holder first and then setting the hook. By far, this common mistake is the most frustrating for me.

The scenario goes like this, we've been trolling for the last few hours and all of a sudden one of the rods starts bouncing. First thing the guy next to that rod wants to do is grab the rod "so the fish doesn't get away". If he does grab that rod before I have a chance to yell out my famous "wait, wait, wait, wait, OK get him!" then most the time it's all over. That fish is gone with a free meal or the fish will get hooked only to come unpinned half way to the boat.

I've actually had people get mad for making them wait so long, but they all got their fish in the boat.

Or, the lucky client does wait but then gets excited and sets the hook without thumbing the reel and all the hook set does is pull line from the drag and not dig the hook in past the barb, the fish is gone.

Lastly, it's an inexperienced angler and in the excitement they aren't able to get the rod out of the holder. Even after going over it in the morning, without practice, this can lose more fish.

That's for trolling.

Now for drift fishing.

How many people do you know that caught their first steelhead when they thought they were snagged and started to pull it loose only to feel the head shake?

This is so common, especielly with those who haven't caught a steelhead or haven't caught many. They don't expect to catch a steelhead but they do expect to get snagged up.

Read the bottom of Jenie's posts-"expect a fish on every cast" That possitive attitude will pay off.

I tell my clients to expect a fish and never think it's a snag. If that advice alone was followed we would get a lot more fish. You may feel foolish yanking on nothing, but the one nothing that turns out to be a fish makes it all worthwhile.

Another thing, set the hook like you mean it when drift fishing or bobber fishing. Sometime's I'll get a guy in the boat that's a trout fisherman and the're not putting the wood to 'em like they should.

They are called steelhead for a reason.

Another tip, when fishing with a bobber make sure you reel up your slack before the hook set. I know it's exciting to see that bobber go down but if you jerk right away all you're going to do is pull back on your slack. Most of the time there is plenty of time to drop your rod tawords the bobber, reel down and pick up all your slack and then set hard. It's even a good idea to reel until you can feel the fish.

Last week during the high flows we lost quite a few fish just because there was a lot of belly in the line from the water speed and distance we were casting. If the lucky angler didnt' set hard enough "to break the fishes neck" they were not getting past the barb.

I talk a lot about eight and ten fish days, those happen the most with my regular clients. The've learned how to avoid these mistakes and almost never have to worry about losing fish. Sometimes under the same conditions I'll have some new guys with me and we end up with numbers like "4 for 10, or 3 for 8" This happens because people are doing what I listed above, but it can be corrected and these numbers avoided on future trips.