Question about "Double" Hooksetting

[George Cawthorn]

I have a question for the Prostaffers about the practice of double hooksetting.

I'm bringing this up for a few resons. I'll give a few examples of the situations technique applied and I would appreciate your opinions on the subject.

I have run into a few dicey situations, especially when fighting large LMB.... ones that may be in the trophy range. I've had a few get off after I though I had a really good hookset on them, only to come up empty...... man what a letdown that can be.

Ahh the thrills of bass fishing!! Just like a roller coaster sometimes only faster and better if you ask me.

So it was recommended to me by a buddy that I lay a second really good hookset on a fish just for insurance if it was a large one.

This spring I was fishing at Castaic in March and got into a fish that would have been my first really good one of the year. I laid one really good hookset on this fish which bit on the Fat Ika and thought I was OK. I sorta had forgotten about the double hookset advice from the year before.

I had this rig going with a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook, 10 lb. Toray flourocarbon line, and a 7' medium hard action rod.

This fish was pulling really hard and started running back and forth on me side to side doing the zigzag action and I thought I had this one in the bank. All I had to do was tire it out and I'd be on the scoreboard with a six pounder or better for the start of my '07 season.

The fish passed in front of me one more time and I came up on it a little....... my lure came flying back at me, the fish was off, and when I examined the lure, it was basically rigged up still good to go out again.

Actually I had had no hook on this fish at all, the dang monster had just chomped down on the line and as pulling it around through the water.

I was so disappointed by that loss. Instantly brought to mind the double hookset advice.

Well a few casts after that I got what felt like a monster pressure bite on the Ika. I started to do my usual slow retrieve and it felt just like the lure was nailed to the bottom.

Dang....couldn't believe it, another fish on!! Swung away from the water hard and fast like Reggie Jackson goin afer a Nolan Ryan fastball.

Came up solid, wham... had a really good hook on this one. And was it ever pulling hard. Very, very strong pulls... and then I realized this would be my new PB if I could land this fish... I mean it was drilling for the deeper water like a freight train.

I have to admit at this point I became very nervous because of what hat just happened with the previous fish getting off!!

So I went ahead and laid a second really solid and hard hookset on this fish and then the fireworks really started to go off. I think I drove the hook into a nerve in this fishes jawbone cause it went totally ballistic after that.

Fought this fish for a long time. It was very strong and didn't want to go down. I was lucky this time and finally won the fight, earned my photo op with my new personal best.

After that I hadn't had any more big ones on this year until the other day I was fishing the Ika down at the Lagoon again I got hit very sharply again on the Ika. I estimate this fish to have been in the 8 lb. range.

I set the hook on this one really good. Though I had it on solid but the double hookset advice popped into my mind and I laid another really good one on this fish, came up really hard on it just for insurance.

Bad news, this time I came up empty. Fish was off almost immediately. When I got my rig back I could see the lure run all the way up the line and the hook pulled completely out of the Ika.

My conclusion is that with the second hard hookset I had ripped the hook out of the fishes mouth.

Now I'm undecided as to wether or not double hooksets are advisable and maybe even more risky in that you can lose a big one that way too!!

So after an admittedly long intro that is the juxt of the question.

In your opinion, as a regular practice, is it advisable to employ a double hookset on a large fish just for insurance or not?

Good fishing to you guys, later................... geobass

[johnnie crain outdoors]

Geobass. good subject. I think we've all experienced lost fish and they are usually big, that's how they get big-they're LUCKY!!!
I'm going to say after too many years of having fish big and small hooked in the soft tissue at the side of the mouth that I won't double hookset. Maybe if I got bit on a very long cast I might, but probably not. Too many rip-outs. I'll take my chances with the original hookset being good enough. Good luck to you, and it's good to have you on board. Johnnie

[mofish]

That is a good question Geobass! Matter fact we discussed it on another web-site not to long ago after watching Ultimate Bass Fishing and seeing Larry Nixon do the double hookset. Matter fact after watching it again he set the hook three or four time on a couple fish. He was Texas rigging a large worm in deep water.

Now I think everyone knows how I feel about Larry Nixon, I do most of my worm fishing based on things that he has preached over the years. But I just cant bring my self to double hook set. Yes I have lost fish same as you when you get the worm back its just like when you cast it, the fish was so locked down on the bait that the hook set never moved the hook. One thing that I know has helped my hook ups is braided line and skin hooking the worm. I run the hook all the way out of the worm and just put the tip of the hook back into the worm. I also use a straight shank worm hook. ( I just think a straight shank hook has less stuff to get in the way of hookups)

Now out there where you are I dont know if you could get away with braided line or not but I know that I dont miss many fish with it. In clear water I use Flourcarbon leaders.

Wish I knew the answer to tell you because you have had a bad situation on both accounts. As for me I just go with one hookset!

[George Cawthorn]

Thanks Johnnie and Mofish for your answers. I appreciate your opinions very much.

To be honest after thinking it over myself, I was leaning towards the same conclusion..... double hooksets can be very risky.

Onece burned, twice shy they say.

From now on what I'm gonna do double is make sure I have a fresh ultrasharp hook and a prefect drag setting.

I remember the first large bass I ever caught was hooked in just a small amount of the white tissue in the bottom of it's mouth. And that was with a thin wire offset shank worm hook.

I could have easily ripped it out and lost that fish doing what I had been doing this year.

Good fishing to you guys, later................... geobass

[carl]

Interesting read guys. I always double hook-set, providing I'm using a strong enough test line. I've never lost one, but then again I don't really get into the "heaveys" that often.

[TableRockGuide]

Hey guy's, finally have my password issues fixed so I'm back!! Ok, back to double hook setting.

Me and another guide I work with were taught by a really nice guy by the name of Jay Yelas FLW Angler of the Year. Again!! He taught us when fishing a jig or worm and you feel the bite reel down 3 - 5 time first and then set the hook.. And WOW my hook sets have doubled in the number of fish brought to the boat and alot less of the fish have been able to spit the hook, it works!! Give it a try on your next hook set and let us know if it worked or not..

Good Fishing Everyone

[mofish]

Awwww yes, crank down and cross their eyes. That was the way I was taught to do it too. I have to admit that I loose fewer fish now than I used to and I think it has alot to do with the Braided line that I use now. It took me a bit of getting used to but I use a softer tipped rod and have back off on the drag a bit. I only lost one fish this year and that was on a crankbait. Had nothing to do with the line or hooks it was an older balsa bait and the lip and line tie came out of the bait. They have now been reglued and are in there for good!