Wits end with losing fish

[johnnnydukess]

Personally I think it makes zero sense for a "sweeping" hook set on a TOP hook / jig hook style bait. Think about the science behind it.

Driving that hook point straight up is going to stick that fish, sweeping to the side is only going to pull the bait out and away from the roof of the mouth. Set the hook and keep that fishing coming in, do not stop reeling even for a second. You can still swing straight up for a hook set and then bury your rod down to the water line to try and prevent the fish from surfacing. Tough luck bud, you'll get the next one. Your due now.

[Volfan]

Personally I think it makes zero sense for a "sweeping" hook set on a TOP hook / jig hook style bait. Think about the science behind it.

Driving that hook point straight up is going to stick that fish, sweeping to the side is only going to pull the bait out and away from the roof of the mouth. Set the hook and keep that fishing coming in, do not stop reeling even for a second. You can still swing straight up for a hook set and then bury your rod down to the water line to try and prevent the fish from surfacing. Tough luck bud, you'll get the next one. Your due now.

Straight up tends to work from a boat, where you can pull at a more vertical angle. Two things in play here: 1. Hudds tend to fold over in all but the largest fish's mouths. This tends to make the hook turn to the side. B. From the bank, you don't get that more vertical angle to drive the hook into the top of the mouth. With braid, that sweeping set tends to drive it into the top side or corner of the mouth pretty reliably. Not perfect, just my experience.

[Jig-N-Spoon]

25 mono

[marc626]

Then you go from being a novice to experienced when loosing some.