Battleshad 7.5

[Efrain]

Are you guys bending the hook up on this lure? Also, what rod are y'all using? I am throwing it on the Phenix m1 h 2-6 but missing bites. Perhaps I am not letting the bass fully bite but have heard the bending the hook up helps

[chevro1et]

I believe that Mike Gilbert does recommend bending out the hook a bit for all his soft baits.

Regarding missing fish, are you whiffing hooksets or are you getting them hooked up initially and then losing them?

[Efrain]

15 minutes ago, chevro1et said:

I believe that Mike Gilbert does recommend bending out the hook a bit for all his soft baits.

Regarding missing fish, are you whiffing hooksets or are you getting them hooked up initially and then losing them?

Thanks for the reply, I am getting them hooked then losing them

[Mayes]

I bend mine to where I can slide my finger up the bait and the hook just catches my finger. In the beginning I lost every fish that bit, would get them close to the boat and they would get off. I wasn’t setting the hook. Thought I was but I wasn’t. I watched a couple of Keith’s video’s on YouTube and seen how he did and since then I haven’t lost one. All came down to I wasn’t putting enough force behind the hook set. Hope this help.

[Cookingandfishing]

If you're using straight fluoro there's probably more line to pick up than you realize before the swing, esp if you're getting bit near the end of the cast. 

[Archtx9]

I bend the hook up level with the top of the bait......i wait a bit on settling the hook after taking up the slack

I try to boat flip most of these just to keep the bend in the rod and hook pinned

[Efrain]

17 hours ago, Mayes said:

I bend mine to where I can slide my finger up the bait and the hook just catches my finger. In the beginning I lost every fish that bit, would get them close to the boat and they would get off. I wasn’t setting the hook. Thought I was but I wasn’t. I watched a couple of Keith’s video’s on YouTube and seen how he did and since then I haven’t lost one. All came down to I wasn’t putting enough force behind the hook set. Hope this help.

I definitely feel lime I am setting the hook correctly. On conventional lures I swing like southerner, with big parts I hesitate and do I light pull and if I feel tension I think I got the fish. A few pulls and the fish is gone. Will definitely try and set the hook harder.  I think the hard part is letting the fish eat it and waiting to set the hook when my background is swing when I feel the bite

 

[MurdaJ]

18 minutes ago, Efrain said:

I definitely feel lime I am setting the hook correctly. On conventional lures I swing like southerner, with big parts I hesitate and do I light pull and if I feel tension I think I got the fish. A few pulls and the fish is gone. Will definitely try and set the hook harder.  I think the hard part is letting the fish eat it and waiting to set the hook when my background is swing when I feel the bite

 

Treat the big soft baits almost like a frog, feel the tick, give them a second, then swing for the fences 

[Efrain]

31 minutes ago, Efrain said:

I definitely feel lime I am setting the hook correctly. On conventional lures I swing like southerner, with big parts I hesitate and do I light pull and if I feel tension I think I got the fish. A few pulls and the fish is gone. Will definitely try and set the hook harder.  I think the hard part is letting the fish eat it and waiting to set the hook when my background is swing when I feel the bite

 

Meant that I do not feel like I am setting the hook correctly...with big baits I hesitate and do a light pull..

[LAST REEL]

XH power for a 10/0 Beast hook… bait slick doesn’t hurt either 

[Mayes]

5 hours ago, Efrain said:

Meant that I do not feel like I am setting the hook correctly...with big baits I hesitate and do a light pull..

I fish from my boat, so my rod tip stays down to keep the bait down as long as I can. Im usually in 4-6ft of water. Plus I’ve had different reactions from fish when they bite. Some bump and start running with the bait. Smaller you can feel them bumping away till they get it in their mouths. Some bump and I’m still reeling feels like there’s nothing there so crank down that usually gets them to turn and run or they come to a stop. I never stop reeling tho until I set the hook. I was using a f5 ghost xh but switched to the alpha soft swim heavy and I run straight fluorocarbon. 

[Efrain]

12 hours ago, Mayes said:

I fish from my boat, so my rod tip stays down to keep the bait down as long as I can. Im usually in 4-6ft of water. Plus I’ve had different reactions from fish when they bite. Some bump and start running with the bait. Smaller you can feel them bumping away till they get it in their mouths. Some bump and I’m still reeling feels like there’s nothing there so crank down that usually gets them to turn and run or they come to a stop. I never stop reeling tho until I set the hook. I was using a f5 ghost xh but switched to the alpha soft swim heavy and I run straight fluorocarbon. 

This is what I need to try and learn because I stop when I feel the hit because I think they need time to swallow it

[Cookingandfishing]

47 minutes ago, Efrain said:

This is what I need to try and learn because I stop when I feel the hit because I think they need time to swallow it

Never stop - rod tip pointed at the bait, feel the bite and start cranking that handle until your rod tip is loading up then swing across your shoulder/body and keep on cranking lol