Shook the Hook

yep...point the rod at them

Best I can offer is try moving the rod tip towards the water, down below it in the water if it's that close, or opposite the way the fish is rotating. Good luck on keepin them hook ups.

Slick, not that I ever lose (or hook !) any big fish, but maybe at times the slack prevents the hook from tearing out. Seems the weakest link torque wise may be fish flesh. Just a 3am thought !

Slick, this is what I was told to do ( change your hooks to a smaller gauge ) Its like takeing a nail and a pin, push them both into your finger, which one goes deeper. The harder the mouth is the harder it is to get a good hookset

Slick, you using circle hooks? Probably are, just sayin. those things are hard to shake free, especially out of your hand at 5 am with low light 

Other than that, I'd go with what Giz said, Feesh Fleesh tears brah!

Thanks for the replies...consensus seems to the the same...I'm gonna give it a shot, If I ever get another big one

I did a quick overview of everyones responce, did you happen to say what kind of fish are throwing your hooks? I am guess pike with 30+ inch.

I hope your gear is up for the fish thats a biggie.

Upsize your hook, i am basing this on pike/musky fishing. Do this as long as it does not effect the action of the bait. With smaller hooks it is harder to get the hook to bite in. You might get two of the points to find flesh but now your power of hook set is divided by two trying to drive home two points, this matters alot if the fish has the hook hit like its jaw bone. where as a larger hook might go deeper in the mouth missing the same bone a smaller one would hit, or only one point is in the mouth and now you have full power on a single point.

Every hook you own you must sharpen your self, i do not care who makes the hook, get a file and put on your own point. That is huge take it from a guy who thought the hooks were sharp enough. Before i started sharping i went from landing 20% of the musky i hooked (or thougth i did) to landing over 80% of the muskys that ate my baits.

Proper hook sets help out alot, i have not seen you set the hook. You might have perfect form but like i said above you need to have the right gear. Or you might have poor form and great gear, either or will leave you with heart broke.

Also if the fish comes up to the surface to do a head shake, drive the rod deep in to the water and crank like a mad man. this will force the back down. Also when fighting the fish do not pull super hard on it, let it stay mid level. Work the fish in nice, keep pressure but not forcing the fish.

I was going to elaborate more since last night was quick late night post, but Anzomcik covered everything that I was gonna add. Equipment is a big factor in the control of the fish. If they're surficing up close to you put the rod tip down in the water and reel the fish back downward. If they're surfacing at a distance keep the tip close to the water or in it, and use the rod to pull it back underwater. Keep tension by reeling away the slack. In mid air too hard of a yank to get tension might be what pulls the hook out. If the equipment is up to it you should be able stop or deter the fish from doing what it wants to do.

That was a really informative article. I found out my stance and hookset are WAY OFF...gonna work on my form...

Thanx Duud!

So....what is the best tool to hone your hooks? Stone, hook sharpening gizmo etc.?

I prefer to use a mill bastard file, I work at a machine shop so i bought a 4 inch one. But a fine chain saw file works great, the ones you can get from any hardware store. All the hooks needs is a few good strrokes to make it deadly sharp.


The way i sharpen hooks (i will try to explain.)A file only cuts in one direction, if you are holding the hanlde the push motion is the cutting move, not the drag back. So after the push pick up the file, then retract, that is important and many do not know that.

I start the same on every hook, weather it is a single hoo or treble does not matter. I hold the hook with the barb end pointing twoards me. I hold the file on about a 45 degree angle (you are trying to make a tri agnle for a point) and push the file with light to med. pressure only trying to sharpen 1/3 to 1/2 to the barb, do that for a couple of strokes. then i shapen the other side, by now the hook should be pretty sharp. then i do the same for the top of the triangle you made making it a square point. Be careful of not raming your sharp hook in to your hand. Alot of big name musky guys say to stroke the file the other way from the round bend, you do not give a reason, might be for safty. By doing it there way they roll a bur on to the other side of the hook, the hook might be sharp enough but you will get it sharper by pushing in to the point, but there way is safer. You choose. i will try to post a few pics, or video (if i can figure out how) to help with my explaination.