If you know where the fish are, be sure to set the boat up properly first time around in order not to spook them. Have adequate rope and heavy enough anchors to hold fast. Lock boat in front and rear with anchors to prevent shifting. Setting the Hook Most people and guides tend to lean toward super hard hook sets, the how is much more important than the hard. Women in the boat tend to prove this fact more often.
Strength is good but skill is better.
Remember nylon stretches, so retrieve all slack smoothly until you have made contact with fish with rod tip down make an over head hook set surprising your catch, while maintaining pressure with bent rod all the way in will keep hook firmly in place. Thirty-five years experience says from the time the bobber goes down till the time to set the hook should be no more than 30 seconds, unless you want him to swallow hook resulting in gut hook. We have won or been in the top three places of live bait tournaments for several years and guided many bass trips with a very low mortality rate, so set the hook early and save the fish. Should you hook deep cut the line and release the fish quickly. Click on above photos for larger version, remember to use your browser's back button to return.