Hook set

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In recreational fishing terminology, the hookset or setting the hook is when an angler makes a sudden lifting motion to a fishing rod in order to pull the line and anchor the fish hook firmly into the mouth of a fish once it has gulped in the hook along with the bait/lure.

In order to securely tether the fish with the line, sufficient force is needed to drive the hook point through the epithelium into the connective tissue and muscle of the fish's mouth, preferably under and around a jaw bone. If this were not achieved, while it is still possible for the hook to anchor itself in to the fish's oral tissue, the likelihood of successfully landing the fish is reduced since, without the hook piercing to enough depth, the fish can shake the hook loose during struggle, spit it out and then escape. A deep enough hookset also catches more tissue (thus making it less likely to tear through the flesh), and transfers most of the deformational stress longitudinally along the shank portion of the hook (where it also has the greatest tensile strength), instead of onto the bend (the curved portion of the hook) where the hook is more vulnerable to deflection and slippage when pulled by the line.

The hookset technique usually involves suddenly jerking the rod, by either an upward lift or a sweeping motion to the side, depending on the orientation of the rod at the moment the fish bites. [1] Some fishermen will perform several hooksets in quick succession to ensure that the hook is firmly anchored, especially on tough-mouthed fish (such as some saltwater species). In contrast, anglers using circle hooks shouldn't set the hook with a vigorous action, since the hook's design allows it to slide and automatically set itself onto the fish's lip when the angler reels in the line. [2] Timing of setting the hook is important especially when fly fishing as some game fish such as trout are vigilant enough to quickly realize the artificial fly is not real food and subsequently spit out the fly lure. [3] It can also be important to act quickly so that the bait is not swallowed past the fish's pharynx, as this would cause the hook to set in the gullet or gill of the fish and cause mutilating (even lethal) internal injuries to the fish, which would not be appropriate when catch and release is wanted or required. [4]

Using barbed hooks can help more firmly securing the hookset, as the reverse barb point serves as an anchoring mini-hook to prevent the hook backing out of the fish's tissue. However, the barb also makes it hard to remove the hook without causing further (and often significant) lacerations to the surrounding tissue. In situations that warrant catch and release, barbless hooks are frequently used as their withdrawal is much easier, which also means to successfully catch the fish, a harder (and thus deeper) hookset is crucial and there is a constant need to maintain a taut line tension.

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Trolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines, baited with lures or bait fish, are drawn through the water at a consistent, low speed. This may be behind a moving boat, or by slowly winding the line in when fishing from a static position, or even sweeping the line from side-to-side, e.g. when fishing from a jetty. Trolling is used to catch pelagic fish such as salmon, mackerel and kingfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing rod</span> Angling tool

A fishing rod is a long, thin rod used by anglers to catch fish by manipulating a line ending in a hook. At its most basic form, a fishing rod is a straight rigid stick/pole with a line attached to one end ; however, modern rods are usually elastic and generally have the line stored in a reel mounted at the rod handle, which is hand-cranked and controls the line retrieval, as well as numerous line-restricting rings that distribute bending stress along the rod and help dampening down/prevent line whipping and entanglement. To better entice fish, baits or lures are dressed onto the one or more hooks attached to the line, and a bite indicator is used, some of which might be incorporated as part of the rod itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing reel</span> Hand-cranked reel used in angling to stow fishing line

A fishing reel is a hand-cranked reel used in angling to wind and stow fishing line, typically mounted onto a fishing rod, but may also be used on compound bows or crossbows to retrieve tethered arrows when bowfishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing line</span> String or line intended for angling

A fishing line is any flexible, high-tensile cord used in angling to tether and pull in fish, in conjunction with at least one hook. Fishing lines are usually pulled by and stored in a reel, but can also be retrieved by hand, with a fixed attachment to the end of a rod, or via a motorized trolling outrigger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fly fishing</span> Angling technique

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angling</span> Fishing technique

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catch and release</span> Method of Fishing used for environmental or conservation reasons

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreational fishing</span> Fishing as a hobby

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jigging</span> Practice of fishing with a jig

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A fishing lure is any one of a broad category of artificial angling baits that are inedible replicas designed to mimic prey animals that attract the attention of predatory fish, typically via appearances, flashy colors, bright reflections, movements, vibrations and/or loud noises which appeal to the fish's predation instinct and entice it into gulping the lure. Angling activities using lures are known as lure fishing.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handline fishing</span> Fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands

Handline fishing, or handlining, is a fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands, rather than with a fishing rod like the usual angling, of which handlining is a subtype. Handlining is not to be confused with handfishing, which is catching fish by hand. When handlining, one or more fishing lures or baited hooks are attached to the line, and a fishing lure and often a weight and/or a fishing float can also be attached to the line. Handlining is among the oldest forms of fishing and is still practiced throughout the world today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casting (fishing)</span> The act of launching fishing tackles into water

In angling, casting is the act of the angler throwing the bait and hook as well as other attached terminal tackles out over the water, typically by slinging a fishing line manipulated by a long, elastic fishing rod. The term itself may also be used for setting out a net when artisanal fishing.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circle hook</span> Fish hook which is sharply curved back in a circular shape

A circle hook is a type of fish hook which is sharply curved back in a circular shape. It has become widely used among anglers in recent years because the hook generally catches more fish and is rarely swallowed. Since the circle hook catches the fish on the lips at the corner of its mouth, it usually decreases the mortality rates of released fish as compared to J-hook which are often swallowed by the fish, causing damage to the gills or vital organs. The circle hook's shape allows it to only hook onto an exposed surface, which in the case of a fish means the corner of its mouth. The fish takes the baited hook and swallows it, and as the hook is reeled in, it is safely pulled out of the fish until it reaches the mouth. At this point it will catch the corner of the mouth, resulting in fewer gut-hooked fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing tackle</span> Equipment used for fishing

Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/feeders, nets, spears, gaffs and traps, as well as wires, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners, clevises and tools that make it easy to tie knots.

A sabiki or flasher rig is typically fished off boats, piers, jetties, or any structure over the water. Sabikis consist of any number of small hooks, each one on individual dropper lines that are a few inches long. The individual dropper lines are then tied to a longer leader in series, about 6 inches (15 cm) apart; a weight is tied to the end of the leader. Alternatively, a larger lure or plug can be used at the end. This creates the illusion that a medium-sized fish is chasing 6 to 10 smaller fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing techniques</span> Methods for catching sea creatures, especially fish

Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs and edible marine invertebrates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing popper</span>

The popper is an effective and proven lure designed to move water using a concave or hollowed nose. Poppers aim to simulate any sort of distressed creature that might be moving or struggling on the surface of the water. Poppers are used with spin fishing and fly fishing.

Drop shotting is a highly finesse angling technique using plastic baits, consisting of a small thin-wire hook with a weight (sinker) attached to the tag end of the line. This is in contrast to the more traditional Texas Rig, where the weight slides inline, resting on the nose of the bait; or the Carolina Rig, where the weight is fixed above the bait. The dropshot rig provides the ability to keep a hook and lure off the bottom with a more "weightless"-looking posture. Usually the bait is fished by letting the weight hit the bottom and then twitch the rod tip, causing the lure to shake in a jumping-like action, but can also be flipped, dragged, hopped or jigged along the bottom. This simple but versatile technique has endless combinations with the different hooks, soft plastics and weights that can be used.[1] The aim is to present a free floating, slow twitching lure to induce a strike from non-aggressive fish. This rig is commonly used in bass fishing for catching smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass, but can be used for a variety of other bottom-dwelling fish species, as well.

References

  1. Tim Allard (6 June 2013), The Fishing Basics You Need to Know to Set a Hook, BassPro
  2. Peter Kaminsky; Greg Schwipps (2011), "Setting the hook with cicrle hooks", Fishing for Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN   9781118000502
  3. David Tieszen (1998), "Setting the Hook", Fishing Dry Flies, Quarto Publishing Group USA, pp. 82–3, ISBN   9781610602938
  4. Peter Kaminsky; Greg Schwipps (2011), "Setting the hook with J hooks", Fishing for Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, ISBN   9781118000502