Skeet Reese matches his rod selection to his hookset style — something he believes is essential for boating more fish .
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE
FISH WITH STYLE — YOUR STYLE
Like the others , MLF pro Skeet Reese emphasizes the need to have the right rod to reduce lost fish . He takes it a step further in believing anglers should also match their gear to their hookset style , and also pay close attention to their mechanics .
" Some anglers really like to crack ' em and set the hook hard , and others tend to reel up the slack and not set as hard and just lean into them ," Reese says . " That makes a big difference in hooking fish if you have the wrong rod for your hookset style ."
To counter this , Reese advises selecting the right rod for how you set the hook .
" I set the hook hard and prefer a rod with a heavier action than a lot of people , but it still has to have the right parabolic bend to load up on hard hooksets ,” he adds . “ It ’ s a balance that you have to find between your gear and your style ."
THE MECHANICS OF A HOOKSET
In addition to fishing the Pro Circuit , Niggemeyer is also a guide on Texas ’ famed Lake Fork . He ' s seen it all with anglers of all skill levels boarding his boat , and one of the biggest reasons he sees for fishermen losing fish is simply due to their mechanics .
" Having good mechanics and keeping pressure during your hookset is probably the biggest reason people [ don ’ t ] lose fish ," he says . " Often , anglers I ’ m guiding will set the hook and then freeze to look at the rod tip to see if the fish is still there . That split second with a slack line is when a lot of fish come unhooked ."
Niggemeyer advises anglers to apply pressure with a bent rod , while also continuing to reel .
" You always want to be cranking hard and keeping that pressure and you ’ ll greatly increase your odds of landing that fish ," he adds .
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FLWFISHING . COM 49