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VOL . 36 • ISS . 11 |
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SALTWATER |
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May 12-26 , 2017 |
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THE HOOKSETTER TWIST
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SALTY TIPS by Steve “ Hippo ” Lau
I remember the first time on a long-range boat when , while trolling a Yo-Zuri Bonita , one of the troll rods went off . Line screaming off of the tightly set drag indicted that this fish was not only big , but fast and powerful . I watched as the lucky troller fought the fish for a good 15 to 20 minutes before bringing it in close enough to gaff .
Then , I watched as the most incredible thing happened . Two feet before coming into the dangerous neighborhood of the outstretched gaff , the hundred pound wahoo simply opened its mouth , let go of the lure , and calmly swam away !
In another instance , while fishing for largemouth bass in the delta , I felt something pick up my seven inch Fliptail worm . I jiggled my rod a little to check for signs of
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life , then the rod bent over instantly as the fish took off for the middle of the slough . I fought the fish for a few minutes and knew ... just knew , that this bad boy was well hooked .
As the fish came up to make a pass close to the boat , I watched in amazement as I saw that the six pound bass had merely clamped its mug on the back half of the worm , and was not hooked at all ! Being that close to the boat , the bass opened its mouth and my worm went sailing into the air .
OK , these may be two extreme cases , but there are many times that fish come off the hook because it never was hooked correctly . You take into consideration dull hooks with oversized barbs with stretchy lines and soft rods and wimpy hooksets , and it may be a miracle you hook any fish at all !
So assuming you are using good sharp hooks ( OK , to be fair , while I have extolled the virtues of Gamakatsu and especially Owner Triple Cutting Point hooks , other hooks have come out that are also very sharp and worthy of using ) it may come down to the actual motion of setting the hook .
Let ’ s just get this out of the way ... setting the hook by lifting your arms over your head and flicking your wrist only works in fly fishing with really light tippets and really small hooks . You can stop trying to set the hook like that now , unless you are wanting to practice “ long line releases ” when you fish .
I can ’ t really put my finger down and say this is the time and place when the “ Hooksetter Twist ” was first used , but I suspect that the fellas who fish the flats off of Florida and the Gulf coast may have had a hand in it . And while bass fishermen , especially those who throw big swim baits ,
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Martin verdugo ’ s Beach resort umbrella rigs , and topwater frogs can be seen using it , I suspect that they use it without knowing its formal name .
While I am sure there may be some scientific types out there who may want to test all I have to say by using underwater thermo-couplers and all sorts of fancy pants electronics , I can bear witness to those who have tried this technique and found it really added efficiency to their hook sets . To do the Hooksetter Twist , let ’ s assume that your line is fairly tight and you feel the bite . The first thing you do is point the rod at the fish . Now , in one smooth and fast motion , take a step backwards with the foot opposite your rod hand , pull the rod towards yourself and plant the butt of the rod or lay the butt alongside your body on the rod side of your body , then using that as the pivot point , yank the reel towards your body in an angle between horizontal and 45 * while twisting your body away from the fish .
You may have to read that paragraph a couple of times or more to understand the whole thing , or you can just think of it as kind of the
All Natural Fish Attractants for use on all lures and bait
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TIP OF THE WEEK
Yellowtail are a common species along the Baja Peninsula . Although yellowtail can be caught on many different live and dead baits , live sardines , mackerels and squid are their favorite meals , which are also the baits most available for use . They will also strike dead squid , slabbed filets and stripped bait as well .
When using live sardines or anchovies , bait selection is critical . Baits should be very healthy , strong , brightly colored and fast . The one you can ’ t catch in the bait well is the one you want on your hook . Do not select baits with damaged scales , red noses or eyes or white spots or red spots anywhere .
Lighter colored , almost pastel green and light grey colors are the primo baits and will stand out from the darker bodied baits . They will normally be swimming below the darker ones and freak out when they detect the shadow of your hand or bait scoop .
Match the hook size to your line test and size of the bait . It ’ s always a good idea to ask the deckhand what size hook to use . If you are going to deviate from this advice go slightly smaller , not larger .
For pin head anchovies and line under 30 pound test use a No . 4 hook . For larger anchovies and very small sardines you can use No . 2 , No . 1 or No . 1 / 0 hooks . Medium sized sardines can handle No . 1 / 0 or No . 2 / 0 hooks .
For large sardines and heavier line use No . 2 / 0 to No . 4 / 0 hooks . Mackerels and squids require No . 4 / 0 to No . 6 / 0 hooks depending again on the size of the bait and line test .
For smaller fin baits and lighter lines use the thinner wire live bait hooks . Forty and fifty pound line can straighten light wire hooks , so use the heavy wire hooks . J-hooks or circle hooks are personal preference .
forward motion of a baseball bat or golf club swing . The essential point is that by yanking your rod at a lower angle and twisting your body , you have increased the arc by which the rod moves , and the more arc through which the rod moves , the more line is pulled , and the more power is transferred to the hook .
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