I noticed yesterday while fishing with a guest that we were missing a lot of fish while pulling harnesses/snap weights on boards. Our hook-up rate was probably down around 50%. I'm wondering if I should be setting hooks differently than I do currently.
Right now, I rely on the action of the fish to drive the hooks home. My notion is that the resistance of the board when the fish hits and bobs the board back a few times should be enough to get the hooks set. But after yesterday's experience, I'm beginning to think that I should try a hook set or two once the rod is out of the holder.
How do you guys set hooks when you're pulling harnesses on boards?
I know when I was doing it with the pro's last year on tour,That we did'nt set the hook at all.......I'd think that the fish should hook themselves. Hooks sharpened?
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Last week on the lake I noticed something kind of odd, I was pulling lead and when a fish would hit, it would kind of just hang there, when you reel the fish up you had about a 15 to 17 inch fish. I have noticed this patten follow through the week so yesterday I switched to live bait rigs with leaches and the fish hit pretty well. I was fishing solo and had no need for boards and while bringing the fish in they seemed to have a little more life to them especially the ones on leaches, the fish I got on crawlers were just dead weight. IMO the fish are still acting a little goofy and with thing getting back to normal we should start to see more aggression and those hooks will drive themselves home.
I usually run 6 lines if I have 3 people on board. Four boards with 20/8 fireline and two leadcore. I just recently switched to 10/4 fireline to get more depth out of my lures. I do not set the hook using low stretch lines, and haven't had any problems losing a lot of fish. If I were running mono though that might be a different story. I've found that if I set my drags light enough and don't horse fish I can land them without losing a lot of them. When I have people in the boat that don't fish as much as I have I find myself yelling take it easy alot. They get excited and want to reel so fast that the fish are almost skipping across the surface of the water. Limber rods and loose drags with superlines have done well for me.
I believe when pulling boards and blades, the hook set / landing ratio can be suspect due the presentation style. However, we have increased our success rate dramatically by leaving the rod in the holder and vigorously crankiing in quite a bit of line prior to removing the rod from the rod holder to complete fighting / landing the fish. Let me know if you try this and if it indeed works for you.
Sometimes on Winnebago or Green Bay we'll actually let some line out on the strike when we're getting light hitters. That little delay will allow them time to get both hooks of the harness in their mouths.
I don't like to do this unless we're seeing a poor hook ratio. I've had days where you had to do this to ever keep a hook in them, even the big fish.
Don't know what speeds you're running at, but after a few unsuccessful hook-sets, slowing it down a bit might help if they're hitting short. Otherwise, just chalk it up to one of those days.
Quote: Jason, Are you using Superline? That helps, and as was mentioned, start reeling before, or speed the boat up when hooking up....
Yep, superline all the way around. I use one set of 4 rods for long-line trolling and for harnesses, just have to swap out the business end to change presentations.
That trip last week was one of the more frustrating ones for me this year. Enough actioon to go around, but few fish to show for it. Some good ideas here. Thanks guys!
I believe when pulling boards and blades, the hook set / landing ratio can be suspect due the presentation style. However, we have increased our success rate dramatically by leaving the rod in the holder and vigorously crankiing in quite a bit of line prior to removing the rod from the rod holder to complete fighting / landing the fish. Let me know if you try this and if it indeed works for you.
This is good advice. I've had problems like you said Jason. I also went to harnesses with 3 hooks instead of two. It's nice when you make your own. If you are fishing on Wissota I noticed that a lot of times I was catching crappies when I was having your hookset challenges. I ended up finessing a few and found that out...
Jason, I expierenced a similar problem a couple of years ago. I tie all of my own spinners and I started using a Triple Grip treble hook for the bottom hook. Problem was solved for me!! If you are running close to the bottom you'll pick up more junk but if you are dialed in to stay off the bottom it should help you out.
Quote: we have increased our success rate dramatically by leaving the rod in the holder and vigorously crankiing in quite a bit of line prior to removing the rod from the rod holder to complete fighting / landing the fish.
Absolutely right! This is the exact way we get them on spinners w/o boards.
Jason, As to your question about setting twice, I don't use boards but, I sudder at the sight of double sets.
Good luck, Turk
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There was an interesting read a month or so ago in Walleye In-Sider or FLW magazine in which Tommy Skarlis talked about actually turning the boat towards the board to give the fish a bit more slack and increase hooksets during a finicky bite.
Sounds a little scary to me, but has anyone ever attempted this, or something like it such as stalling the boat when you get a hit on a board???
The comment(s) about superlines are interesting to me. I'm no board expert, but I have caught a few muskies on crankbaits with them ... so my observations may or may not apply to harnesses for walleyes (probably not, but who knows). Mono is the ticket there because of the stretch. With superlines, which I tried a little at first with very poor hookup rates, the fish often throw the hooks before you get the board off the line. With mono, the spring action keeps them on. Faster trolling speeds for muskies (in general) might make the hookset difference, though, and I can say that there are no hooksets involved with catching muskies on boards for fear of ripping them out. You just pick up the rod and gently crank them in, keeping a steady bend in the rod.
I saw a new superline the FFarm the other day that claimed a certain % of stretch. I want to say it was 10-20% or something, as opposed to the 40% I've heard for mono. Perhaps it's the perfect planer board trolling line?
I like to gently pick the rod up and do more of a sweep set forward. That seems to work great. But, then again, im not one to rush to grab the board either. I let em take it. Some times they grab it, if i pick up the rod too quickly theyre gone. If that happens I just hold it or feed em some line and wham, fish on! Then i do the same gentle sweepset and begin bringing them in. Could it be that they were just nipping and chasing and not getting your bait good? Might have been pulling it in too quickly.
Im not sure how your running your harness, but you may want to run a treble on the back. Ive found that that really improves my hook up ratio. I do the majority of my fishing on the great lakes, so my hooks may be larger than most, but i run a #2 Mustad Big Red Beak Bait hook on the front and a #6 Mustad triple grip on the back. This set up hooks up really well, and youll lose very few fish.
Hook sets when pulling harnesses on boards
If you are running close to the bottom you'll pick up more junk but if you are dialed in to stay off the bottom it should help you out. 
