**Anybody who claims to never lose fish…on any kind of hook…will lie about other things. Hooks are only one part of the equation. **
I make most of my own spinners. I put trebles on only a few of them. Most have single hooks. But my single hooks are often as wide as the width of the trebles I replaced. I may miss a few hooksets with a single hook but I seem to land a higher percentage of the ones I do hook. This is especially true on larger fish. And with a single hook I do less damage to the fish…and to my net, my fingers and my clothing. Much easier to release fish from single hooks too.
Hooks styles and sizes are always factors. Some work better for bait. Others are good for lures because of their design and “grabbing” effeciency. There are some new ultrasharp hooks on the market…both trebles and singles…that seem to reach out and grab anything that comes near them. They do a much better job than an old rusty hook that has never felt a sharpener. And if you ding the rocks a few times you need to keep touching up the hooks. Even slightly dulling the hook will cause missed strikes or lost fish. If you bend or break a hook on the lure you should replace it. You can keep fishing with a treble that is missing one or two of the three hooks and still catch fish. But new and sharp hooks work better.
After that is the balance between rod length, rod strength, rod design, line type, line strength, method of retrieve, type of hookset, fish playing skill, water conditions, fish struggles, quality of hookset, length of battle, etc. It would take a large book to cover all of the variables and permutations. And there are books, tapes, CDs and websites available with the “downloads” from many qualified anglers.
Here’s a synopsis. Balance your rod and line to match the size of the lures you are fishing and the fish you expect to encounter. For most spinner fishing in Utah a medium light rod with a fast tip will cast even the lightest spinners…on the right line. The line should usually be quality mono…with good knot strength and abrasion resistance. Check the line near the knot after each fish and retie if there is any wear. Trout have teeth and they often scrape the line on underwater structure.
Heavy rods and braided lines have their places, but not fishing spinners on small streams or in clear still water. And the lack of stretch in braids will contribute to tearing out the hook on the hookset.
**The method of retrieve is also important. Some folks like to point the rod at the lure being retrieved. Many prefer to hold the rod at a 90 degree angle to the line…watching the rod tip for vibrations during the retrieve. I prefer the latter. It allows me to detect the strikes when fish hit while coming toward me…stopping the vibration and/or putting a bit of sudden slack in the line. You should take a couple of fast cranks on the reel to bring the line tight and then set the hooks. That one tactic will hook lots of fish you never knew you had. **
But…using the 90 degree angle retrieve…you will also see the rod suddenly bounce…or just “load up”. If you are using a fast action rod…with a soft tip…or a slower action rod with flex along the whole rod…you should let the fish turn away and pull against your rod before you set the hook. My term for it is “Wait until you feel weight”. If you strike too quickly you have a better chance of pulling the lure (or fly) straight back out of the fishes’ mouths before they really clamp down on it.
Hooksets? Trout DO NOT have tough mouths. There are spots inside the mouths of larger fish that are harder to stick a hook. But the highest percentage of trout caught on flies and lures are hooked in softer tissue or around the edges of the mouth. A radical hookset…with a heavy rod and stout line…can rip the hooks out of the fish before you ever get a chance to do battle. And even if the hooks hold past the hookup they tend to fall out easier during the battle because of the hole torn in the fish on the hookset. I have seen anglers literally bring in a set of fish lips after a “bass blast” hookset.
That being said, you DO need to set the hook. But rather than an arm-dislocating heave you should simply make sure you are tight to the fish and then do a wrist snap. Compare it to putting a nail in a board. Tough to push the nail through. But a
tap with a hammer gits 'er done. A quick wrist snap against a sharp hook will hook more fish and result in more of them making it all the way to your grubby little hands.
Everybody loses fish during the battle. The bigger the fish and the harder and longer it fights the greater the percentage of chance it will arrange its own release. A longer battle wears a bigger hole in the mouth of the fish. And if the fish is twisting, flopping and jumping it puts torgue and leverage on the hooks. Also, if you are using “heavy metal” the fish can use the weight of the lure to multiply those factors. Lots of fish are lost when they go airborne, twist and shake and fling the lures back at you.
Fish hooked in flowing water also have the advantage of being able to use the force of the water to create greater pull against the angler and his tackle. Translation…longer battles, more hooks torn out or flung out from holes worn in the mouth.
Battling the fish? Every angler develops their own “style” for fighting fish. Some simply like to hammer down the drags on their big reels with heavy line and winch the fish in to put on the stringer. Others go the opposite direction and use wimpy tackle to overplay the fish to the point of exhaustion…delighting in the increased feel and fight of even small fish. Ideally, your tackle and your fighting of the fish should be balanced to provide plenty of enjoys but not to kill the fish from stress before you bring it in…especially if you are planning to release it.
Fish handling? If you plan to release a fish, DON’T handle it. Use a rubber net…WET…to control and cradle the fish during hook removal. Then make sure the fish is recovered before releasing it. Even with the most careful handling there will be some fish mortality. But a lot less than with fish that are gilled and held vertically for a round of pictures…or rolled in the sand or rocks until they quiet down enough for the pics. Holding them up vertically by the lures may be less harmful than gilling, but even smaller fish fare better if held horizontally to support their internal organs during the photo op.
EDIT: Almost forgot to include that the attitude and activity levels of the fish are important to how they hit and how they get hooked. Curious or territorial fish are likely to just bump the lures, without chomping down on the hooks. They sometimes get hooked on the outside of their heads. Feeding or aggressive fish WILL bite the lure…and often repeatedly until they get hooked.
**Nobody hooks all the fish that hit. And nobody brings in all the fish they hook. But nobody should want to do both those things. Fishing is a sport and not a harvesting system. Enjoy the sport and be properly grateful when you develop the skills to increase the percentages. And be especially grateful when LUCK happens. **
