# Hookset questions



## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

Can someone explain this a little? I get the general concept of "bowing to the King", but a couple of questions:
1) Do you do this with circle hooks, too?
2) You "bow" when he jumps, correct? First jump only?
3) Do you actually let slack in the line as you dip the rod towards him?
4) I had in mind that you set the hook, the fish jumps, and you dip your rod. But had seen in some other posts things that lead me to think you actually "bow" BEFORE the hookset?

--Somewhat unrelated, but with circle hooks, do you EVER set the hook? It would seem to make sense to give the rod a couple of good jerks to bury the hook after the line has come tight--I understand that would be much later than with standard J hooks......


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## cabolew (Aug 12, 2005)

circle hooks - do not set hook. wind tight or wait for him to jump.
Bow whenever they jump. The violent headshake will throw the hook. You are trying to allow a bit of slack to absorb this shocking action.


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

If you fish with mono, a lighter drag, and a pole with some give to it you do not need to bow. The problem is, you guys are fishing with braided line and 100-pound leaders which have no stretch, and want to winch in the tarpon. If the tarpon jumps you could bust off the hook or the line because of the incredible stresses. End of story. 

Captain Woody had the same problem with the popular Snapper Slapper such as for ling fishing, people using gear with no stretch or give, and people were complaining of straightened out hooks and break-offs. 

Using more limber gear such as fly rods and long trout poles, you do not need to bow to anything. Keep the rod tip up and constant medium pressure on the line. Same for marlin fishing but with heavy trolling gear. If you bow to a marlin, you could be pulled overboard!


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Bowing is ridiculous with conventional gear*

You only need to "give some slack" with chicken feather gear - circle hooks will catch the fishes lip as the line comes tight - a good premium circle will hook even the toughest jaw --jerking at all is just gonna make sure the hook misses --

been catchin tarpon from Brownsville to Florida and Costa Rica to Panama - we gear appropriately (which means sizing line and gear to likely fish to be caught) and usually get about 70% of the fish we hook up with --

Bow to the King ? We point the rod to them AND KEEP IT AT 12 O-CLOCK. Always been BS to me -- slack created is fish lost, GETS BEHIND GILL PLATES OR WRAPPED IN WRONG SPOTS AND POW ITS GONE


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Additionally*

NEVER EVER JERK WITH A CIRCLE

Doing so defeats the design of the hook - no comparison to a j hook at all -

A circle is DESIGNED to SLIDE inside the gullet and mouth of a fish up to the point the eye and line clears the fishes lip - at THAT point the hook, rotates OPEN and digs into a fishes jaw, a running fish will dig the hook in - if you have jerked likely you will POP the hook/bait from the fishes jaw before its had a chance to work -

All of our tarpon are hooked either in the side of the jaw or top lip - same for all reef fish, reds, sharks, ling , sails, blues

You have to forget everything you thought you knew when using circle hooks - some folks just never can get it --

Even bottom fishing for warsaw or gags - when the fish takes the bait and moves , you lift the rod (if you can) and reel , the fish will be well hooked -

The biggest mistakes made with circles is sizing them too small for the fishes jaw and bait size being used - minimum 12/0 on tarpon and we use up to 18/0 when we know 200# fish are around -- we mainly use Diaichi hooks because they have a wider gap -


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## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

Very cool advice!! Makes sense about the slack--I think my kids are going to have two things engraved on my headstone after I'm dead--- "Keep your rod tip up" and "Keep the slack out of your line." Seems I yell that at them 100 times, and explain it to them quietly 50, every time we go out. This "Bow to the King" thing ran against everything I know and try to teach the kids.....but I also know Tarpon are different fish (at least know that from seeing your posts, and watching them in frustration from the boat), so thanks a bunch for your time.


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## Konan (Jul 13, 2009)

I can honestly say I am to excited to ever remember to "bow" when I am tight with one. I have had days of catching everyone I have hooked and others I only catch a quarter of the ones I hook. 

As far as setting the hook with a circle (which is all I use for Tarpon) I free spool the fish for a count of 3 or 4 when using live bait and then just reel and pull the rod down and to the side. 

JMO tarpon dont have much of a upper lip so pulling up might actually pull the hook in the wrong direction. Pulling down and to the side has helped me increase my number of landings. 

On another note. Using lures that dont brake off when a tarpon is hooked also has decreased my number of landings in the past. Have some sort of break away system.

If you have a high quality reel with a great drag and at least a mono topshot I think "bowing" could be skipped. Not a huge fan giving a jumping, head shaking fish any slack to where that hook can be loosened and thrown..... JMO

KONAN


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*Mostly*

The ones we lose are tryin to imitate a spinner shark - they stay airborne and tumble the landings


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

All I know I was trained by my dad and some pretty good captains to grab the pole hard, don't let go, and keep my sorry ____ inside the boat.  

Oh yeah, and you should see me "bow" to a rogue wave with a fish on. Incoming! :cheers:


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## Coconut Groves (Nov 2, 2011)

TrueblueTexican said:


> Bow to the King ? We point the rod to them AND KEEP IT AT 12 O-CLOCK. Always been BS to me -- slack created is fish lost, GETS BEHIND GILL PLATES OR WRAPPED IN WRONG SPOTS AND POW ITS GONE


If a fly rod is at 12 o-clock you might as well just go ahead and throw it in the water - that fish isn't going to be landed. My fly rod rarely goes above 9 o-clock. I fight them "down and dirty" which means sideways while pulling down. I don't bow, I simply just extend the arm and point my rod tip at them when they jump.

It's amazing how different conventional and fly gear is on the same fish.


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## gater (May 25, 2004)

*Tarpon*



TrueblueTexican said:


> NEVER EVER JERK WITH A CIRCLE
> 
> Doing so defeats the design of the hook - no comparison to a j hook at all -
> 
> ...


Good advise, the only thing I respectivly disagree with is the hook size. We routinely use 11 to 13's but have used 10's in the past. In Florida theys use 8's with a good hookup to catch ratio. For a long time all we used were 16's uit IMHO it's overkill. Again good advise on how the circl works.

Gater


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## TrueblueTexican (Aug 29, 2005)

*No disagreement with Florida*

I was relating what works for US - had a friend catch one last year in 150# range with a 2/0 gamaktsu octopus -

We use LARGE baits in fall hence the big hooks - it a matter of bait size and tackle being used - we use 8-10/0 on our **** pops.

Most of the mullet/sand trout we fish with would weigh over a pound.

Tarpon are landed all the time by chicken feather chunkers with even smaller hooks -

We like to CATCH em not just jump em:brew:


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## gater (May 25, 2004)

*Yep*



TrueblueTexican said:


> I was relating what works for US - had a friend catch one last year in 150# range with a 2/0 gamaktsu octopus -
> 
> We use LARGE baits in fall hence the big hooks - it a matter of bait size and tackle being used - we use 8-10/0 on our **** pops.
> 
> ...


*We like to CATCH em not just jump em! *

Yep, I agree!


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