Free Spooling and Hook Setting

    Try doing this test.  Have your buddy run away from you with your drag set on your reel, then have him run to the side, then under your legs while you are on top of a picnic table (boat).  You'll find that the pounds of pressure that it takes to take line off your reel during all 3 of those surges is different due to your rod absorbing some of the surge, which is a bad thing in most cases.  With free spooling just lift your thumb or depress your thumb, to hold line or give line, during a surge made by the fish.  Here is a basic outline of free spooling. 

    So with the drag set tight, how do you keep 10-16 pound test line from breaking on the hook set?  You can adjust your line pound (lb) test to 5 things. 

      1.  The size fish you are catching (big fish - big line, small fish - small line, average fish - average line)

      2.  The water clarity (very clear - light line, on muddy - big line)

      3.  Amount of cover in the area (lots of cover - big line, little cover - small line) To a point!!

      4.  Bait application 

      5.  Rod applications

    The size of fish, water clarity and amount of cover is fairly self-explanatory.  Let's talk a little about bait application and rod applications. 

    Bait application:  You often see guys throwing big baits with big hook baits on small lb test line, for example 3 oz spinner baits on 10 lb line or flipping 1/2 oz jigs on 10 lb line.  They will sling off more baits on the cast than they have in their tackle box!  Definitely a recipe for disaster trying to get that big old hook lodged into a big bass' mouth with 10 lb test.  It is like trying to punch your hand through a brick wall.  You might put a dent in the brick wall, but your not going to get good penetration.  Chances are you'll barely hook the fish and it will eventually pull off or break loose when the fish jumps or surges under the boat.  The rule of thumb to a point is small hooks.  Such as with using trebles/wire hooks use smaller jerk baits, smaller cranks, and smaller top water baits use a smaller lb test line.  For larger hooks on spinner baits or jigs you want to use a larger test line.

    Rod applications:  This could be probably the most important factor to fishing.  If your fishing small line on a heavy action rod your asking for problems.  Rod selection is a very crucial part of not only hooking a bass, but also landing the bass.  BIG difference between the two.  To prevent any small diameter line from breaking, rod selection is even more important.  On your hook set you want your rod to absorb some of the shock in the line to prevent it from breaking and you also want the rod to absorb some pressure when the fish makes a surge under the boat. 
   
   For jerk baits, cranks baits, rattle traps, or top water baits a parabolic glass rod works well for these applications to insure a solid hookup and not rip the hooks out of the fishes mouth, but even more importantly to keep them buttoned up with the parabolic action of the rod.  Kind of like a limb line for catfish.  Tie the limb line to the trunk of a tree and the fish will tear the hook out of his mouth. Tie the limb line to a limb and the fish can pull and pull and the chances of breaking off are less.  Add free spooling into the equation and the fish doesn't even have a prayer. 

        If pitching or flipping heavy cover you usually jerk fairly hard, but that is only to get the fish up and out of the cover quickly before it gets wrapped.  With 20 lb line you can get away with a pretty hard hook set.

    Fish jerk baits on 8-12 lb line and you can also jerk as hard as you want, but sweep the rod on the hook sets by using your waist to set the hook vs. your arms.  That, coupled with lighter action rods, helps as well.  Always try to use your hips and waist when setting the hook vs. the snapping motion of my arms and hands.  Line does not liked to be snapped, especially when it is weak. 

    When worm fishing and jig fishing it's kind of hard to do because of the up and down presentation.  But when using reaction baits such as top water, jerk baits, rattle traps, or spinner blades always try to use your hips.  If your line is going to break it is more prone to break on a hand/arm hook set than a hip/waist hook set, since you have a faster snapping hook set with your hands.  Just something to think about and maybe try when you are on the water next time. 

   Another good point  is quality line.  We're all still searching for that magic line that does everything.  Buying bulk spools of line and changing the line often is a way to insure you have a good quality fresh line on your reels as often as once every two weeks.  Buy your line from a vendor that sells a lot of line to insure you get the freshest spool possible.  In other words you don't want dust and spider webs on your spool.