Age old debate

[WesternMELunkers]

When the reel is humming and the fish is booking it a thousand mph....wait it out or ok to give it the tug mid run?

[stripernut]

I don't know about Maine, but in MA I use Quick Strike Rigs and set the hook as soon as I feel the fish... I hook about 98% of them, almost all in the lips... What are you fishing for? Trout/Salmon or Pike?

[WesternMELunkers]

Brookies, salmon, togue...typically the salmon and togue are the ones in question with this

[Bout-Time]

All depends how much line is left on my spool when I get to the hole.

[MookieB]

I always try to set the hook when they are running. I have also tried the rubber band trick and had really good hook up ratios with it.

[franklin fisher]

  If they are screaming away I like to try to hook them.  The tension they have on the line already makes for a good set usually.  If they are wandering away and the reel is only moving a little at a time I will usually let them run with it for a minute.

[jacksmelt71]

a good quality inline circle hook w/ the rubber band works great. i use it on everything except for brookies which can be fussy. make sure the hook size, or more specifically, the gap of the hook is wide enough to accommodate the size of fish you are targeting. i use a sz. 2 for salmon and sz 1x for togue. only gut hooked 1 fish last year and it was a big togue so it didn't surprise me that he inhaled it right away. rest were in the corner of the mouth. rubber band works great for limiting spooling of all but the biggest fish and it sets the hook for you. i like to give em' about 15- 20 cranks of line to run with. really nice set up on those cold windy days.

[joefishmore]

With a circle hook , if they don't have the whole bait in their mouths in just the right position and are facing away from the hole
you won't get a hookup.

[mike1]

I wait for the second or even 3rd run for salmon

[jacksmelt71]

With a circle hook , if they don't have the whole bait in their mouths in just the right position and are facing away from the hole
you won't get a hookup.

i lost a few when i first started but haven't lost any last season. had a few gut hooked because i waited to long and they had completely swallowed it. one was a large togue which doesn't surprise me. hook size/gap , how long you let them eat and how quickly you pull on the line initially makes a difference. not enough pressure, it pulls the bait out of their mouths without the point grabbing the side of the mouth. too much of a pull rips the hook out of the bait and the same happens. pulling in at a good steady clip plants the point where it belongs. the few i missed were not running away but almost strait under the hole so the point didn't slide to the corner of the mouth like it supposed to. thanks go to budda for the tips.

[ice cracker]

That's a tough call, because it all depends on how the fish are acting on any given day. One technique might work good one day and suck the next. I usually just let it run and wait for it to stop.

[GasBlaster]

If its taking line its going away from the hole with the line in the corner of its mouth. No better time to go for it and plant the hook right in the corner of his mouth where the line is . That's why I love the rubber band deal . It sets it for you when there headed away from the hole.

    If you wait for the fish to stop it might turn back at the hole and even swim back some making slack line . There's a good chance to just pull the hook out of its mouth with them looking at  you when you set it . you want them looking away and when there taking line they have to be looking away .