Walleyes when to set the hook

[flagup!]

Hey guys, Don't fish them often but find myself missing more hook sets on walleyes than every other fish I fish for..    I fish with 3" shiners on tipups (heritage lakers) with a single #4 gama hook at night.  When you get to the tip up what do you do?   I'm always afraid the fish can feel the spool.

- If the spool is moving slowly should I not touch anything till he stops and starts again?

- If the spool is not moving at all? 

- If the spool is peeling line out about 20 MPH? 

-When do you lift up the tip up?

[GasBlaster]

If the spool is moving with line going out the fish is facing away from the hole with line out the corner of it's mouth . That's the best time to set the hook .   If the line is stopped the fish can be facing back at the hole making it easier miss a hook set and just pull the hook out of it's mouth .  With them looking away the hook has to drag around a lip or the corner of there mouth increasing the odds of getting hooked .

[Smally22]

I agree with gasblaster!  If the spool is spinning-DONT wait.  I use size 10-14 hook and have had great results.  11/13 this weekend

[GasBlaster]

The classic rubber band trick might work for ya ?   

[52isntbigenough]

Here's my experience. if the spool is spinning really really fast, I'll leave it be. That usually means its small eye trying to take food away from others. I get excited when I see the spindle move ever so slightly, then stop, then start again really slowly. I'll hit it on the 2nd or 3rd movement or wait to a 2nd or 3rd pause.

The problem with hitting it with the spindle screaming is that the fish probably hasn't swallowed the bait and it's sideways in it's mouth. You set the hook and you get nothing.

Sometimes you gotta wait and be patient.