Do NOT trout set!

[Porter2]

Real night crawlers as bait in both fresh and salt help you learn not to trout set or does it because I’m so guilty of trout setting too. Took advice of letting the swing set up rod set in left hand or rest on your forearm preventing the trout set reflex. Still doesn’t work all the time but probably helped some.

 

[clarkman]

After two days of catching pike I thought I had my brain dialed. Ducked in a tiger lake on the way home and had my first experiences with fish that would put their nose on the fly but REFUSE to eat. Then one did....yep...you got it. You don't trout set on a muskie. Dummy.

I really shouldn't laugh, but man, even though I hardly ever trout fish (outside of the dead of winter), 90% of my fishing takes place with streamers and I still effing do it!

 

[Hem]

I really shouldn't laugh, but man, even though I hardly ever trout fish (outside of the dead of winter), 90% of my fishing takes place with streamers and I still effing do it!

The reaction happens quicker than the brain sometimes. I find myself repeating to myself " strip set, strip set," while I fish.

 

[clarkman]

I find myself repeating to myself " strip set, strip set," while I fish.

That's one of the things I repeat to myself.

 

[Nick Clayton]

I've got a video clip somewhere of when we took my good friend and fellow charter captain out on the south sound maybe 5 or 6 years ago. He's an experienced fly fisherman but had never done the sound or salt at all. In the video he's fast stripping a squimp for rezzies and he's saying out loud "dont lift the rod. Don't lift the rod" over and over. Of course he gets bit, instantly trout sets and misses the fish and just laughs his ass off. It was pretty hilarious

 

[clarkman]

That's all one can do....at the time, I was fuckin pissed. Mostly at myself since I really wanted to get my hands on that fish. One of the longer tigers I've had attached (even if only briefly)...not super girthy, but not a snake either. I can still see that eat in my mind. Over and over. Man, I fuckin love that fishery!

 

[Billy]

Hear me out:

I almost always trout set for topwater bass. You can't strip set with a lot of slack in line. Can't keep the slack out when fishing topwater due to the nature of popping and pausing. Doesn't matter if it's a boat or a tube. You drift in the wind your popper drifts and so on.

This is part of why I use a heavy rod, to drive the hook home even at long distances and picking up a lot of line in a hurry.

My technique ain't much different then you see the pro's do with bait casters. Works for me

 

[rattlesnake]

Hear me out:

I almost always trout set for topwater bass. You can't strip set with a lot of slack in line. Can't keep the slack out when fishing topwater due to the nature of popping and pausing. Doesn't matter if it's a boat or a tube. You drift in the wind your popper drifts and so on.

This is part of why I use a heavy rod, to drive the hook home even at long distances and picking up a lot of line in a hurry.

My technique ain't much different then you see the pro's do with bait casters. Works for me

Agree. I do mostly the same for river smallmouth fishing topwaters for all the same reasons but I strip as well on the set so everything stays tight and rod isn’t high with no ability to take up line. Ideally I can stop the rod 2/3 way back and about halfway through the strip so I can take up slack with either or both as needed after setting the hook - it’s a decent theory but certainly doesn’t always happen that way, just what I end up aiming for.

When fishing jerkbait style flies for smallmouth you almost fish the same as topwaters (strip and pause with some slack) but I strip set on those fish because if you miss, usually get another chance (now I may be missing cause only strip setting but I stay in the game).

 

[skyriver]

After two days of catching pike I thought I had my brain dialed. Ducked in a tiger lake on the way home and had my first experiences with fish that would put their nose on the fly but REFUSE to eat. Then one did....yep...you got it. You don't trout set on a muskie. Dummy.

This is SO musky.