Hooking Trout

[rls1936]

Are there any good techniques for hooking and landing more trout. Last trip to Taney, about half the bites I detected all I could do was turn the fish. Then about half of those I hooked threw the hook before I could land them, are these percentages about on par? I was using a foam strike indicator, 2 lb flourocarbon leader and #18 scuds. I made sure my hook was sharp. One problem may be that I was too deticate setting the hook with the light leader. Does a downstream sweeping hookset help?

Thanks, and thanks to all those anglers fishing near the dam that helped me.

For anyone new to fishing Taney - the anglers near the dam seem aloof until you strike up a conversation - tell them you are a beginner and are looking for help, that seems to open the flood gate of good information.

[Jeff House]

If you catch half the trout that you get to strike then you're actually not doing too bad. When the trout are sipping those scuds (especially in shallow water) they are very quick on the take and even quicker to spit it out. No matter how quick you are on the strike you're only going to catch a percentage of those fish. One thing that I do that I believe makes a difference is I tie my smaller scuds on an offset hook. I can't remember the exact hook # off the top of my head , but it's a mustad scud/egg hook with a a slight twist on the point section. I really believe that when using scuds size #18 or smaller this offset results in more hooksets. I'll check the exact hook when I get home tonight and post tomorrow in case someone wants to know.

[Jeff House]

I was wrong when i said the hook was a Mustad (although they probably have one too). The hook that I like to use for scuds and sowbugs #18 or smaller is a Daiichi #1140. It has a little wider gap and the offset that I mentioned yesterday. I really believe that those two things work together to result in more quality hooksets when using small flies.

[rls1936]

Thanks, I'll give them a try.