As a general rule of thumb, I set the hook upwards on single hooked baits, which is mostly soft plastics. On lures with treble hooks, mostly reaction baits, I sweep hook. I was wondering how you set the hook with a soft swimbait? Do you hook to the side or set the hook up?

Depends on a type of swimbait. If it has a molded in jig hook like a huddleston, I set straight up. if it is a line through with a treble hook, I set sideways. If it is a weedless swimbait with a molded in hook, I set straight up as well, and the same goes for swimbaits rigged with an EWG or weighted hook.

I set the hook straight up on almost every bait. If the fish is swimming a certain direction I will I will of course set it the opposite way.

The goal is moving enough line between you and the fish with enough force to penetrate the hook past the barb. How you do this depends on how far away the fish is from you and at what angle the line down into the water. This really doesn't have much to do which direction the rod tips is traveling as long as it is moving the line with quickly applied force.

I only use 2 hook sets; the reel set followed by a firm rod sweep after the hook has penetrated the fishes mouth tissue. The snap set when the line is 45 degrees downward to straight down and not more than 30' away, by snapping the rod quickly into slightly slack line.

Unlike most bass anglers I prefer the reel set about 90% of the time. I always reel set swimbaits of all types because they fill the basses mouth with soft plastic and by reel setting you put far more force to the hook then any other type of hook set.

Tom

It's physics, like WRB writes.

 

You can actually outcast your hook setting power and then wonder how the fish got off the line.

 

We could go into the type of line; rod tip speed; distance to the bait; how you rigged the hook in the bait; what ounce is your bait; spinning or baitcaster; where did you set the drag; where is the bait in the fish's mouth; is the fish running with the bait or just walking away with it slowly; and on and on.

 

The actual answer to your question is, in my humble opinion:

Over the head hook set to cross their eyes for plastics or sweep cast for treble hook baits.

 

Either way there is still no guarantee you will land that bass.

Thanks guys! This was really helpful