Hi everyone,

Recently been trying to diversify my technique arsenal from just pitching a jig/texas rig and praying. Picked up the fairy wand and have been trying out mainly drop shotting and neko rig. I've been getting a decent number of bites on the Neko rig, but have been not hooking up super well. How tight should my drag be set and what does the hookset for these techniques look like? I know I probably should not reel and send them to fish heaven like I would with my jigs, but it seems like the lightish rod raise after a slight pause to ensure they've got it I've been doing makes it slip out of their mouths. Follow up to that, what does a drop shot bite look and feel like? I swear I had a couple that may have been bites, but I did not feel anything and just saw my line moving slightly, but alas whenever I set the hook no dice.

How are you rigging the hook on the neko? There is a right and wrong way to do it. Potentially could be an issue.

For drop shot similar question - are you nose hooking or Texas rigging? I usually just reel down and pull into them for both techniques.

With a medium light rod and braid to leader, I just reel into them as I raise the rod on a neko. That’s with a #2 vmc hook. To the point above, I assume you’re rigging them hook point up.

What type of fishing mode are you using? Fishing from the bank, standing in a boat or sitting in a kayak/canoe is different.

I fish from a canoe, similar to a kayak close to the water. When getting bit a sideways backwards steady pull is very effective. Pulling upwards while down low I’ve either missed or barely hooked fish and have lost them when they surface and shake the lure.

Fishing from shore, reel in slack and then a steady walking back pull works well. Dropshot, neko and t-rigs are very subtle bites and a hard fast yank will result in missed fish. A tight line between your fingers helps detect bites.

As @casts_by_fly states, lean into them and start reeling with a smooth backwards pull works a higher percentage of the time.

There really isn't a hookset in the true sense...certainly not a jigging swing-for-the-fences type hookset. This is a finesse technique and that includes the hookset.

If you're using a rod with a suitable action (xfast), the fish can't feel the tip so you have all the time in the world. I can literally say without rushing "Here's a fish" and still have plenty of time for the "hookset".

Watch some of the pros...they just sort of reel into it. 1 second they're fishing, the next the rod is fully loaded with a fish on...all without swinging for the fences.

i usually just remove any slack and just gently sweep the rod while reeling.as long as you keep the slack out as the fish pulls away it will pull the hook even deeper in the mouth.

The smaller, thinner hook paired with braid penetrates easily. A easy pop of the rod will set the hook on a Neko. I usually like to reel the line tight and then sweep/lift up.

A DS bite isn't really any different feeling than any other bite on a finesse bait. It can range from little taps, to a steady pull, to just not moving anymore.

A fairly solid sweep set, then never let the rod go straight until the fish is in the net. Large fish I flip the back-reel switch.

I see more bites than feel them... when you see something, do something...

@Shinmothy - also I forgot to comment on drag. Drag setting is a personal choice, but for me I don't want the drag pulling out when I'm setting the hook. On a spinning reel that means a reasonably tight drag, especially on something like a neko where I'm throwing it near some cover. When I set the hook, I want to maintain tension and start turning the fish's head. If you are pulling drag as you are setting the hook, that is less force going to the hook point to penetrate and then since the drag is already turning you've overcome the startup friction to get it moving and it's easier for the fish to pull drag and turn into cover. For a neko, I'm throwing 10 lb fc leader and on a heavier ML with plenty of backbone. I'll take the chance that my drag is too tight rather than it being too loose. The rod can absorb some fish craziness. I'm not hooking fresh from the lake steelhead that will burn off 50 yards of line in a heartbeat.

17 hours ago, Jerkbait22 said:

How are you rigging the hook on the neko? There is a right and wrong way to do it. Potentially could be an issue.

For drop shot similar question - are you nose hooking or Texas rigging? I usually just reel down and pull into them for both techniques.

I've got it hook facing the tail end of the worm, so hook point up I believe? The only issue hook wise I might have is that I'm using these the #1 VMC wacky weedless hooks which have a pretty stiff wire weed guard, but I think that's not my biggest issue right now.

As for the drop shot I am Texas rigging with a 1/0 EWG style hook. I got a pack of Crush City Janitors on clearance at Academy that I'm using for both of these techniques.

16 hours ago, Motoboss said:

What type of fishing mode are you using? Fishing from the bank, standing in a boat or sitting in a kayak/canoe is different.

I fish from a canoe, similar to a kayak close to the water. When getting bit a sideways backwards steady pull is very effective. Pulling upwards while down low I’ve either missed or barely hooked fish and have lost them when they surface and shake the lure.

Fishing from shore, reel in slack and then a steady walking back pull works well. Dropshot, neko and t-rigs are very subtle bites and a hard fast yank will result in missed fish. A tight line between your fingers helps detect bites.

As @casts_by_fly states, lean into them and start reeling with a smooth backwards pull works a higher percentage of the time.

I'm fishing from the bank, I'll give your method a try next time! Thanks for your help.

4 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

@Shinmothy - also I forgot to comment on drag. Drag setting is a personal choice, but for me I don't want the drag pulling out when I'm setting the hook. On a spinning reel that means a reasonably tight drag, especially on something like a neko where I'm throwing it near some cover. When I set the hook, I want to maintain tension and start turning the fish's head. If you are pulling drag as you are setting the hook, that is less force going to the hook point to penetrate and then since the drag is already turning you've overcome the startup friction to get it moving and it's easier for the fish to pull drag and turn into cover. For a neko, I'm throwing 10 lb fc leader and on a heavier ML with plenty of backbone. I'll take the chance that my drag is too tight rather than it being too loose. The rod can absorb some fish craziness. I'm not hooking fresh from the lake steelhead that will burn off 50 yards of line in a heartbeat.

Sounds good that's what I was thinking too, but I had a good bite and my drag seemed to be almost too tight when I went to set the hook and I just ripped it out of his mouth it seemed which was making me doubt.

Thanks everyone for your help I greatly appreciate it!

For one fish, I wouldn't worry about pulling it away from one. Possibly it only had the tail, possibly it was opening its mouth when you pulled. I find that a neko rig is the least likely of all the soft plastics I fish to deep hook a bass so I don't mind giving him an extra second when he hits it just in case he grabs the tail. That isn't common- i find that when they inhale it the first time they get all of it- but I can't think of a single deep hooked fish on a neko last year.

If you're talking about the VMC redline hooks with the stiff mono/fluoro weed guard, that's what I'm using also. I have used the 1's and I carry them, but the 2's are my preference. Both work just fine.

5 hours ago, Shinmothy said:

I've got it hook facing the tail end of the worm, so hook point up I believe? The only issue hook wise I might have is that I'm using these the #1 VMC wacky weedless hooks which have a pretty stiff wire weed guard, but I think that's not my biggest issue right now.

As for the drop shot I am Texas rigging with a 1/0 EWG style hook. I got a pack of Crush City Janitors on clearance at Academy that I'm using for both of these techniques.

I'm fishing from the bank, I'll give your method a try next time! Thanks for your help.

Sounds good that's what I was thinking too, but I had a good bite and my drag seemed to be almost too tight when I went to set the hook and I just ripped it out of his mouth it seemed which was making me doubt.

Thanks everyone for your help I greatly appreciate it!

For Texas rigging the drop shot,

I like a straight shank hook specifically the owner cover shot or roboworm rebarb hook if you’re using ultra light line. I nose hook more often than not if I can get away with it since it seems to get more bites due to the worm having more action / looking more natural.

On the neko it sounds like you’re hooking it correctly. If it’s not just a one or two fish thing and continues to happen then next thing I’d look into is your rod and line setup.

5 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

. Possibly it only had the tail, possibly it was opening its mouth when you pulled.

This is a good observation and a great point.

Due to the tail-up posture, sometimes the bass don't get the hook..just the tail. You'll feel the tug, miss the fish, and say "How did I miss that one?!? " You didn't miss...the fish did! LOL 😆

Ditto Bluegills who occasionally grab the bait and swim away...while never getting the hook in their mouth.

And as far drag goes...I have mine set to 2.5lbs (about 30 percent of line test) and I've never had an issue...ever...hooking fish on a Neko or DS. Again...finesse technique, finesse hookset.

21 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

For one fish, I wouldn't worry about pulling it away from one. Possibly it only had the tail, possibly it was opening its mouth when you pulled. I find that a neko rig is the least likely of all the soft plastics I fish to deep hook a bass so I don't mind giving him an extra second when he hits it just in case he grabs the tail. That isn't common- i find that when they inhale it the first time they get all of it- but I can't think of a single deep hooked fish on a neko last year.

If you're talking about the VMC redline hooks with the stiff mono/fluoro weed guard, that's what I'm using also. I have used the 1's and I carry them, but the 2's are my preference. Both work just fine.

Not the redline I think, just the normal VMC stuff that I picked up on clearance at Academy. It’s like a very thin gauge metal wire for the weed guard, but yeah I think it’s definitely not my limiting factor.

I’ll be a little more patient on the hookset lol. I have a bad habit of setting way too quickly because I was a little late one time jig fishing and I almost killed the poor thing trying to get it out of him.