I've started fishing jigs more this year and I've been getting a lot of bites but my hook up % is really low.  For example today I went to a pond near my house for about 45 min, I had 5 bites and lost all 5 either at the bank or on their first jump.  How do I increase my odds?  I'm using a 7'3 MH carrot stix w/ a core 50# sufix braid w/ 12# flouro leader.

Hooksets are about speed, not power. When you detect a bite,

lower your rod while reeling down quickly. Snap your wrists to

raise the rod tip without moving the position of your hands

relative to your body. This will drive the hook deep.

After hook-up, maintain tension and bring the fish to you. If it's

not pulling drag, the fish should be coming your way. With the

equipment you are using, you should never let the fish stage.

8-)

On the hook set should I come straight up or off to the side?

Thin out your weed guard.

+1 on triming the weed gaurd and make sure your tailer is not to thick.

I did both of those things.

Trim your weed guard, add a dab of megastrike to your trailer. Don't let um jump !

Keep tension on line at all times. Do not let slack on your line for a

second. Don't know how many times I bring a bass in the boat and as

soon as there is slack when the bass is in the boat the jig falls right

out. Now I'm not exactly saying horse the fish in the boat at a million

miles per hour. Just no slack line.  Good luck

Hooksets are about speed, not power. When you detect a bite,

lower your rod while reeling down quickly. Snap your wrists to

raise the rod tip without moving the position of your hands

relative to your body. This will drive the hook deep.

After hook-up, maintain tension and bring the fish to you. If it's

not pulling drag, the fish should be coming your way. With the

equipment you are using, you should never let the fish stage.

8-)

Whoot there it is  

A fast hookset is very important when fishing the jig. I dont know what kind of water you are fishing but a 12 lb leader seems vey light to me especially if you are fishing wood or brush. When I use the braid to Fluro set up, I am almost always using a 17 lb leader and never go below 14.

Above all else, just stick with it. With a little practice you will be lipping those things left and right.

I would agree with RW and Catt on this one. Also examine your hooks. Some of the cheaper jigs on the market couldn't penetrate a twinkie. Buy the better grade jigs, sharpen the hooks, and trim the weedguard down.

Two separate issues as I see it, hookset and losing a fish.

Rw covered the hookset pretty well, can't go wrong with that info.  Unless your a tv host, never let that fish's head out of the water, so many bass and other species are lost on the jump.  If you feel it trying to surface get your rod down low.......very low, handle the fish, don't let the fish handle you.

Thanks for the tips everyone

What jig  are you using?  I find that I get  better hook set when I come straight up.

On the hook set should I come straight up or off to the side?

This is just a matter of where your rod tip is at the time of the bite. I would assume that when your jigging youre using the 10 o' clock to 12 o' clock motion. When you first detect as bite, as Road Warrior said, reel down quickly, picking up the slack, then give a sharp and quick snap of the rod to a vertical position or slightly diagonal one, while still maintaining constant tension.

Hope this helps. Good luck to ya man. ;D