FJ has it right on leaving the rod in the holder. More fish are lost at the hook set than any other time. I have some friends that I want to handcuff to the boat seat so they'll let the fish take the rod down. The only time you want to grab the rod in a hurry is when the fish hits and runs upstream at you. This is especially key when fishing Kwikfish for Kings. Let that fish get halfway to the saltwater before you reach for the rod!

It's also a good idea to practice getting your first hookset as you grab the rod. Assuming that you are using fish-on or similar style rod holders, what you want to do is grab the rod ahead of the reel, and pull the rod back sharply, while it's still in the rod holder. This should rock the rod backward in the holder. This sets the hook before you run the risk of putting any slack in the line. Then pull the rod out of the holder and get to work on mr fish.

I agree with the fellow who said look for little spots. Especially in the larger rivers, these will get overlooked. I have a few that are favorites, cuz I can count on no-one having fished them. I won't fish them if other boats are in sight. These are sometimes best scouted out late in summer, when the water is low.