When plunking for springers on the Upper Columbia, it's customay to not even pick up the rod until line is peeling off the rod:)! I fought this for a long time until I learned from the pros. Now it's a casual stroll over to the rod, pick it up, reel down, (meanwhile this friggin king is just chompin' & hammerin' your rod) and give a HUGE hookset. Gets em' 80%of the time, but it's hard to train the mind of a drift fisherman to do this. It's such a crappy feeling to "swing & miss" while the whole hog line is watching the action !

Now with plugs, we're not quite so cavalier, but if he's "there", he'll stay there for a while.

Kings are eaters, and I'd sooner have them strip the bait by waiting to long, rather than screw up the bite myself by setting the hook to early (my same philosophy applies to blackjack-Don't beat yourself).