Hammer it up, rod holder and all if needed. Love it when that happens. Merry Christmas.

I set the hook with the oars most of the time.
Most everyone wants to jerk as soon as the rod moves.
Let the rod load and dance,and then just start
reeling,or the guy on the oars will do it for you with the oars. (plugs)
Running bait with divers,let the fish gobble the goods and then set hook firmly.

A good move. I was wondering when somebody would mention this.

It is a natural reflex for me anymore to try to help with the hookset by pulling back on the oars. BUT, it may not be enough in itself. I still find the key to be the SMOOTH removal of the rod UNDER TENSION followed a solid hookset (not a jerk) AFTER the fish is locked tight and under control. This can be easier said than done since the hit usually comes when everyone is least expecting it and before you know it it's a proverbial Chinese Fire Drill. Since the rower is usually paying more attention, he can help by not only rowing back on the fish and getting out of current but he can also assist by remaining calm and speaking in sweet dulcet tones to subdue the Keystone cops up front. You know the drill. In fact, I will often make a point to calmly dialouge with those up front in order to keep them engaged and prepared to respond more efficiently before a takedown occurs. I find that teamwork definately results in fewer lost fish when plugging.

However, I also fish alot in a boat by myself and knowing when and how to go to the rod can be exasperating at times. Regardless of the strong urge to set the hook first, I have learned (the hard way) that it is better to get your situation and boat under control before going to the rod. Yes, I lose fish this way but I have not only lost fish in the other scenario, but I have also lost rods, anchors and nearly the boat. Some places are tougher than others but trying to control a boat and a fish at the same time when plugging by yourself is always interesting and at times down right dangerous. You know like trying to milk out that last couple of centimeters of the tailout at the Ice Box Hole.

Be careful out there.

As per my usual opinion regarding "rules" when fishing for steelhead...it depends.

It depends on what plugs you are fishing with, what the water you are in looks like, what the hit looks like, who is in the front of the boat, etc., etc., etc.,...

I think that the initial hard pulls by the rower is key to getting the process going...at the very least stopping the boat from moving downstream, and at best moving the boat up the river a few feet.

The experience of the dudes on the rods is a factor...if they know what they are doing, then I trust them to get the rods out of the rodholders without slacking up the lines and losing the fish...I also trust them to know when to NOT grab the rod if the fish has not yet turned with the plug in its mouth.

Some hits are just grabs...the rod pulses, but doesn't really bury...this is when the guy rowing the boat has the most important job, i.e., rowing his ass off and getting a tight line on the fish, causing it to turn downstream with the plug in its mouth, virtually hooking itself.

Others just take the plug, turn, and are boot-scoot-booty'n for the lower river within about half a second...I don't think you could miss that fish if you tried to screw it up; they're hooked and peeling line before you can yell "right rod!!".

My favorite? When you're in moderately fast current, and the fish is so aggressive in its hit that as it charges up and grabs the plug, its momentum carries it upstream of where the plug initially was, and the rod snaps straight up on slack line...then the fish turns and goes, and when the fish takes up the slack it has created, it's moving about 30mph downstream when the line goes tight, and damn near tears the rodholder and all right off the side of the boat.

Kid Sauk and I had one do that at the Ranch a few years ago, and it peeled a bunch of line and swam right into a log jam and busted the line off, taking Dr. Death with him...all in about three seconds.

No one even reached for the rod...by the time reactions caught up with the violent visual, the fish and plug were already gone!

One of the most exciting fish I never hooked, got to see, or even feel on the line.

Of course, the pain of losing the plug and the fish was softened by the fact that we had four other takedowns and landed three fish, including the one in my avatar, within twenty minutes of each other, and all were hooked in a spot in front of a log jam no bigger than the bed of a pickup truck!

Yeah, the Ranch can be a good spot to fish every once in a while.

Fish on...

Todd

The fish is already hooked. The key is get the rod in your hands so you can get the slack up if he runs at the boat. I will give a couple big strokes on the oars, and try and work to the bank. We fish barbless over here, and anyplace else for that matter. so its slack that will get ya. I really love the total blow up that happens every time. I seldom am in front so I get to watch all the fun. Want to see a guy get pissed ??? just see what happenes when one "expert" starts telling the other "expert" how to fight the fish, they can't help it. One second they are sitting there getting along O.K- Then a fish hits and after about 30 seconds they are wanting to kick each others asses

It's amazing how the emotions get higher when the fish actually has some size too...

Keith

My experience has been the fish is usually already set hard by the initial hit. If they hit it either they are on (and on for good) or are off before it's possible to get to the rod. Hooking fish on a plug has, for the most part, ended with a fish to the net for me and my buddies without the need for a big sweeping hook set but just a good firm hand in the beginning.

Whatever you do, don't let Todd set the hook while plugging! He crackers off more plug fish than anybody I've ever fished with! Just kidding, Tood, but it's true. His reflexes are "too good" and as soon as the rod moves he's on it like a cat on a mouse. I prefer the daydreamers in my boat..........they are just spacing off staring at anything and everything but the rods when they hear RIIIIIIIIIIIGGGHHHT RRRROOOOOOODDDDDDD RIIIIIIIGGGGGHHT RRROOODDD GGRRRAAAABBBITTT GRABBBBBIITTTTT GRRRRABBBBBITTTT!!!!!!!!!!! NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO YYYYOOOOOOUUUUUUURRRRRRRR OTTTHHHHER RIIIIIGHT YYYOOOOOUUU IIIDDDIIIOTTTT!!!!!!!!!

I don't allow anybody with heart conditions to fish with me if I pull plugs.....they'll have a heart attack when we get takedowns. I have been known to go postal on takedowns and scare the living sh!t out of my front seaters. Always have and always will.......that's just part of the fun.

Yeah, eating a sandwhich at the same time adds alot of effect to that Kid. Nothing like blowing chunks all over the poor bast**** infront. Im gonna carry a big "Homie da Clown" sock with me and whap em' upside the head when there is a takedown. The only down side to that is, i'll get thrown in the water later

Having the proper rodholder on board will make this a NON-issue.

Nearly every rodholder on the market requires you to push forward with the rod (to free it from the holder) before you can pull back to regain tension on the line. That momentary slack has cost EVERYBODY fish (don't be bashful about fessin' up dudes) at one point or another.

Can't help putting in a "plug" for the FOLBE rodholders at this point in the thread. Until you see one in action, it's difficult to imagine how efficient and automatic a plug hookup will be ever after.

FOLBE

Check 'em out. Seeing is believing!

This again?

Do you guys ever actually go fishing?

Just waiting for all the others rivers to drop back into shape so I can get my rock back at Tokul Cr.