How should hook-set timing differ between soft plastics and treble-hook baits?
Opposite instincts. On soft plastics the fish has inhaled the bait and is holding it — taste and texture buy you a second or two, but waiting longer risks a deep hook or a spit, so reel down and set as soon as you register the tick or weight. On treble baits the fish is often struck from outside or from behind; an instant hookset rips the lure away from a fish that has not fully eaten it. Instead, keep winding until the rod loads with live weight, then sweep. Soft bait: set on the signal. Trebles: set on the load.
The full story
This answer is one piece of a longer lesson — setups, diagrams and the reasoning behind it.
More questions about How it strikes
- Why do largemouth sometimes just "hold" the bait instead of running with it?
- Why did the bite feel like dead weight instead of a hit?
- What exactly is a "reaction strike"?
- Why am I getting short strikes that only nip the tail?
- Why do largemouth follow my lure and then refuse it?
- Do largemouth jump, and why do they throw crankbaits and lipless baits so often?
Same topic, other species
- What does a crappie do once hooked, and why do so many come off near the boat? — Crappie
- Why do serious muskie anglers obsess over hooks? — Muskellunge (Muskie)
- How does a yellow perch fight once hooked, and how do I land the jumbos? — Yellow Perch
- How do I handle the head-shake without losing the fish? — Northern Pike
- Should I set the hook differently on a smallmouth? — Smallmouth Bass
- How do trout fight, and why do so many come off at the net? — Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- What does a walleye do once hooked, and how should I play it? — Walleye