Water depth, the distance of the cast, rod action, type of lure and the size and type of the line and hook should be considered when it comes to setting a hook effectively. It’s not a case of one style fits all.

For instance, if you’re using a baitcaster with fairly stout monofilament and making short casts with a soft-plastic bait, you need to make what I call a shock set. It’s a fast snap set with the wrists, which generates more power to get the hook out of the bait and into the fish. If you’re Carolina rigging and casting a long way, use a good sweep set or long pull where the rod’s backbone is also helping to drive the hook in. It used to be that the snap set was the only way to go because of the stretch in monofilament, but braided line and fluorocarbon don’t stretch and they set a hook a lot easier. In fact, fluorocarbon is liable to break if you put a big “whup snap” in it. I use Berkley Trilene 100 Percent Fluorocarbon on all my baitcasters now and when I set the hook, I just give it a good pull. Generally speaking, stick to the snap set when you’re fishing soft-plastics with monofilament and need to get the hook out quick and hard. Whatever you fish with, if you hook bass and they keep coming unbuttoned, adjust the way you set the hook accordingly.

— Chevy pro Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark.