Outdoor writer/broadcaster Wade Bourne has covered sportfishing for more than 30 years in national magazines, radio and TV.

Sometimes the hand is quicker than they eye, and the hookset is faster than the bass!

This is especially true with topwater lures. One major mistake many anglers make with topwaters is jerking the instant a bass swirls on a surface lure. Sometimes the fish misses the lure, and by jerking too soon, the angler yanks the bait away from a fish that might come back and strike again.

Or, when an angler jerks too fast, he can literally pull the lure out of the fish’s mouth before the hooks have a chance to do their job. When a fish strikes a topwater lure, it opens its mouth and flushes water through its gills to suck the “victim” into its mouth. When an angler sees this “flush” and yanks, the fish may not have its mouth closed on the lure, and it’ll come flying back out.

Here’s the proper way to set the hook with a topwater lure. When the strike comes, hesitate until you feel weight on your line. Give the fish enough time to suck the lure in, close its mouth and turn to swim away. Then, when you’re sure the fish has it, pull back with steady (not jerking) pressure and play the fish. Anglers who can discipline themselves to follow this procedure will find their hook-setting percentage climbing higher with topwaters, and their fun with these lures will rise accordingly.