I fished this morning before work throwing the osprey trout, untouched for 45 minutes then I cast on the outside of a boat and BAM a 4 pounder short bit and latched onto the back hook right under my own eyes, I didnt really set the hook I just reeled down on it, had it on for 5 seconds she jumped and spit it. This was the first time getting bit on this bait BWW rerigged it for me. It was a rad feeling and I'm hooked now I'm on a MISSION. I guess I should have set the hook, what do you think?

fishtrax_65

I started fishing the big baits this last weekend also. I set the hook at every tap I get weather it be fish or brush. after a day at casitas with one bite and a half day at another lake with alot of snags I had a big red spot at the base of my ribs. Its hard enough getting them to bites you have to set that baby. I caught a bass just over 4# yesterday and was surprised that a fish that small would attack that bait. I have not fished my osprey yet though.

Fished the Osprey yesterday at Margarita. Before I started throwing the bait a bass came out of the water right in front of me. It was like saying hi i'm here try and catch me. Just broke the surface and shook his head like he was hooked. At first my wife thought I had hooked it, I would say it went 5 or 6lbs. Picked up the osprey and threw it around. On my 10th cast or so while fishing the bait slow but under enough it was out of site I got bit and bit hard. Not the same fish but a 3lber, lots of fun. I've rigged my own bait and haven't lost one yet, but only caught two fish on it. Still good odds I would say. On the two I caught both of them wanted the bait no doubt about it. Just hung on. BassMan

http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/4392-ranger_boats.gif

For the Osprey hookset I really give it to em on the hookset. With the wood plugs, especially the slammer when I'm fishing it on top, I'll wind really fast until I feel weight, then I'll give a hookset. For the osprey, I just pop em right away. My thinking on the osprey hookset is that it'll rip the hooks out of the bait and let it slide up away from the fish, rather than having the whole heavy bait in it's mouth which is easier or it to spit out. Plus, with the re-rigged trebles, it'll have another hook swinging around back there which is sure to get caught on something. Plus, just the way they bite the plugs tells me how to set the hook. For me at least, I've found that with the wood plugs, there's generally a lot of line that needs to be moved, or you don't feel the fish right when they bite it, so I prefer to tighten up on em and then swing. A really hard hookset will do the job also. With the osprey, you feel the fish right when it bites the bait, with no middle man, so you can just set like normal.
-Brian

For me, the most important thing about hooking bass on the Osprey is getting them under control and dictating the battle. If you set up on the fish, but then hesitate, the bass can surge to the surface and do a fatal head shake. I usually crankset the Osprey like a crankbait, and let the rod load up to the fish. Then I wind like crazy while keeping the rod tip low to the water. You can literally water ski a big bass to the boat like this.(20lb. test at least) If you don't give the fish slack, and just keep reeling, you will land a high percentage of your strikes.