 yes it is you want to keep a constant pressure on the fish to keep that hook set in and keep the fish coming up in a timely manner but basically keep the hook set into the hook set now we're fishing with some pen level cast reels here and you know we've got standard hooks too and i was missing some hookups until you told me to do a certain thing and that has to do with just literally putting your thumb on the spool and not letting that line out when you set the hook