Lake trout newbs need pointers - Help!

[Bscman]

Okay guys, I'm going to try and take advantage of the knowlege on this forum...I know we have a lot of good fishermen lurking around here!!!

I'm looking to fine tune my tackle setup in hopes of nailing more rainbows...specifically fishing from the shore.

I'm mostly fishing Heart Lake, Lake Erie, and Cranberry lake (Whidbey Island/Anacortes areas)...but from time to time make it out to Lake Mcmurray or spend lazy evenings at Clear Lake (since it's just 5 minutes away).

Current Setup...basic "Powerbait" rigging.
3/4-1oz weight, 12-30" of leader (depending on lake/area) #8 hook and 2 powerbait nuggets. I've got 8lb on the reel, and using 4lb for the leader.

I'm doing okay so far. My bro-in-law and I pulled in sever at Heart Lake last night, and I nailed a couple at Cranberry last weekend. The problem is I'm missing a lot of fish. For every one I land, I miss at least five or six.
It's been a few years since I'd done any trout fishing, but I don't remember my miss ratio being so high!

I think the problem is the bait setup.
I have to get a good amount of bait on the hook or else it won't float...but at that point the hook is so far into the bait that I'm pulling bait and all rather than setting the hook/they'll spit it out without gettin' the hook.

I played one last night for a good 20 seconds or so, getting it halfway to the shore before he spit it out...when I got my line in the bait was flattened a bit, but still there and you still couldn't see the hook! Bleck! I should have had that fish!

This is probably a pretty lame question...but I sure could use some advice.

Should I try a smaller/lighter hook so I can use a little less bait?
Different hook all-together?
Anything?
Bueller? Bueller? 

I don't want to change my bait or leader setup, because it's working pretty well...but I'd rather give fish the hook than just a sampler. I am open to trying anything, though.

[robodad]

What I do is smash the nugget into a pyramid shape just hiding the business end of the hook, seems to work pretty well, another way is to flatten the nugget so it is just thicker then the hook then when you pull it can bust out of the bait easier and into the fish !!! Hope it helps 

[Alchase]

To add to Robodad's suggestion, most generic hooks are not very sharp. Make sure you are using Gamakatsu or some other high quality hooks. You won't believe how much a sharp hook makes a difference. One test you can do is drag the hook across you fingernail, if it digs in it is sharp. If it slides across the nail sharpen it or throw it away. I replace all the hooks on any lure I buy unless they come with Gamakatsu hooks.

You can tell if the hook is to big if it will not float above the weight when it has Power Bait on it.

[Ridinshotgun]

Make sure you use a slip sinker that will make your catch rate go up. Try different colors of power bait .

[kramman]

slip sinker smaller hook and allow the fish to swallow the bait i leave my line slack and wont pick up the rod until the fish pulls on the rod only thing is i dont get to practice catch and release the fish usually engulfes the bait good luck

[Bscman]

Regs say you can release a fish caught with bait, but you must count it towards your limit. I'd still release the little ones...even if it means only going home with one or two big ones. 

Thanks for the tips, guys.
I'll do a little swapping around and hopefully get some better results.

[robodad]

To add to what I said above, You are correct the fish usually swallow the hook pretty deep so I just cut the line, that hook will dissolve in just a day or so maybe two and the fish lives for another day. Hooks are cheap !!

Have fun !!!