As guys have said it can be the day, it happens.

 

In terms of striking hard I refrain from that, as often if you "lift" on a fish and it's not hooked you can drop the rod tip and get him on the second go.

If you strike hard it moves the softie out of his strike zone if not time zone if he doesn't stick.

 

I have had days when you feel the bite or enquiry and count to three then lift the hook in and they just won't stick if you go any faster.

Not very often but often enough that I will try this if I'm not getting fish to stick.

 

I had a slow start the other day and opted for Kavemans micro's and I was getting the odd small snap and my mate was just getting tugs on his softies (he's a very onto it fisher).

 

Later when the bite came on you could have caught fish with a rag on a hook as long as you fished for the snapper in the mid water.

Fun times.

 

Defintily try using a worm hook and a ball sinker, it does result in a better hook up rate

 

I had difficulty setting the hook with a spin reel, found with an overhead locking down the drag and striking far easier.