After The Hookset??

[wademaster1]

Fellas, I'm completely and totally mindblown and humbled as I sit here and type this. An hour and a half ago I hooked an absolute goliath fish on a big plastic bait. The fish took the bait, I got a nice hookset and the battle began. After maybe 20 seconds my heart sank when my line went limp and I reeled in nothing but my plastic worm. This fished pulled several feet of drag and never slowed down. I'm convinced it was a HOG largemouth by the initial bite and the after hookset behavior. My question is what now? I was fishing a pond that has gave up some nice fish in the past. Will this fish bite again? Will it return to the same area? What are your thoughts? What would you do? I'm going to devote every available second to hunting this fish. Thanks fellas and good fishing.

[JellyMan]

It will bite again. It most likely has a home and it will most likely be back there or in the area.

 

When I caught my 12lber, I thought I lost it too. It went limp for a moment and swam toward my reeling then tugged away. All I gotta say is when you hook a big one, let a little drag out so she can run without breaking the line, keep pressure on it, and bring her home!

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Fellas, I'm completely and totally mindblown and humbled as I sit here and type this. An hour and a half ago I hooked an absolute goliath fish on a big plastic bait. The fish took the bait, I got a nice hookset and the battle began. After maybe 20 seconds my heart sank when my line went limp and I reeled in nothing but my plastic worm. This fished pulled several feet of drag and never slowed down. I'm convinced it was a HOG largemouth by the initial bite and the after hookset behavior. My question is what now? I was fishing a pond that has gave up some nice fish in the past. Will this fish bite again? Will it return to the same area? What are your thoughts? What would you do? I'm going to devote every available second to hunting this fish. Thanks fellas and good fishing.

 

Most likely if it sees what it wants. Havent most of us caught a fish at one time with a hook left in it? I have on several occasions. Ive missed fish at times and thrown back at 'em and caught them. Had frog hit multi times from what had to be the same fish I believe.

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

IMO according to what I have read fish have a very short memory. I believe she will be there waiting for you to trick her again. Whatever has her going to that spot will be instinctive and not from memory. If it makes you feel more confident try the same bait in a slightly different color. Chances are though if there is one nice one there could be more in that spot.

Here is another way to look at it in a positive way. It's the spawning season in most places so she might be protecting a nest and hit your bait again to protect that nest.

Jay-

[JellyMan]

Great info here as well.

 

[wademaster1]

Thanks for the input guys. I've caught an 8lb fish there, but I swear this one seemed much stronger and larger. We'll see what takes place.....

[wademaster1]

Jellyman, is there a link that should be showing up?? All I see is great info here as well...

[Scott F]

Any chance it wasn't a bass? Catfish will hit plastics and will make your drag sing too.

[JellyMan]

Yeah there should be a video there. Go to youtube and search "myths about bass". Thumbnail is a gentleman in an orange shirt at a podium.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

There is a video there post #5 I see it

[wademaster1]

The link from jellyman may not be showing up due to my using a mobile device....I dunno.

Scott, I thought of that too. But the initial strike was that all too familiar thump from a largemouth. Usually a cat will just grab the bait and take off like a dump truck. This fish also stayed just a little under the surface making me think it wanted to jump, but I kept it down. Most cats wanna stay deep as long as possible.

[Gatorbassman]

Yeah there should be a video there. Go to youtube and search "myths about bass". Thumbnail is a gentleman in an orange shirt at a podium.

That fella is the top warm water fisheries biologist in the country. His name is Bob Lusk. He is amazing to sit down with and talk to. In fact I got off the water early today just so I could sit down with him and ask questions and listen. I wish I would have had my camera with me. I learned more about baitfish in 20 minutes than I have reading anything. 

[WRB]

There is a lot to be learned from big bass lost.

Ask yourself what you did wrong, there is always a reason and sometimes it comes down to the bass won that round.

There isn't a lot places for a big bass to go in a pond size environment.

What other predators are in that pond?

The one that got away is goring to be bigger than those you land and some of those bass, if you get a good look at them, will haunt you for a long time, it's part of our sport's lore.

With soft plastics there will be evidence how the bass had the worm or creature in it's mouth and how the soft plastic came back on the hook is important. Always check for teeth marks, yes bass have teeth that rough up the soft plastic. Was the soft plastic covering the hook point or bunched into the hook gap and covering the point. Can't get a hook set with hook point covered.

It's very difficult to judge the size of the bass or whatever grabbed the soft plastic without getting a good look at the fish. Does this pond have any big snapping turtles, gar or catfish for example.

After the hook set? How about getting a good hook set!

Go back and catch that bass!

Tom

[SirSnookalot]

The fish probably just let go of the bait, as WRB described you may not have had a hookset if the bait comes back with the hook still embedded within.

A year or maybe 2  I caught the same bass 2 days in a row in the same general location in a pond.  I knew it was the same fish with the exact distinguishing mark on the lip.  I did take photos both days and may have posted it here, don't remember.

You never know how big a fish is unless it's been landed (no lands them all), I've had fish fight harder than fish twice their size of others I've caught.

[K_Mac]

Yes, it will probably bite again. Make sure you have a good strong, sharp hook sized for the bait you're throwing, and rod/line heavy enough to drive it home. Now go catch that thing!

[Sam]

Agree with Snook.  Bass let go of the bait or your hook was not deep into the bass' mouth and she shook it loose.

 

Go out and catch her today!

 

She is still in the area and will hit your bait.

 

And since she did not jump we have to assume she was so big she could not get her fat fanny out of the water.

[Paul Roberts]

Sorry to hear. It's hard to think aobut. You'll be saying "Awwwwwwww...." every time yo uthink about it for the forseeable future. Been there.

 

A few thoughts:

 

She'll most likely hit again. Some fish are more vulnerable than others though, Some in a population are known to never get caught. But, esp if this pond is not fished heavy, fish that get exceptionally big are often the aggressive individuals, and they are susceptible to angling. This from some research on susceptibility to angling and also mentioned by Doug Hannon in his writing.

 

I've noticed from a number of fish I've caught more than once that they may show a preference/vulnerablity for a certain lure type.

 

Big fish ar often most susceptible during the coldwater season -fall thru spring. During summer, I think bc of cover density, fish going deeper than most people fish, and activity levels, they can be harder to find. This may depend on the layout of your pond though.

 

Good luck.

[slonezp]

Fish gotta eat. Serve her what she wants.

 

I've had aggressive fish hit lures repeatedly in one and multiple outings. A small lake I used to fish held a few monsters by northern IL standards. Water is gin clear. My son and I found a bass with distinguished black markings on its head. We had both hooked it and lost it multiple times in a 3 week period. It always hung out in the same area. I took my father out fishing and told him the story about the elusive fish. He had her in the livewell shortly after we arrived to the spot. She was a tad over 5lbs and my dads PB.

[wademaster1]

I was using a 4/0 widegap hook guys. I set the hook like it was my job!! The fish didn't hit and act like anything other than a BIG bass. We'll see what happens when I go after her again!! I'll post pics WHEN i land her! Thanks

[jhoffman]

I feel your pain. Last year I was fishing a $300 wednesday night lunker. It was tough conditions. I decided to fish the shade line on a rip rap point extending out from a highway bridge. I assumed with bluebird skies the fish would be in the deep and in the shade and I wasnt wrong. I hooked into what I estimate wouldve been my personal best on that lake 8lb+. I had the fish completely to the boat and took a swipe at it with a net like a dummy. He spit the jig right at the boat. I prob sounded like Ike at that moment.

[Paul Roberts]

J Francho has a great pic of a big NY bass in which the hook point stuck in maxiallary, but not through it. He landed it, but was lucky. Fish hooked like that have a better than even chance of popping free.

[iabass8]

I've lost the same 5# prespawn large mouth two days in a row pitching the same jig in the same exact spot two consecutive days. Each time it bite on the initial drop on the first cast and wouldn't hit anything for the rest of the day. Going back a couple hours later it was still not a taker. I took 2 days off, went back and landed her again in the same spot with the same jig.  She did not bite again prior to spawning.

[WRB]

I was using a 4/0 widegap hook guys. I set the hook like it was my job!! The fish didn't hit and act like anything other than a BIG bass. We'll see what happens when I go after her again!! I'll post pics WHEN i land her! Thanks

Like I said in the 1st post; sometimes the bass win!

Missing hooks set is missing opportunity. I am not a fan of off set wide gap hooks for 2 reasons; the wide gap hook bend can be flatten between the basses lips easily due to the shape of the hook gap bend and the hook eye is more in line with the hook point. The combination when you make a longer cast is the hook misses the inside mouth tissue a higher percentage of the time on larger size bass. The bigger bass have powerful mouths that bite down hard to kill prey. The. Lips are about 1/2 wide and hard catledge that hooks don't penetrate esily, is better for the hook point to contact tissue inside the mouth and straight shank sprout bend or round bend hooks like Owner 5103 size 4/0 will improve hook sets percentage verses off set hooks like Owner 5140 comparing the same brand.

I often fish days ( 15 hours on the water on average) trying to get big bass strikes and missed strikes are costly in time and effort. Sharp high quality hooks, good knots, fresh line, good drags and close attention to details help to prevent missed hook sets and help putting these big bass in the boat.

Tom

[wademaster1]

WRB, so do you think the preferred hooks that you mentioned would get a better hook set than the widegap hooks even with a very large plastic bait? Thanks

[SirSnookalot]

Losing fish is just part of the game.  I don't catch too many 5# fish, my main targets are in a different size range.  I've lost them on the trim tabs or the motor, had a predator nail them before I can land them and a dozen other reasons for not being successful.  I may be disappointed at the moment, but never upset, just a matter of time until I get another good fish.  This is my recreation, not my livelyhood.