Losing Fish Kayak Side

[stk44]

I Had a descent day fishing but landed none. I caught about 10 bass fishing in about 5-8 feet of water. All fish were barely hooked and shook off right alongside my kayak.

The water was murky. About 1.5 max visibility. I tried to speed up, slow down my retrieve and changed to brighter colors and added vibration in the mix. What did I do wrong?

I was catching the fish on a white spinner bait and a shad colored no rattle lipless crank from 6th sense.

Also lost a nice 3 pounder after the first jump...I tried to flip my rod to the side but he just shook free....:-(

[stk44]

Sorry, the mobile version of this is kind of difficult. This should be in the general forum.

[Scott F]

The obvious answer is are your hooks sharp? Are you getting a good hook set?

[MidwestF1sh]

Never throw a spinner bait without a trailer hook! Other than that what ^^^^ he said.

[stk44]

The spinner baits are brand new and the hooks are really sharp. I'm using a medium heavy rod that I use for jigs, I'm giving a pretty firm hookset, probably not driving the hook home like I would with a frog or Texas rig though.

Any recommendations for adding a trailer hook? Like line, treble hook size etc?

[J Francho]

Use a net.

[Subaqua Adinterim]

A net is always helpful. However, you are going to release the fish anyway, so it's always good if you can get it next to the kayak, get a good look at it and it gets off by itself. A win-win for you and the fish. Look at it as a positive.

[Dye99]

When Im fishing murky water I make SURE to double hook set in many cases. 

Change out hooks, use trailer h

 

Never throw a spinner bait without a trailer hook! Other than that what ^^^^ he said.

 

If I had $20 for every chunky largemouth that I caught only on the trailer hook, I could buy a nice bass boat!

[Fisher-O-men]

The spinner baits are brand new and the hooks are really sharp. I'm using a medium heavy rod that I use for jigs, I'm giving a pretty firm hookset, probably not driving the hook home like I would with a frog or Texas rig though.

Any recommendations for adding a trailer hook? Like line, treble hook size etc?

You want a single hook for a trailer.  They are made special for that. There is generally a cut piece of rubber tubing over the eye of the trailer and then you put the first hook through the eye and tubing.

I tried putting a pic but it was not allowed, sorry.

[MIbassyaker]

On 9/26/2015 at 8:27 PM, smkralik said:

Any recommendations for adding a trailer hook? Like line, treble hook size etc?

 

Here's one I've been using. I think it's an eagle claw 1/0:

 

 

 

I like to let the hook swing freely below the rubber piece. The other option is to slide the rubber sleeve over the eye of the trailer, then put the lure hook through the sleeve and the eye together. That holds the trailer hook more rigidly in place behind the main hook.

[MIbassyaker]

Without a net, you're just going to lose some, and that's the reality. I think this problem generally has less to do with lack of trailer hooks and weak hooksets (though fixing those couldn't hurt), and more to do with not keeping a tight line. This happens a lot in the kayak trying to bring the fish in, given the limited space you have to manage both rod and fish, and a range of motion that essentially amounts to creative use of your armspan.

[hawgenvy]

I carry with me at all times when fishing a hook sharpener, which is a tiny, lightweight, grooved metallic file manufactured for that purpose. And it comes with a little cord so I can attach it to my belt loop or almost anything else. Most commercial hooks, with the exception of Trokar and a few other brands, can be made significantly sharper even when new in half a minute with such a device. It might solve much of your problem (they are at least biting the hook or you wouldn't be getting them close to the boat). However, for spinner baits, also adding a trailer hook may up your odds.

[stk44]

Well, I attempted to add a trailer hook using a circle hook that I have. The eye wasn't big enough so I fished the same lake today without one. I Had one bass on a drop shot that got off. Had a really nice bass on a spinnerbait that spit the hook after first jump. My hookset couldn't have been better. I never have had hook set issues....

I completely forgot to double hook set and I pulled my rod to the side during the jump.

My buddy caught 5 today ( none yesterday) on a small shell cracker type swim bait with a trailer hook. He didn't have any issue with the fish spitting his hooks, although his bass were smaller.

Could the wind blowing my 45 lb kayak around while fighting a fish cause this problem?

I'm really struggling here...

[Scott F]

What kind of line are you using?

[stk44]

What kind of line are you using?

I'm using 30 pound power pro with a 3 foot 15lb seaguar flouro leader.

[stk44]

Do you think mono or co polymer would be better?

[MIbassyaker]

You might have fewer problems with stretchier line, like going all mono or fluoro.

Also, for trailer hooks you want to look for hooks specifically made to be trailers; they have a much wider eye to slip over the barb of the main hook, and they'll come with rubber tubing, either already covering the eye or in a separate piece.

[stk44]

You might have fewer problems with stretchier line, like going all mono or fluoro.

Also, for trailer hooks you want to look for hooks specifically made to be trailers; they have a much wider eye to slip over the barb of the main hook, and they'll come with rubber tubing, either already covering the eye or in a separate piece.

 

Ok cool. I'm going to get a few with my next Tackle Warehouse order. I am thinking about dedicating a Shimano sellus MH and an older silver max reel just for spinner baits. Thoughts? What size line should I use? The only thing I liked about that braid was that I had A LOT of sensitivity will slow rolling the spinnerbait along the bottom. That is how I've been catching most of my fish.