What to do when bass jump?

[Jonas Staggs]

Hey guys so I'm wondering what is the correct technique to try and keep the fish on the best you can when they jump and are in the air?

I know about reeling in with the rod down to try and prevent the jump but if they do jump what should I try and do with my rod while they are in the air to prevent them from shaking loose?

I'm thinking of maybe just yanking back on the rod like a hookset to keep the tension while they are in the air to prevent them shaking loose?

[AManWearingAHat]

If you’re me, pray. 

[GTN-NY]

My technique is I lose it. I wish I knew the answer for both of us

[Bankc]

I pull back on the rod, but not like a hookset.  You don't want to yank it out of their mouth.  I try to apply smooth and steady pressure and let flex in the rod do the work.  So you kind of start pulling just before they breach. 

 

Now, I say that, but it's not like I can do that every time.  It's hard to predict when they'll breach.  More often than not, they surprise me and jump before I can get ready.  

[TnRiver46]

I also jump along with the bass 

[5/0]

I recently lost a nice fish on a jump. I had the rod in the water trying to reel it down. It was a team tourney and the boater asked me why my rod tip was down and made the suggestion that I should keep it up. I’ve heard it both ways so I don’t know either. I guess if you do either and you land the fish, you got a show and a nice fish. If you lose it you let out or get a stream of expletives deleted.

[throttleplate]

just this past saturday i caught a dink and that little dink took off like a missle. Dink swam directly at me and flew out of the water on a low trajectory and shook his head and the lure came out.

 

The dink landed in the water a foot from me on the edge of the bank. It was all like in slow motion coming at me and nothin i could do but watch in amazement how that little dink got loose.

[Jonas Staggs]

Lost a few fish recently to jumps. I find myself kind of freezing up when they jump. I don't or didn't want to yank on the fish while he's in the air and pull him towards me, but I'm now thinking that might be the best bet, I'm picturing in my mind something similar to how guys horse fish out of cover when froggin. Just don't want a line snap. I fish a L action rod which definitely help keeps them pinned but have been losing some like 2.5 - 3 lbs fish this way. 

[Jonas Staggs]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

I also jump along with the bass 

 

Gonna have to try this next time for sure. I'll create a brand new dance called "dammit I lost a fish"

[TOXIC]

It somewhat depends on what lure you are using.  A rattle trap, spinnerbait and crankbaits have a weight forward orientation and are thrown more easily.  Weightless plastics are more neutral and a Texas rigged plastic depends on whether you have the weight pegged or free flowing on the line.  Lighter weights don’t throw as easily and heavier weights can wallow out a hole in the fishes mouth allowing it to be thrown if you fight it too long.  With all that being said, the most universal way to keep them pegged is to keep steady pressure on them.

[Jonas Staggs]

12 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

It somewhat depends on what lure you are using.  A rattle trap, spinnerbait and crankbaits have a weight forward orientation and are thrown more easily.  Weightless plastics are more neutral and a Texas rigged plastic depends on whether you have the weight pegged or free flowing on the line.  Lighter weights don’t throw as easily and heavier weights can wallow out a hole in the fishes mouth allowing it to be thrown if you fight it too long.  With all that being said, the most universal way to keep them pegged is to keep steady pressure on them.

 

I been having them throw storm bluegill swimbait, which is on the heavy side for my rod, usually on long casts, long hookups.

The other place I'm losing them is at the bank on the small neds, my thought on that was due to the short hook.

[Fishingmickey]

I just know that they love to throw spinner baits and cranks baits back to me on a regular basis. You know it is coming when you can feel the head shakes and your line is zigzagging as it is coming up to the surface. Also makes you wonder why all the pro's are saying on video as they are fighting a fish... don't jump, don't jump over and over. 

Fishingmickey

[gunsinger]

I've lost a lot of good fish on the jump but, my don't they look pretty.

[MassYak85]

If it's a largemouth, rod down and grind them in as hard as you can. If it's a smallmouth...like others said, pray. 

[Jaderose]

You can do everything right and it's still a 50/50 proposition.  You either will or won't lose that bass.  Like every other fisherman, I have my "Personal Best (actual)" and "Personal Best (but lost to a jump)".  My PB(A) is 9.3lbs.  My PB(BLTAJ) is 47lbs.   

[RDB]

I sometimes fish a 12 acre pond if I have an hour or two and every bass you hook wants to jump.  I don’t know if it’s the best technique but I have found that if I point the tip down when they are coming up and pull away (not hard) when they break the surface, I can get them back in the water quicker with minimal slack from head shakes.

[jimmyjoe]

   This used to happen to me way too often. I took advice from the forums here, and now have a rod that is longer (8') and slower action (MF). I keep the tip down and most importantly, I keep the line coming in at a 45 to 90 degree angle. Helps a lot.                          jj

[papajoe222]

The two things I enjoy the most about bass fishing are blow-ups on topwater baits and fish jumping with my lure in their mouth. Both are the reasons why I love smallmouth.

I've found that if a fish is hooked good, the chances of it coming unbuttoned are slim. If it is hooked only through the soft area of the front of its mouth, chances are 50/50 on loosing that fish.  Keeping tension on the line (the best way to minimize loss) can be difficult when there's a lot of line out and that's one of the reasons I use longer rods with a mod, or mod/fast action for cranking and other treble hooked baits. 

[schplurg]

Keep pressure and watch the show. Lost my very first bass when it jumped. Was still very exciting.

 

If a fish can jump and escape me then good on him. We have nets, sonar, all kinds of crap to catch them with. Little sucker still outsmarts us!

 

I don't like losing them, but a good battle full of action is what I like and it makes it much sweeter when you do catch it  

[Manly Studson]

On 5/3/2021 at 7:23 PM, jimmyjoe said:

now have a rod that is longer (8') and slower action (MF)

This has helped me too. LMB seem to give up more easily in my experience. So I can use fast action rods more easily. But SMB breach more often, and slower action or lighter powered rods do well. But I don’t mind it when fish breach. It makes the catch more enjoyable and memorable.

[Catt]

On 5/3/2021 at 12:00 PM, AManWearingAHat said:

If you’re me, pray. 

 

It's gonna boil down to this!

 

Watch any Pro tournament & you'll see it happens in spite of their best efforts.

 

Try all the suggestions & pray!

[Boomstick]

Make sure you reel up and slack and use your rod tip to pull the fish back towards you and pray.

[schplurg]

And remember: white bass can't jump!

 

 

 

[jbrew73]

Reel faster. 

[roadwarrior]

Smile