What do do when fish buries in weeds

[Flav]

I hooked and then lost what might have been my PB largemouth yesterday, looking for some advice.  I was fishing from the bank so standing about 3 ft above water level, it hit my senko, I set the hook and first played it with my rod tip high until it made a big jump out of the water.  I dropped my rod tip after the jump to try and keep it from jumping  again, and it then dove straight into the thick vegetation about 10 yards from the shore.  I tried horsing it out of there with my medium medium power spinning rod and 6# test, and sure enough after giving it a really strong pull my knot broke off and the hawg got away.

 

In hindsight i probably should have kept the rod tip high to avoid the weeds as that was more of a risk than the jumping, but once it buried deep in the weeds what should I have done?   maybe just keep the line as gently taught as possible and see if I can wait it out until it swims itself out of the weeds?  

[MN Fisher]

Shore fishing + Spinning tackle + 6# test + Heavy 'cabbage' = recipe for disaster.

 

Really, trying to keep it from diving into the weeds is your only option with that rig. If it dives into the weeds, write it off - it's not coming out anytime soon.

 

With heavier gear, you could horse it out - but we're talking at least 20# braid...which a spinning rig can handle - but that medium-power rod might not be up to the task...I've got 20# on spinning, but it's a medium-heavy rod.

[gunsinger]

I can't say this will always work, and it probably goes against common wisdom, but I've had fish that have tried to tie me up in structure.  I have had some success giving them a little slack and had them swim clear.

 

Conventional wisdom probably says maintain constant pressure until they finally clear themselves.  I've never been one for convention.  Especially when the odds are high that I'm going to lose the fish anyway.  A hog on 6 lb test from the bank puts those odds a bit higher.  Just my opinion though.

[A-Jay]

One of the most important factors in bass fishing, whether you are a beginner, novice, or even a tournament contender, is using the right equipment for your baits and tactics. 

 For most plus size bass, your gear is probably too light and not capable of landing what you've described, where you described it.

Consider kicking it up a notch ~ Read more here . . .

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/equipment.html

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

[huZZah]

4 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

One of the most important factors in bass fishing, whether you are a beginner, novice, or even a tournament contender, is using the right equipment for your baits and tactics. 

This.
So my panfish rig has 6lb mono. If I get a 6lb fish I do my best with drag and work to keep it, but it’s not what I was hoping for. And landing it is somewhat of a miracle on the bank. And I’m not shocked when I lose it.  When I’m using my T rig casting rig, I have 12lb floro because I’m trying to get a 6lb fish, and I’m prepared to land it. Better yet, my shaky head rig is 20lb braid cause I’m looking for a 10lb fish. My frog rig is 65lb braid on a heavy rig cause I expect a fight in veggies and I want a 20lb fish ?. 

[E-rude dude]

The great thing about fishing is sometimes the fish win. Otherwise we would calling it catching. 
From the bank is tough. In a boat I would have gone and got the fish. 
Heavier gear maybe a better choice but will they bite that.? You will have to let us know.

Good Luck 

[Dogface]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

 recipe for disaster

 

Yep! Its time to rethink your line weight or your location. 

 

If you have an extra spool for your reel I would consider spooling on a heavier weight line for fishing that location. But be forewarned even a heavy line might not be enough to horse a fish out of thick weeds. Sometimes you have to go in alter them. 

[Kenny Yi]

my line strength, hook diameter, and rod power is never for the fish, it's for where the fish can hide.  heavier the cover, the heavier the gear

[Flav]

Thanks everyone for the replies, i have a fury 703c with 12# YZH on it, sounds like I need to use that for summer Senko duties when the veggies are thick, and try my best to keep them from diving as they approach the bank.

 

The good thing is this is only a 13 acre pond, and I know that fish is in there somewhere so now it gives me something to chase this summer!

[MN Fisher]

That has a much better chance to manage it...I've got 12# YZH on my main crank-rig...it's a good line.

[MIbassyaker]

 

55 minutes ago, Flav said:

Thanks everyone for the replies, i have a fury 703c with 12# YZH on it, sounds like I need to use that for summer Senko duties when the veggies are thick, and try my best to keep them from diving as they approach the bank.

 

??????

 

I fish senkos in weeded cover on medium spinning gear, but 15 or 20# braid instead of 6# line. They must be worked out carefully rather than horsed, and some places are too thick for it and need a stouter rod.

[Fishnski48]

2 hours ago, gunsinger said:

I can't say this will always work, and it probably goes against common wisdom, but I've had fish that have tried to tie me up in structure.  I have had some success giving them a little slack and had them swim clear.

 

I saw Mark Zona talk about this very thing on one of his shows.  Then he showed a clip of him skipping a dock and  the fish getting tangled up on something and instead of trying to horse him out he fed him some line and let him do the untangling for him since the fish wanted to get to deeper water.  It can work!

[WRB]

When you lower the tip it creates a moment of loss line pressure and the bass did what they do....run and dive deeper into cover.  It’s all about controlling the bass and your options are limited from shore with finesse tackle in cover.

Tom

PS, you can’t keep a bass from jumping by lowering the rod, that is a myth.

[throttleplate]

here is what i do with every fish and so far it works for me using a spinning reel, 30lb braid with a 20lb fluoro leader or 80lb if in notorious pike waters connected to the braid with a snap and swivel.

When i have the fish on i crank and i crank through the drag and if it jumps i keep the rod the same up and to the side and keep crankin and if its got me in the weeds i keep the pressure on and walk the bank a bit to get different anges to pull him out and i keep crankin untill the fish is at my feet.

I have pulled fish in draped with weeds and not even seeing the fish untill i pull the weeds off.

[papajoe222]

In your situation, you would have been better off easing up pressure on the fish once it got into the weeds. There was a better chance that the fish would swim back out of the weeds vs. you muscling her out.  By easing up, I don't mean giving her slack, just keeping light tension and line when necessary. This tactic works well for fish that get tied up in brush, too. 

Keeping the fish out of the cover is your first priority, getting it out and to you is your second. You should have a plan on how to do both.  The right equipment can accomplish the first...............What's your Plan B?

[Bluebasser86]

Never take a knife to a gun fight.

[Biglittle8]

13 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

That has a much better chance to manage it...I've got 12# YZH on my main crank-rig...it's a good line.

+ 1on the 12# YZH... I use it on my two main casters. I use the 8# on my spinning rig.

[txchaser]

[islandbass]

14 hours ago, Flav said:

Thanks everyone for the replies, i have a fury 703c with 12# YZH on it, sounds like I need to use that for summer Senko duties when the veggies are thick, and try my best to keep them from diving as they approach the bank.

 

The good thing is this is only a 13 acre pond, and I know that fish is in there somewhere so now it gives me something to chase this summer!

Don’t be too hard on yourself. That setup would work in many but the heaviest of cover and in this instance that happened to be the case. As a shorebound angler and one who until this season have been more finesse oriented, I can relate. 
 

At the least it’s an excuse to get new gear if you don’t already have this in your arsenal. I myself am looking into getting a heavy rod to  let me handle heavier jigs and frogs for this scenario. 

[JustJames]

I’m not sure how thick of the weed in your area and what kind. Yeah you should use heavy setup for very thick cover but if Bass drive into weed and you can’t control it the best way to keep pressure and pulling it out little by little not hard force. 
I love finesse weightless worm thru weed with my Medium 10lb Red Label FC. It is not super thick weed though just here and there. Sometimes you lost and sometime you win but at least you know you get a bite. BTW these 4-5lb bass feel like 10lb once you try to pull it in with 1lb salad.

 

[Dwight Hottle]

If your fishing around heavy weeds you need braid because it cuts through the weeds while mono does not. Like mentioned you need to upgrade your tackle to meet the conditions your are fishing. You have only two choices when hooking a good fish in heavy vegetation. 1 horse her out & keep the pressure on the whole way back to the net. 2 give her slack & hope she swims out. I always chose number 1. 

[Bubba 460]

Funny you should mention that. I just happen to have a redneck buddy who has been working on a fishing combo geared at getting bass out of weed-beds.

 

[Bubba 460]

11 hours ago, txchaser said:

 

Yep, that ought to do it! Anyone that was in that pool is now a sub-surface wall decoration.

[the reel ess]

I wouldn't use 6# mono in anyplace I thought there might be better than 3 lb bass. I have 30# braid on my baitcasters, except my frog rod, which has 50#. And fish still get off sometimes when they bury up in weeds. I use 20# braid on spinning. 

[galyonj]

12 hours ago, txchaser said:

 

 

If it's over 3, I'm diving in after it. Under, and I'll try to tease it out like these others people said.