User error vs gear issue?

[carrageenan]

I’m new to baitcasting and  over the weekend I missed a few quality fish when they jumped. The biggest took the jig/craw on the fall so I’m not sure I had enough sack before the set. I probably didn’t drop the rod when she jumped, but I was worked up so I can’t remember. I’m still learning so I have 14# mono on the spool, so I’m wondering if the stretch is dampening the hook set. Other than that, the hook probably needs a light sharpening. Hoping to hear what guidance you guys have for me, thanks.

[ironbjorn]

What part do you think is a gear issue...???

A jig hook is very thick. A thick hook + a thick weed guard means you've really got to crack them when you set the hook. Half @$$ing it will lead to problems. A jig + trailer is also a heavy combination. The heavier the lure, the easier it is for fish to throw it when head shaking. You should be able to fish jigs on 14lb mono just fine depending on the cover. The mono will let you bury the hook no problems, although not as good as braid due to no stretch. People fished jigs on mono well before braid and many still do. The only problem with 14lb is the some cover situations where you won't be able to horse a fish out. It doesn't sound like that's what was going on. You also have to consider the rod. What are you using? It's got to be stout enough to bury the hook. All in all, you had a fish jump and head shake with a heavy bait... Losing them this way happens a lot. Other factors previously mentioned can only add to the risk.

And, again, I'm still lost on the gear part.

[soflabasser]

It is the fisherman's responsibility to make sure the tackle is in good condition before they go fishing. Make sure to use quality hooks and learn how to set the hook, this will increase the amount of fish you land.

[islandbass]

Based on what you’ve mentioned, I’d think it’s a combination of user and gear error, with more error awarded to the user. I also use 14# mono. 
 

I appreciate you mentioning that you think your hook wasn’t sharp enough to begin with and that is why I say more on user error. So yes, it’s a gear issue (dull hook) but user issue (user used a dull hook). 
 

Other than that, you win some and you lose some. Those are the ropes. Who knows? Maybe the fish was holding the lure in its mouth and the hook was never set or the hook was not in its mouth when the hook set was attempted. I’d just chalk it up to the fish won this round but you also learned a valuable lesson about knowingly using dull hooks. It was a high price and I say this as one who learned that same lesson.

[Deleted account]

User error.

[MN Fisher]

I don't let slack get in the line when hook-setting with jigs. I feel the 'tug', I heave back. 14# mono should be enough to get a good hook-set...if you want to make doubly sure...set it again.

 

And make sure those hooks are sharp...

[carrageenan]

Thanks a lot for your detailed responses. When I said gear, I was referring to the mono, and hook thickness/sharpening. Baitcasters are new to me, I’m usually utilizing a fly rod. 

[islandbass]

3 hours ago, carrageenan said:

Thanks a lot for your detailed responses. When I said gear, I was referring to the mono, and hook thickness/sharpening. Baitcasters are new to me, I’m usually utilizing a fly rod. 

Ahh….?When I see fly anglers set the hook, it seems reminiscent of when setting the hook when drop shotting. It appears to me that they just pull back to add tension on the line and the hook kind of “does the rest.” Sorry it’s such a poor illustration. 
 

Try to find some YouTube videos of qualified people (like Glenn our fearless leader here, tactical bassin to name two) and see how the hook is set for jigs. Then compare it to how you recall setting the hook on that lost fish. You can then if necessary, make the adjustments.

Most hooks on quality jigs don’t need sharpening out the gate so if you had a quality jig to start with, would not have needed to be sharpened. And this would suggest to me that in this case for you, it was a case that the fish won this round. Don’t worry. It’s all part of the game. You win some and you lose some, but no one ever said it couldn’t hurt on those losses, lol. I still think about the first huge (ever) bass I lost on a husky jerk. She spit it out with authority. I still feel the pain of that loss and it was over 15 years ago when I was a newbie.

 

But I did take away things from that loss. I learned you never ever let the line go slack, bigger fish you allow to jump can throw off your lure (a slack line gives them a chance to jump), and you had better make sure the drag is set before the first cast is made. 

[carrageenan]

Leaving this here for any other future newbies.

 

 

Also, I dropped 3 more last night, so I’ve still got a few things to correct. I did notice on one set, the drag slipped. Are you usually turning your drag up all the way?

 

[Deleted account]

Can't be certain without seeing it, But I'm thinking that if you switch jigs with one with a lighter gauge wire, and don't allow slack at any time, most of your issues will resolve. I set my drag to 11 with single hook lures and mono, but I fish softer rods than most and BG, so no issues with a locked drag and lost fish. 

[Boomstick]

14 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I don't let slack get in the line when hook-setting with jigs. I feel the 'tug', I heave back. 14# mono should be enough to get a good hook-set...if you want to make doubly sure...set it again.

 

And make sure those hooks are sharp...

I believe what he means by slack in the line is just this.. if you point your rod tip down and reel up the slack, then stop reeling and lower it a little more, you have indefinitely more hooksetting power. So it's only an inch or two of slack max just to give the bait a running start for more power.

 

Here's an analogy, ever get your jig stuck in a decent sized branch, not too big to pick up but something you're going to have to work a bit to get back? Next time you do, try that and the branch will get a running start and come right at you.

 

That said, there have been times where I have gotten them in on 15# fluorocarbon or less on a MH rod by reeling up my slack and setting the hook as well.

14 hours ago, carrageenan said:

Thanks a lot for your detailed responses. When I said gear, I was referring to the mono, and hook thickness/sharpening. Baitcasters are new to me, I’m usually utilizing a fly rod. 

Then I wouldn't be surprised if you simply aren't used to the massive powerful hookset you use on jigs. A lot of the lighter baits with light wire hooks, you can basically lift up to set the hook.

 

I would try throwing a light wire hook jig and see if that helps you out. Not that you  shouldn't be able to throw a full size hook, but it may help you figure out what you're doing wrong.

[Deleted account]

14 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

I don't let slack get in the line when hook-setting with jigs

Like a human.

[Catt]

Pretty dang solid advice right there!

 

To take it to the next level Drop the rod, reel the slack, set the hook, turn her head, & get em coming up...all in one motion!

 

Wanna watch some videos, watch Greg Hackney, all the Pros say he has a violent hookset.

[NoShoes]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

Pretty dang solid advice right there!

 

To take it to the next level Drop the rod, reel the slack, set the hook, turn her head, & get em coming up...all in one motion!

 

Wanna watch some videos, watch Greg Hackney, all the Pros say he has a violent hookset.

you set the hook like that it really doesn’t matter your line or rod or equipment, that’ll hook about anything. 

[Catt]

When we get to bass in the 6 lb plus category you had better be in complete control the instant hook penetrates flesh.

 

The bass is in his backyard, he knows where every stick, brush, stump, rock, & will us those to his advantage. Once that hook point penetrates flesh survival mode kicks in. We're trying to remove that bass from it's environment & it doesn't wanna go.

 

If ya ain't in control that means the bass is!

[NoShoes]

My biggest couple bass came from a cypress swamp where it’s nothing but cover to break off on. 
 

After the initial hook set and surge I bump my trolling motor out of the cypress fields into open water where it’s a fair fight. 
 

I saw one poor soul in a kayak getting tugged around the cypress by an 8 lber. Every cypress this time of year is covered in hornets nests. It’s a miracle he didn’t get ate up with all the trees he ran into and line hung up on. He got the fish though!

[carrageenan]

Thanks for the advice guys, great story too! I’m slowly starting to figure out what works for me.

[Darth-Baiter]

User error. I’m using 12lb flouro on jigs.  
 

You’ll get into the rhythm of setting the hook. I’m learned that I have time. Feel the tic, crank up any looseness, drop rod and set. If I felt the tic I don’t have much slack but sometimes the fish is swimming towards me.  
 

it’s so fun. You’ll get it. I just figured it out this spring. 

[A-Jay]

Happen to catch this jig bite on video.

We were around some hefty bass here, so my gear reflects that.

This was a 7'4" H Mod Fast stick, 20 lb FC and a 3/4 oz jig.

She was in about 10 feet with wood everywhere, I wanted her to keep coming my way; fortunately, she did. 

 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

[WRB]

We all assume you used a MH/4 power fast action jig/ worm rod....?

Fly fishing you drop the rod to let the heavy line keep the light wire hook past the barb to prevent tearing out the hook.

Bass fishing with jigs and worm never initially let the line go slack fight them, nothing good happens loosing control of the fish.

Tom

[PressuredFishing]

it happens, if anything it may slack in the line, dont beat yourself up though, Ive set the hook at least 50 thousand times and just the other day, my hand being tired, was fuzzy+ I was zoning out, and didnt set the hook strong, and set it late, on top of that I had the drag set too loose, so while I was clicking the drag star down the fish ran at me got slack and jumped, pop i lost him. It happens, and I missed many MANY bass when learning, just because i didnt set the hook hard enough, had to much slack in line, etc.  best thing I can reccomend for you to increase your hookup to d**n near 100% is to focus on fishing, and be aware of tensing your muscles on every cast, and keeping your mind awake, getting a good nights rest, and swinging for the fences with a trig/jig, and just reeling him in as fast as you can. I cannot stress enough how much being healthy, awake, and aware can help increase the hook set. Even with me setting hooks into bass thousands of time, its just user error, or sloppyness that comes with humans, we arent perfect, and accepting that will make you a much better angler, but to be the best angler, try your best to fix these mistakes by being aware, awake, and ready. other than that it just happens, its never a gaurentee you will land the fish on your line, sometimes the mouth tears, sometimes the hook doesnt grab flesh, sometimes a shake can throw the hook, it just happens.

[king fisher]

User error, what's that?  If Yogi Berra could blame his bat for a hitting slump.  I can blame my fishing gear for a fishing slump.  Great excuse to by new gear, or a new bat.

[Sphynx]

Well, based on what you've said, both, Mono -does- stretch, this is not usually a problem if your just flipping a jig into close areas, but if you get it out there a good ways, the amount of stretch can be fairly high and can definitely cause hook setting issues, and hooks that are not razor sharp are also a big problem, for the gear you could try going braid to a leader, I wouldn't use less than 30lb braid for a jig, and 15ish pound mono works well for a leader material. The leaving slack thing would be a user error in my book, we work hard to get that line tight, don't go giving the buggers any extra bites at the apple to get away lol, most of the jigs I fish have bigger hooks in them, so they want a pretty firm set to make sure you get it in far enough that the barb helps you out...once they are hooked it's just like fly fishing, keep tension in the line or they'll get loose, and you can probably forget about "letting fish jump" as the best you can do about that is try to minimize the chances, some of them are going to jump no matter what you do, and in my experience that goes double for Smallmouth, very acrobatic and energetic fish.

[papajoe222]

There are two trains of thought when it comes to jig hook sets. One calls for a little slack in the line before setting and the other doesn't.  What they both do call for is a quick, strong set and I''m assuming, if you do a lot of fly fishing, yours is more of a hard sweep of the rod.

As for your drag occasionally slipping on the hook set, I'd only be concerned if it allows more than a couple of inches of line out.  If it's a concern, you can always drop your thumb on to the spool on the hook set.

[Fishin Dad]

With jigs, I am using 15-20 lb. fluoro or 30-50lb. Braid on a MH or heavy rod.  I reel down, set the hook hard, and start reeling as fast as I can.  I agree with Catt, getting em coming your way.  Losing fish that jump or wrap you up is part of the game though.  It happens.  Many times there is nothing you can do about it.   Do as much as you can correctly and just enjoy the game!   Hopefully you win more than you lose.