I lost two fish today, and I'm not 100% sure what to do differently

[oldnewguy]

I got out early this morning to try my new gear (Exceler 2500/SC Triumph M/F) that I picked up after getting some good advice here.  I'm using 10# Stren, and I set the drag to 3#.  That is, I adjusted the drag until I could barely lift a 3# weight.  Any heavier and the drag would slip (not exactly sure on the terminology)

 

So, I'm on the bank of my favorite pond just at sunup. I had a simple rig with a plastic worm that I also  read about here.

 

Fish #1.  I get a big bite and set the hook.  He's taking out line, I'm reeling in when he's not.  After a minute or two, I'm getting him close to the bank.  I guess he started swimming toward me, there was some slack in the line, and then I'm reeling in the hook.  I'm assuming the slack was the issue, and he was able to throw the hook?

 

Fish #2, same thing.  Big bite, set the hook.  I'm letting him take out line, reel in when I can.  I get him to abour two feet from the bank.  He's exhausted and breathing hard.  He must weigh more than three pounds, because I can't pick him up without the drag slipping.  I'm not sure how deep it drops off where he's at, I debate for a second if I want to step out into the water.  Instead, I close my hand over the line and start to pull him up with me rod.  Of course, my line broke.  I'm super frustrated, and I feel terrible because he's still hooked and dragging around this stupid plastic worm he can't actually eat.  I guess I should reached down closer and grabbed the line?  I'm just not sure.  And he was easily the biggest fish I've caught.

 

So, what did I do wrong?

 

[gim]

Fish 1, you probably are correct.  Lack of tension and the fish could easily become unpinned, especially if you did not initially get a good hookset.

 

Can't help you on fish 2.  Maybe someone else that bank fishes more often can offer their opinion.  Its unfortunate that fish now has a hook/plastic buried in its mouth or jaw somewhere.

[TnRiver46]

Classic case of over thinking it. You’ll get em soon enough 

[FrnkNsteen]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

Classic case of over thinking it. You’ll get em soon enough 

Agreed. Don't worry so much.

 

Fish 1 was probably slack line as you said.

 

Fish 2,.. Hard to say,.. Could have had a nick in your line. Check the line above your bait occasionally... Especially after having a fish on and fighting it. Line gets nicked up just fishing too and can lead to breaks if not checked.

 

Other than that,... You're getting good bites it seems!

[PondProwler9000]

How is your confidence in your knot tying? Maybe an area to look in to. 10# test shouldn't break too easily.

[Bird]

What size hook are you trying to set ?

 

[Smokinal]

I try to never grab the line.

Your rod acts as a shock absorber; without the rod in the equation, it's very common to break line; reach down and lip him.

[WRB]

Most bank anglers simply drag the bass up onto the bank, then lip it. Another option is use a net.

Sometimes the bass wins.

Tom

[DitchPanda]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Most bank anglers simply drag the bass up onto the bank, then lip it. Another option is use a net.

Sometimes the bass wins.

Tom

This...if you can't comfortably bend down or even reach the fish because of shore obstruction or distance off the water use a net. Also I'd never lift a fish by the line that's just asking for a break off if there is the slightest nick or abrasion. I too am a shore angler and it can be tricky to get down to the water in places so we must adapt and overcome.

[islandbass]

2 hours ago, oldnewguy said:

I got out early this morning to try my new gear (Exceler 2500/SC Triumph M/F) that I picked up after getting some good advice here.  I'm using 10# Stren, and I set the drag to 3#.  That is, I adjusted the drag until I could barely lift a 3# weight.  Any heavier and the drag would slip (not exactly sure on the terminology)

 

So, I'm on the bank of my favorite pond just at sunup. I had a simple rig with a plastic worm that I also  read about here.

 

Fish #1.  I get a big bite and set the hook.  He's taking out line, I'm reeling in when he's not.  After a minute or two, I'm getting him close to the bank.  I guess he started swimming toward me, there was some slack in the line, and then I'm reeling in the hook.  I'm assuming the slack was the issue, and he was able to throw the hook?

 

Fish #2, same thing.  Big bite, set the hook.  I'm letting him take out line, reel in when I can.  I get him to abour two feet from the bank.  He's exhausted and breathing hard.  He must weigh more than three pounds, because I can't pick him up without the drag slipping.  I'm not sure how deep it drops off where he's at, I debate for a second if I want to step out into the water.  Instead, I close my hand over the line and start to pull him up with me rod.  Of course, my line broke.  I'm super frustrated, and I feel terrible because he's still hooked and dragging around this stupid plastic worm he can't actually eat.  I guess I should reached down closer and grabbed the line?  I'm just not sure.  And he was easily the biggest fish I've caught.

 

So, what did I do wrong?

 

Never ever lose tension in the line during the fight… Never. The bigger the fish, the greater chance they can throw the hook if given the chance. 
 

Please that what I wrote above is not stated to be directly at you but rather my tenet once the fish is on. I’ve lost enough fish to finally realize what the culprit was. User (me) error every time. Every lost fish when I was a newbie made me feel like a fool. 
 

Slack line => the chances of the fish coming off increases toward infinity (ie, certainty) and your chances of landing the fish goes toward the limit of zero. Sorry for the reference to differential calculus, but it’s true, lol. 

[king fisher]

Your biggest mistake is underestimating the size of your fish.  Any fish that gets away is at least five pounds 7 pounds if it jumps, and should grow bigger as time goes by.  Other than that you catch some and loose some.

[Catt]

4 hours ago, oldnewguy said:

So, what did I do wrong?

 

Took up bass fishing!

 

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Classic case of over thinking it. You’ll get em soon enough 

 

[oldnewguy]

19 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Classic case of over thinking it. You’ll get em soon enough 

 

Agreed

19 hours ago, PondProwler9000 said:

How is your confidence in your knot tying? Maybe an area to look in to. 10# test shouldn't break too easily.

 

It's reasonably good.  I absolutely lost fish the first week or so that I started, just tying knots from memory, going through the wrong loop, etc.

 

But it's much better now.

18 hours ago, WRB said:

Most bank anglers simply drag the bass up onto the bank, then lip it. Another option is use a net.

Sometimes the bass wins.

Tom

 

That's exactly what I did this morning, and caught two fish that way.

[Zcoker]

I maneuver through the water all my bank fish up to the shallows and then lip them, so there isn't any lifting out of the water. As for line, I used to use 20 braid but now use 50 on everything, no matter where I fish. I put as many things as I possible can to my advantage, line, knots, landing tactics, etc. If anything, learn by the mistakes you make and don't beat yourself up them. Mistakes can be the impetus for that golden catch later on! 

[Nathan Mattera]

Do you have a net to help you pick it up, doing it by hand is not always an option especially if it ends up being a big fish. Last month i hooked onto a giant carp when i was night fishing. And i reeled it to the rocks and when my cousin went to grab the fish by the line, the line snapped. And then like 10 minutes later i hooked another one, im pretty sure it was the same carp. Same thing happened i got it to the rocks but couldn't get the fish out of the water, but he ended up getting off the hook, which is definitely better than snapping my line and having a hook stuck in his mouth or two hooks if indeed it was the same carp. I always carry my large fishing net with me, but that day was literally the only day i did not bring my net cause i forgot it and that was the day i hooked a giant fish. I was kinda mad lol.

[dodgeguy]

Switch to braid for better hooksets. Get a net.

[padlin]

To me the drag is too light, I'd go to 15 lb braid and crank up the drag. I try hard to never have slack in the line. Use a net or reach into the water, unless it's a dink.

[MN Fisher]

On 7/20/2022 at 8:08 PM, DitchPanda said:

Also I'd never lift a fish by the line that's just asking for a break off if there is the slightest nick or abrasion.

Also, despite you seeing Pros swinging big bass into the boat with their rods - that's a good way to break a rod. Even a 3# bass could be too much.

 

Get a net - always use it.

[fin]

I mostly fish from the bank and use 10#, and it’s extremely rare that I have to resort to dragging a fish across the ground. Out of respect for the fish, I try to avoid any contact other than the bottom lip, and I’ve gotten to where I always use fish grippers for that. I bring the fish to the edge of the water and get down on one knee and lip them. If I can’t get to the edge of the water, or there’s a high ledge around the bank, etc., I just consider that area off-limits and don’t fish there.

 

I’ve lifted many three-pounders by grabbing the 10# mono line and lifting them a couple feet out of the water, but only when I have to, and only when I’m sure they are done fighting. If they shake while you’re doing that, they can break the line for sure, and if you yank them out of the water, you can break it too, but it shouldn’t break when you lift carefully. Your issue may be your knot.

[PhishLI]

On 7/20/2022 at 6:40 PM, oldnewguy said:

So, what did I do wrong?

 Sometimes it's obvious, and sometimes it's hard to say. Last night was a comedy of lost fish for me, but not because I broke off. I guard against that. I was just off.

 

Get a pair of inexpensive $50 hip waders or $20 waterproof boots from amazon. I realize not all spots are suitable for walking into from the bank, but many are. I'm not suggesting that you wade fish either, but with waders you can step into the water, keep the fish submerged as you're unhooking it, which is good for the fish's health, especially in this heat, and you'll never need to lift one up by the line. Fishing with trebles? Use a fish gripper every time.

 

Last night, in waders. Caught on a Shellcracker G2 swim bait. Terrifying trebles. Fish gripper. No problemo.

Frogg Toggs Rana II hip waders $34.99

[Darth-Baiter]

maybe when you grabbed the line you took the shock absorbtion in your drag and rod out of the equation.  

 

right or wrong, if i am bank fishing and i have a tired fish at the shore, i walk backwards and do my best to beach the beast.  rod horizontal and taking advantage of the bounce.  

[dodgeguy]

Dragging fish screws up the slime coat and should never be done. Get a net.

[Darth-Baiter]

18 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

Dragging fish screws up the slime coat and should never be done. Get a net.

true.  i was thinking about trout fishing while backpacking.  i eat the things.  quick gill cut.

[The Baron]

For fish#1 - my limited experience guess is you're using too heavy of a hook (are you using a thick "superline" type?) to get a solid hookset with a M rod and bungee line.  Even then, any slack line is a bad thing.  If you're using really large/heavy hooks, I'd definitely recommend changing to a light(er) wire hook.  I attached a pic of a couple from my own kit, so you can see what I mean (it's more apparent with the hooks in hand, but you get the idea).  Changing to braid would help a lot, but you may want to use a fluoro leader and that whole system has it's own new headaches (minor, but not as simple as mono fishing).  Maybe just try the lighter hooks first.

 

As has been said, never just grab your line unless it's a very small fish.  Get a net... and I'll add the detail of get a rubber mesh one - not having hooks twisted in thin netting is worth the little extra money.