Seeking tips to increase my landing percentage

[Swamp Girl]

I know I catch a lot of fish, but what you guys don't see is how many bass I lose. For example, this morning I landed 36, but hooked and lost at least 20-25. I was fishing a bog, so the fish are advantaged because the water is only five feet deep and two feet of that is a two-foot mat of weeds on the bottom. What makes it worse is that bog bass jump a lot. Usually two to three times. Then there are reeds and lily pads everywhere, as well as huge white pine lay-downs. Some of those dang bass will race into the reeds and lily pads. I do my best to keep them up and away, but I just can't turn 4-pound-plus bass. Because I'm old and fishing from a canoe, I know I can't hook set like you young bucks can. Here's what I've done so far to increase my landing percentage:

 

1. Braid

 

2. Heavier rods

 

3. Sharper hooks

 

I can often see when bass are going to jump, but I can't plunge my rod into the water to keep them down because I'll drive them into the weeds along with my rod. 

 

Any ideas? Maybe you guys could tweak my mechanics. 

 

[WRB]

I was fishing a few weeks ago now using 5# mono &  7# FC on spinning tackle. The bass were eating Shad on the out edge of thick tule reed walls. The trick to keeping those 4lb + bass out of the reeds and cover was not trying to force them to turn and run into the cover. Just reel and rod sweep hook set and keeping the rod loaded with 2 lbs of drag. The jumped and fought hard alone the reed wall.

Pulling the rod only increases slack line and you lose control of the bass, a few degrees of line angle  makes zero difference in keeping bass from jumping.

The more force you add causes the bass to want to run the opposite direction pulling against the pressure.

good solid hook set and keep enough pressure to control the bass is all anyone can do.

Tom

[Swamp Girl]

2 minutes ago, WRB said:

I was fishing a few weeks ago now using 5# mono &  7# FC on spinning tackle. The bass were eating Shad on the out edge of thick tule reed walls. The trick to keeping those 4lb + bass out of the reeds and cover was not trying to force them to turn and run into the cover. Just reel and rod sweep hook set and keeping the rod loaded with 2 lbs of drag. The jumped and fought hard alone the reed wall.

Pulling the rod only increases slack line and you lose control of the bass, a few degrees of line angle  makes zero difference in keeping bass from jumping.

The more force you add causes the bass to want to run the opposite direction pulling against the pressure.

good solid hook set and keep enough pressure to control the bass is all anyone can do.

Tom

 

Two pounds of drag, Tom? Whoa! I have way more than that, thinking I needed it to set the hook and control the bass. You just turned my fishing world upside down, Tom. 

[MediumMouthBass]

The 3 steps you took will help you with the hookset and if the fish go into the lily pads, but you need something to help during the fight (the fish jumping to be more specific).

Ive had better success with keeping jumping fish hooked by using a Moderate/Moderate Fast rod depending on what lures im using, this isnt for everyone but works for me for some of those fish.

Also a fast reel (7 or an 8 gear ratio) to pick up that line when the fish jumps, i lost a smallmouth yesterday because i didnt reel up the slack quick enough when it jumped.

[king fisher]

You landed 36 bass in one morning.  You should be giving advice, not asking for it.  You know you are doing something right, when a bass angler from Mexico, is jealous of the bass you are catching.  If some bass don't get away, there would be no( the big one that got away stories) told, ruining a centuries old tradition.  You win some you loose some, if you win as much as you do, you are doing it right, brag about the fights you win, and tell great stories about the ones that get away.

[LrgmouthShad]

Fighting a fish I focus on pressure. As long as I have pressure, all is okay. If I am not already in cover, then I wait until a bass dives for cover before I start pulling hard trying to turn them. If I’m already in thick cover, I kinda just make stuff up as I go, but I always want pressure. 

[Woody B]

20 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

Ive had better success with keeping jumping fish hooked by using a Moderate/Moderate Fast rod

 

Yep,  you've got to have enough flex in the rod to keep pressure on them.  I think stretchy mono line helps too but many others disagree.   You catch way more bass than I do, but I don't lose many.  Most of the ones I use are really small.   It's my belief that small bass are harder to get good hook penetration.   I don't fish around any weeds or much heavy cover.  My PB spotted bass got tangled up in a sunken dock.   I remember Tom talking about "leading" a bass out of cover, instead of forcing it.   I positioned my boat in a way I could keep some pressure on it, and it came swimming out.   I'm sure having a full size boat and trolling motor helps too.   I suspect the canoe makes it hard to keep pressure on them.   Have you considered a Kayak with pedals, or would that not work?  When I have a decent sized bass (or a huge Catfish) on my line I'm constantly moving the boat.   I learned that decades ago.   I lost a huge bass 30+ years ago that ran toward the boat.  When it was right next to the boat, (but not tired) it decided to run again.  It easily broke my line.  Had I kept the boat further away from it there would have been more cushion.   A couple months later I landed my PB (and only DD).  It ran toward the boat so I ran the boat away from it.  

 

Hooks make a BIG difference too.   An Owner STX 58 is almost impossible to remove from a finger.  They stay stuck in bass pretty good too.  

[Pat Brown]

When I switched over from braid to nylon and fluorocarbon lines, I started landing more fish.  I think stretch is essential to landing giant bass who like to tear holes in their lips and surge like crazy.  Another thing I started doing is using rods with more moderate tips and practicing a more sweep style hookset.  Making sure hooks are sharp and the ability to feel subtle changes on slack line are essential ingredients to my success when targeting big fish.

 

Fluorocarbon 20 lb is more or less a must for me when working the bottom and setting hooks on big single hook baits.  And a firm even sweeping hookset.

[WRB]

1 hour ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Two pounds of drag, Tom? Whoa! I have way more than that, thinking I needed it to set the hook and control the bass. You just turned my fishing world upside down, Tom. 

Number 1 goal is to get the to strike and sometimes that takes light line finesse presentation. 2 lb drag is all the line and tackle can withstand, it’s more then most realize. 

Try putting 1 pint plastic water bottle ( weigh 1 pound each) in a plastic grocery bag and lift it with your rod/reel/ line. Add bottle until the drag starts to slip. My guess 4 lbs (bottles) fully loads up your rod.

Learned a long time ago bass pull hard against higher pressure and fight harder against lighter pressure. I use 10# & 12# FC or mono jig fishing for big bass, my casting rods max out with 4 lbs drag.

Tom

[Team9nine]

I’ve been dealing with some crazy acrobatic bass these past few weeks also, due, I believe, to this long spell of hot sunny weather. I was losing quite a few early on, but have since seemed to have largely solved that problem. Lots of good advice above, but try this “scientific” approach - its been working well for me 
 

Newton's Third Law of Motion: Action and reaction - for every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction. Instead of trying to overpower the fish and gain control, simply hold onto him. The harder you pull, the harder he fights. Instead, after setting the hook and getting tight to the fish, just stop reeling for a few seconds and hold him in place. Don’t try and horse him in, but don’t let him go anywhere either beyond the standard drag pulling. A short term stalemate.
 

When you can tell he’s  coming up to jump, just lower the rod toward the waters surface and let him. If he breaks the surface, wait until right after he clears and loses leverage, then just give him a good pull back down into the lake which keeps the line tight. Take your time and enjoy the fight and just let things play out.

It’s very hard to put into words, but I think you’ll know the feeling when you get this tactic down right. My landing percentage has gone way up since I changed tactics on how I’ve been playing these fish. Might be worth a try.

[Bankbeater]

Are you sure the bass you're losing are hooked good?  The bass around here have been biting but not eating.  I have been letting them run with the bait for a few seconds to make sure that the hook is in their mouth.

@Team9nine is spot on about the jumping.  It's not the jump that throws the bait, it's all that head shaking that come after the bass has cleared the water.

[T-Billy]

With the exception of short range, more vertical presentations like flipping and pitching, I sweep into them, then try to maintain steady pressure with the rod tip close to, or in the water, and just winch on 'em. None of that lift and reel down nonsense.

With the warm temps, my local bass have been very acrobatic lately also.

[Skunkmaster-k]

In situations such as these I crank down the drag and winch them as soon as I set the hook. Gerald Swindle says to crank it like when you was in the 3rd grade standing next to Becky Johnson using the pencil sharpener. 

[Glenn]

I might not have anything to do with your mechanics, rod, or line.  Take a peek at this...

 

 

[gim]

4 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

landed 36, but hooked and lost at least 20-25.

That's a lot of fish you caught, but IMO that's also a lot you lost too.  I don't think you should be losing that many, contrary to what others may think.  Maybe the fact that you're sitting down in a canoe is playing a role here though.  I don't remember the last time I lost more than a couple fish in an outing, but I'm not usually landing 25 either.  I also fish from a boat so I'm standing up and have a much more stable platform.  I know you often use spinning gear, but bait casters have far more wenching power and more control over the line.  Plus it sounds like there is a lot of crap for the fish to get tangled in too.

[Swamp Girl]

So many weeds! And I agree that I'm losing too many. I'm going to try Tom's suggestion tomorrow morning, i.e. less drag. I noted that the canoe does make it harder to play fish, but I've seen kayak fishers land DDs. I am taking a bait caster tomorrow too. I'll keep experimenting.

 

One more question for all y'all: When I hooked a freight train bass this morning, the one that also straightened a treble hook, I heard my rod crack...twice. I'm certain it's stress fractured. I can see the fracture line. Should I junk it?

[Susky River Rat]

Come on! Give those fish a fighting chance! I don’t think you are really doing much wrong. I wouldn’t go reinventing your fishing.

 

I don’t think braided line will help. It won’t give as much if you have your drag to tight. 

 

Your drag and keeping the rod bent are the two biggest factors. I try to fight fish more with a side pull. Anytime a fish jumps it sure looks awesome but, it’s way easier for them to spit it. Bigger fish have more power so you are bound to lose more big fish.

I would probably junk the rod. Anyone who is straightening hooks is running their drag way to tight. 

[T-Billy]

22 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I heard my rod crack...twice. I'm certain it's stress fractured. I can see the fracture line. Should I junk it?

No. Fish it till it breaks, or... doesn't. One of my flippin sticks made some horrendous sounds a few years ago while playing tug-o-war with a giant flathead in a laydown. It's still going strong. In fact, it landed the majority of those muskie last fall, including the beast you see in the corner of this post.

22 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I'm going to try Tom's suggestion tomorrow morning, i.e. less drag

Try it and see if it works for you. Personally, I'm in the opposite camp, but I can't argue with Tom's success landing GIANT bass. Simply a matter of different strokes for different folks. Don't be afraid to experiment and see what works best for YOU.

[Swamp Girl]

6 minutes ago, Darnold335 said:

I would probably junk the rod. Anyone who is straightening hooks is running their drag way to tight. 

 

Will do. And got it. I've just had so many bog bass burrow like groundhogs and I kept tightening the drag more and more to keep up in the water column.

 

Yikes, I just read @T-Billy's contrary suggestion to keep fishing the rod. I feel like the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz just gave me directions.

[T-Billy]

You're not out anything other than maybe a fish if it breaks on ya. Or... you can throw away what might still be a perfectly good rod. Your call.

[Swamp Girl]

I'm gonna keep fishing with it, @T-Billy. It is my favorite rod. 

[T-Billy]

6 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I'm gonna keep fishing with it, @T-Billy. It is my favorite rod. 

Nothing to lose. It may break on the next hookset, or it may go for years. The crack you see may just be in the clearcoat. I've never had a rod just crack a little. Every one I've broke snapped clean off. Last one was right in front of the first guide. Exploaded, sounded like a .22 shot.

[Woody B]

Look at the guides real good.  The noise may have been one starting to come loose.  Spinning rod?   Mrs B's spinning rod made a crack sound last year when she was landing a 27 pound Blue Cat.  I found a guide starting to come loose.   I had a friend fix it.  

[Swamp Girl]

Thanks, Woody. I'm all out of reactions, so I'm thanking you now.

[thediscochef]

4 hours ago, Woody B said:

 

Yep,  you've got to have enough flex in the rod to keep pressure on them.  I think stretchy mono line helps too but many others disagree.   You catch way more bass than I do, but I don't lose many.  Most of the ones I use are really small.   It's my belief that small bass are harder to get good hook penetration.   I don't fish around any weeds or much heavy cover.  My PB spotted bass got tangled up in a sunken dock.   I remember Tom talking about "leading" a bass out of cover, instead of forcing it.   I positioned my boat in a way I could keep some pressure on it, and it came swimming out.   I'm sure having a full size boat and trolling motor helps too.   I suspect the canoe makes it hard to keep pressure on them.   Have you considered a Kayak with pedals, or would that not work?  When I have a decent sized bass (or a huge Catfish) on my line I'm constantly moving the boat.   I learned that decades ago.   I lost a huge bass 30+ years ago that ran toward the boat.  When it was right next to the boat, (but not tired) it decided to run again.  It easily broke my line.  Had I kept the boat further away from it there would have been more cushion.   A couple months later I landed my PB (and only DD).  It ran toward the boat so I ran the boat away from it.  

 

Hooks make a BIG difference too.   An Owner STX 58 is almost impossible to remove from a finger.  They stay stuck in bass pretty good too.  

Touched a nerve here with smaller fish being harder to hook - I completely agree. You just can't get leverage on them to set the hook. I think landing a big fish on light wire is easier than a small fish on heavy wire. I also think that sometimes the heavier wire hooks can wallow out the hole in a bass mouth sometimes, which makes it easier for a barb to slip out. One of the reasons I love the owner zowire hooks...lots of sharpness and strength but less diameter. It's the only hook material for distance casting. ????

 

Just keeping the line tight is typically enough for me. Drag should only ever be set heavy enough to drive the hook in, much more than that can actually rip a hook out that would have otherwise stayed in barely. I can't ever really predict when I'm gonna have a jumper. The only thing that really helps me with jumps is making more subtle movements while the bass is airborne, and not continuing to fight like it has the water resistance. Just enough to keep the line tight. I still lose some but it's almost always because I've been dead sticking too far back and I can't reel in enough slack in time to get leverage before the fish drops it. The other cause is usually over tight drag causing breakage, or overly loose drag that fudges a hookset. 

 

All that being said, I wish I could catch 30+ fish right now. Been blanked all but two days this month, having fished about half of it