Hooked Bass dives into the weeds

[fspotop]

I was fishing a topwater with 6lb. line the other day when I hooked a bass. He even jumped a couple of times. I reeled him in pretty directly but when he was about 4 feet from the canoe he dove into the weeds.

I could still feel movement but pulling him in felt like pulling in a small tree. I tried a steady pull and my line broke, right at the knot. I could still see the end where the line went through the eye.

This happened to me about 4 times. Is there a good strategy for getting a fish up once he's down in the weeds?

Am I simply using too small a line? I've noticed several posts that mention much larger line when fishing in weeds. I'm using Trilene and a Trilene knot. I'm going to try a palomar knot next time.

I catch and release so in addition to the frustration of losing the fish I worry about the poor bass swimming around with a Hula Popper stuck in his mouth. The other fish must point and laugh and give him terrible grief over it. (You know how cruel those Bluegills can be.)

[Pa Angler]

6LB TEST IS WAY TO LIGHT OF LINE TO FISH IN HEAVY WEEDS. WHAT I USE IS A BRAIDED LINE FOR HEAVY VEGETATION A 5LB DIA. 20LB TEST SHOULD HELP YOU OR IF YOU DON'T LIKE BRAID THEN USE A GOOD MONO OR FLUOROCARBON LINE 20LBTEST SHOULD SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM. REMEMBER TO KEEP STEADY PRESSURE DON'T TRY TO MUSCLE THE FISH OUT MOST TIMES THE FISH WILL WORK IT'S SELF FREE. THE LINE BROKE AT THE KNOT MEANING THE KNOT HELD I HAVE USED A TRILENE KNOT FOR YEARS WITH NO PROBLEMS I WOULD SAY YOUR LINE BROKE THE KNOT DIDN'T FAIL. ASLO DID YOU WET THE KNOT WHEN TYING THE KNOT IF NOT YOU WEAKENED THE KNOT AND LINE WITH FRICTION AS YOU PULLED ON THE LINE.

[fspotop]

Thanks, I'll try heavier line.

I did indeed wet the knot. You are right that the line broke, not that the knot came loose. However, the break was exactly where the line went through the eye so I'm hoping the Palomar knot puts less stress on the line at that point.

[mtangtong]

Its obvious you need stonger line, but you may want to try raising your rod when it feels like the bass are trying to take a nose dive for the weeds.

[Gatorbassman]

Stronger line is a must. But some times you can't avoid the weeds. I actually love to catch bass in the weeds. They are fun. What I do when they hang me in the weeds and I can still feel them is I keep just enough tention to keep the hook in the fish and I go after them. I will drive the boat rite into the weeds all the way to the fish. Then I will reach down and grab the line and remove the weeds as I am pulling the fish in. Alot of weeds around the fish is not a bad thing. It will keep the fish calm and make it easier to pull it in by hand. You can only do this with stronger line. I never use anything less the 12lb test when fishing the weeds.

[roadwarrior]

Well, I prefer light line too, but NOT in heavy vegetation. In addition to heavier line, you also need a MH or heavy power rod so you can horse those big girls away from the spinach or pull them out of it. This is one of those situations where braided line on a powerful rod is the right choice.

[fspotop]

I'm kind of a newbie since I haven't been really fishing for about 20 years and this is my first time in a bass area.

What's an MH?

[roadwarrior]

MH = medium heavy (a grade between medium and heavy).

[bigbill]

I feel your pain!!! I have lost 3 bass that were 10lbs + due to weeds and a long cast. I was using 8lb test and when it hit it looked like a torpedo was going after my BPS topnocker I set the hook quickly and it dove into the weeds I kept my rod at 12 oclock and tried to lift it and keep it up but it was so big it was incharge it was telling me this while pulling like a truck the whole time. I lost the topnocker and the fish. I first seen her charging thru the weeds with the baitfish on their tails infront of her many times. I hated to make a cast that far from shore but i had to try. I lost two other fish that were just as big too. I got rid of the 6' med action rod for topwater stuff and i'm at 7' MH action now with 12lb test for my topwater baits. I bumped the reel up too from a S300 to S400 Fin-Nor and with the larger spool it casts just as far as the 8lb line did. I haven't sunk it into anything big yet but i'm ready now(I hope). I did everything right, I set the hook and held the rod at 12 oclock while cranking her but it was all drag. Everytime i made any headway like a few feet of lifting her she pulled double back. I had a 5 gallon bucket full of rocks on my line!! I also have another rod with 30lb braid too just for this one spot. My buddie broke his rod and lost the same fish too. It just gets away and i'll release it after pics and the offical weigh in. Weeds and big bass don't i know!!!! BigBill

If i had a boat i'd use stainless steel wire like they do for bluefish with a giant penn reel!!!!!!! Kidding but i hate to lose lures that way.

I'm being educated that one rod can't do it all too.