Losing a huge fish....

[Bassassasin12]

Today I was skipping docks and hooked into a couple average fish and was having a good day. Then, I ran into a monster , at the least 8 pounds, and was fighthing him hard trying to pull him out from under the docks with 14 lb. test on and he just kept going right back under all the boats and back into cover and I got him close to the boat finally and he came up, jumped all over the place, and was still hooked so I knew I had him good. Had the camera ready and everything. Then when I went to get him he just started going crazy and snapped the line! :'(. What a let down I mean I could never imagine losing a big fish like this in a tourny or something I was just having fun and it killed to lose that fish. Let's hear your sotires about losing a big one, or do any of you never lose the big one, and always tie good knots ?

[RLinNH]

I was waiting to lose the big one today. I was Throwing a Crank for most of the late morning into the afternoon catching a lot of fish. All of them were good fish (Good fish to me is anything over 2 1/2 lbs.). I knew that I should have retied after every other fish or so, but I was having to much damned fun. I never did lose a fish to a bad knot today, but it was constantly in the back of my mind.

        About that Monster you lost. Go back tomorrow morning and give him another shot.

[ejtaylor822]

Man! Sure am sorry you lost that one! Would love to have seen a picture of that one. Know it was a good fight and all, and was fun, but there is nothing like bringing 'em out of the water and holding one.

Sorry you lost him.

I have been flyfishing mostly for over the last year. I did have a big one break the surface last fall and take my fly. I wrestled him a while and he felt BIG. But, lost him. I de-barb my hooks, so, I guess that's the price you pay for ease of unhooking.

I pulled a good sized one out of the water couple of weeks ago. He was hooked in the top of the upper mouth - through the lip. As I was reaching to grab him his lower jaw, he gave a big jerk/twitch and I thought for sure he was coming off. He gave a few more jerks, then as I was reaching for the bottom lip again, I noticed the hook was through the lower lip - guess he did come off, but, fortunately for me, I caught him again.

Eddie

[wacky rig]

I can feel your pain :'(  It happens to me a few times a year also and of course just happened last Tuesday.    6lb.+ fish hooked finesse fishing on 10lb. test. It really chaps my hide when you think you finally get the upper hand and they do something stupid and so totally unneccessary like dive bomb into the hydrilla.  Guess that's why we love to tangle with the little green monsters. 8-)

[stratoscaster]

Tough break but it's better to have hooked and lost than never hooked at all, or something like that.  You'll get him next time.  I've set the hook a few times and had the line snap.  Had fish make runs and the line break.  I've never hooked and saw a big bass that I didn't get,  The fish I lost could've been anything from bass to cats to jacks,  It always make you wonder.

[Needemp]

Just my 2 cents but I had a post about line breakage a couple of weeks ago asking how often does it happen to others. A lot of people said they don't have fish break off at all. Even in my experience this year I have caught over 200 bass and only lost one (2 to 3 pounds) to a broken line. He wasnt very big, but it was at the begining of the year and I was just starting to apply the things I have learned about taking care of my line. If you change it often and check it for nicks and crimps, you should be fine. I have landed an 8, two 5 1/2's and atleast 6 or 7 over 4 pounds without losing them. Trust me, I used to lose a lot of fish, but now I guard against it.

[Raul]

Last Sunday I lost one, easily over 9 and under 11, my fishing partner instead of scooping her out he smashed her like if she was a dang tennis ball with the net >.......don 't know what 's worse, loosing the fish or loosing the fish with your brand new swimbait hanging on her mouth.

[Whopper-Stopper]

Don't get bummed or mad when you lose a big fish. It's a learning experience. What did you do wrong? What else could have went wrong? What will you do differently next time. No matter what you do in fishing there is something to be learned. That's why I enjoy it so much.

Don't worry, you'll get your fish. It may be next week or next month; but you'll get your fish.

[Raul]

I 'm really not bummed for loosing the fish, my swimbait.......that 's another story.

[slappy]

Even though it drives me crazy I try not to let it bother me......I just lie to myself and say"self you'll get him again and next time he'll be bigger" :-/      

                   although I seldom loose fish due to knots

[flyphisher #]

With a rather tempermental partner a big fish coming off is a disaster in a tournament. You talk about making you sick.....I lost one at the boat that was the difference between $0 and $2500.......still see it sometimes in my head,

[BassKing813]

I have only lost one big fish so far. I was fishing a t-rigged plastic worm in-between the bank and a patch of lily pads and I turned around to talk to my cousin and when I turned back around my line was moving into the weeds. I set the hook and fought the fish for a few seconds and then he got off and left me hung on a pad. Oh well. That's the price you pay for not watching your line 100% of the time. I didn't get too mad about losing it because the fight was so short and happened so fast I almost didn't realize it, but it could have been a 10lb plus fish, or maybe not. I will never know.

[Whopper-Stopper]

I 'm really not bummed for loosing the fish, my swimbait.......that 's another story.

I was talking to bassassasin.

But now that you mention it. You lost a 9 lb bass and your bummed about losing your lure, what did you do whittle with your teeth? Come on. ;D

[Shakes]

Get some Power Pro 20lbs. test braid, has the same diam. as a 8 lbs. test fluro, and things like that will never happen again.

[Bassassasin12]

Thanks for all the info and input, next time I will land that lunkar and be sure to get a pic for all of you to see and get some glory time around the waters.

[Gatorbassman]

It happens. It's no big deal. I lost one just yesterday that was at least 10lbs. He totally man-handled me. When you fish a lake that has big fish. The big fish win often. You can't let it bother you for long. Just chalk it up as one more experience to learn from and fish on.

[senile1]

If a big one spits the lure, I'll get over it.  On the rare occasion of a breakoff, what concerns me is can the bass still eat and live with a big lure stuck in his mouth.  

[Fish Chris]

let me just assure you, that anybody who has fished for any species, for any length of time, has lost, and will on occasion, continue to lose a fish every now and again..... and sometimes, it will be a big one.

That's what makes fishing, fishing. Yes, it can be VERY painful...... like you wanna' "sit down and cry" painful..... but you just have to pick yourself back up, and keep pushing.

That said, I basically NEVER lose a fish from breaking it off. I use good, strong, braided line, and only run a medium drag setting. However, fish DO come unbuttoned. And in most cases, there is nothing you can do about this. Sometimes you just don't get enough bite with your hook, and that is mostly luck of the draw.

.....which is why when that one line manufacturer that says, "Now, nothing gets away"..... YEA' RIGHT ! :-) LOL Who doesn't know better than that ?

Peace,

Fish

[Matt Jungblut]

i use only powerpro braid or stren's braid at least 30 lbs.

even with such strong line i have lost fish mostly  when i fish a jig or worm

theres nothing like watchin ur line take off and u set the hook extra hard only to have ur line break before u can feel the fish  [dang notherns and dogfish] only thing i can think off how they cut right though the line

i have lost many a fish after the hookset but i chalk that up to human error

[dodgeguy]

i'm with the guys who use braid.i use 20 lb sufix on spinning and 50 and 65 baitcasting.i have lost fish but not because of line failure.we all lose them sometimes.

[Madhouse27]

I lost a good bronzeback earlier this year. I always reach down and lip them in the water or more recently net the big ones. I'd been watching too much tournament bass fishing all winter on television. For some crazy reason I tried to lift the fish out of the water with my rod and flip her into the boat like the pros do. This technique is less effective when using spinning gear and 6lb test. First and last time doing that

[Bassassasin12]

When I look back on it I dont think I lost the fish because of a bad hookset or a bad knot... it was more of trying to pull it out with mono line and not giving the fish any line to take out. i could feel that thing pulling hard right in the opposite direction of the boat.

[jomatty]

i dont get too upset when they come unbuttoned or i somehow lose a fish when i feel like im doing everything right (i know im not but as long as im executing as well as i can).  when i do something stupid or break one off on the hookset (the only time i break one off really), then it can be hard to shake off.  recently i was fishing a small lake and a huge (for the water) fish that i would guess was 7+ (that means it was really at least 5.5 or so if it would have been landed lol),  totally jumped all over my fat ika on the initial fall.  it must have been on the surface and it did the whirlpool divebomb swirl hit and i totally dropped the ball.  i immediately swung and not near hard enough and was not at all surprised when he came unpegged after coming up to the surface so i knew how big he was.  i always do feel a little better when i at least see the fish and know what i was working with (the ones i dont see are the estimated 10+ fish lol)

anyways it happens and i think the key is trying to do everything that your skill set allows you to make sure that the odds are as good as they can be.  you just got to do the best you can.  it wouldnt be fun if you caught every fish because i think the uncertainty creates a lot of the buzz when you hook a big one.

matt