How to keep a bass from jumping?

[FreddoB]

12 hours ago, Brayberry said:

Years ago in Bassmaster magazine, they were interviewing a pro, and this question came up.  His response was he always wore a hat while fishing and when he could feel the fish swimming up to jump, he'd toss his hat into the water where the fish was trying to surface.  This would scare the bass, and keep him from jumping, then after landing the bass he'd retrieve his floating hat and keep fishing.  I've done this trick many times and it's been 100% successful.

 

*Yikes* : I don't wear hats (i.e., I don't prefer to). I'll need another plan I suppose.

 

Thanks "ALL" for your replies. They are all helpful and insightful. It's great getting info from the experienced.

 

Best regards - Freddo

[bostonsox2904]

On 6/15/2017 at 9:31 AM, The Patriot said:

 I've never seen a fish jump while pulling away from you.

That's because of your drag. It's hard for them to pull drag and go airborne heading away from you. I bet if you had the drag set really light, you'd see bass jumping while running away from you. 

[the reel ess]

Don't do what Bill Dance does. He wants you to see them flopping beside the boat until tired out. It takes some time, but you just counter what the fish does. If he wants to jump, lower your tip in the opposite direction of him. If he goes left, you go right. He goes right, you go left keeping pressure. Only get your rod tip up if he's just going deeper.

[The Patriot]

45 minutes ago, bostonsox2904 said:

That's because of your drag. It's hard for them to pull drag and go airborne heading away from you. I bet if you had the drag set really light, you'd see bass jumping while running away from you. 

 

Probably.  My point in that was about the tension on the fish.  If hes jumping, add tension.

[Willerman]

I'd suggest switching species. White bass can't jump.

[Doelman]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I love it when they jump, I also fish with light tackle so maybe I'm one of those anglers that's more about the experience of fishing than actually bringing fish into the boat.  Different if it's a tournament, or if you're food fishing, or if it's a big one you want to get some pictures of.  Otherwise, the higher they fly the better!

 

[long island basser]

The more they jump and the higher they jump the happier I am. Thank you.

[Gundog]

This resurrected thread is timely. I just had a day on the water where every fish I hooked with a spinner bait jumped and threw the hook. 10 bass in all never made it to my thumb. Caught 5 on a football head jig with a twin tailed grub. Didn't have a problem landing them and they jumped too. Normally I "ski" them to the boat, today I didn't and lost them. That'll teach me to play Bill Dance. 

[RoLo]

 

"How to keep a bass from jumping".

 

In truth you can't, but you can reduce the odds.

The first rule of the road is to hold the rod-tip low. Nonetheless, on more than one occasion

I've had the rod dunked almost to the reel, only to watch a jumping bass at POV.

Another approach depends on at least a med-hvy rod and perfect timing.

Allow the bass to jump, but the instant her lips emerge, yank down fast and hard!

If your timing is perfect, the odds are good that you'll abort the jump (like tilting a pinball machine).

A third and typically the most effective way to prevent a jump,

is to skate the bass briskly across the surface. I should add however. that it doesn't work so well

with bass over 7 pounds  

 

Roger

[Bucky205]

On 9/5/2006 at 11:46 AM, New Bass Man said:

I find it extremely exciting when they jump!  I do keep the rod tip low but I still like to see em' jump.

Blowing up on a topwater bait is really cool also. 

[Koz]

A few weeks ago I lost a 5-6 pound jumper when it spit a 2" swim bait. It was disheartening and memorable at the same time. I was bank fishing in the evening and there was a beautiful orange-red sunset as the backdrop. The fish was probably 60 feet away when it breached fully out of the water so all that I saw was the dark outline of the fish and the splash against the sunset. When it happened my first thought was, "Wow! This would be a really cool picture or painting."

 

And then the fish was gone...

[FreddoB]

I'm learning too but I can offer you keep the rod tip down (close to the water) and force the fish to roll over; NEVER slacken the line. Here's the hard part if you are any part as "green" as I am while fighting these "jumpers".... WE'RE EXCITED! Make it a point to concentrate on the "fight" after the hookset. My son and I were out on our local lake and the bass were biting well (wacky rigs and jigs/trailers). This gave me lots of opportunities to "learn" to fight them. But as I've been told here in the forum, we'll still loose some. I don't get them "all" in the boat and doubt I ever will but more will make it in with time. Time and experience will help. For me, realizing I needed to "think" about how to fight these fish is as important as learning new baits and techniques to get them to bite. It's all part of the passion of an angler. When I was learning to fly fish, setting the hook in a trout was a new lesson in science and physics for me...go figure!

[Djman72]

If the fish is running left near the surface, quickly change the pressure to the right and vice versa. Keeping the rod tip low helps too. A lot of times, it doesn't matter too much. If i had a hook in my mouth attached to a line you bet i'd be going crazy to get off it too.