missed a good one, but why?

[Red]

so i am out fishing with a watermelon tiki stick this afternoon t-rigged weightless...caught a few smaller ones...i lift my rod one time just to continue my retrieve and it is kinda heavy, so i set the hook as hard as i can...fish on..and a big fat one too...fought it for a sec and i saw the thing right at my feet in the water.....then it was gone!  my tiki stick was curled down on the hook and the hook point was bearly through the worm.  i was using a 3/0 gammy EWG on a 5 inch tiki stick, abu 5501 MH 6' rod  12lb XT....did i do something wrong or did the fish just not have the hook in its mouth?  from the quick look i got of the fish my guess would be 24" at least, it was huge! and heavy! i was so mad, i spent the next hour or so trying other stuff to get her to bite again...no luck...the guy i was with said his uncle caught and released an 8lber in there 3-4 years ago...was just wondering if i maybe had something rigged wrong or if i just plain ol missed it

Thanks

Cliff

[fourbizz]

I dont know what to tell you man. Try texposing it instead I guess. Crappy deal...

[Autiger1291]

Mmm...that's a tough one. I use a 4/0 EWG hook for 5in wave worms and that helps for me, but like you said he could have had only part of it in his mouth. I switched to wacky rigging them about 2 months ago and that has helped that one bite a trip that I would miss with them t-rigged. I hardly ever miss a bite on wacky rig.

[Cajun1977]

$hit  happens  sometimes  

[David P]

One more reason I love wacky rigged sticks! Sometimes, hardly have to set the hook.

It happens though, you win some, you lose some.

[Catt]

First you were using a Tiki Stick instead of a Senko

Second you were using Gamakatsu instead of Daiichi

Third you were using Abu instead of Shimano

Fourth you were using Berkley instead of Power Pro

Fifth you probably had on boxers instead of briefs

You can't catch em all

[brian_82]

You probably only had him hooked with the tip and keeping the pressure was enough to get him in. But the barb wasnt sunk in so when you backed off the pressure of dragging it in the hook just came out.

[Red]

First you were using a Tiki Stick instead of a Senko

Second you were using Gamakatsu instead of Daiichi

Third you were using Abu instead of Shimano

Fourth you were using Berkley instead of Power Pro

Fifth you probably had on boxers instead of briefs

You can't catch em all

lol

i was using a senko and wasnt catching any so i switched

i have never heard of daiichi

shimano?

used to use power pro, switched to XT and started catching fish

no boxers, no briefs, i was goin commando

;D

seriously tho....when something like that happens, what are the chances the fish will bite the same bait again?  after that happened i threw the same bait a few more times, then i changed color, then tried a couple different topwaters....i cant really wacky rig cuz it is pretty weedy...maybe i will try a bigger hook.....i also had about 3-4 other lost fish the same way but nothing with any size...anyway other than that it was a great outing, didnt catch as many as last night but the few we did catch were btter sized fish...and we plan on going for the next 3 days so i am pumped!  

thanks for the input guys!

Cliff

[brian_82]

You can try a bigger hook, but also try not to keep the tip of the hook in the middle of the bait. I dont know if you are or not. You mentioned the lake is a little weedy, you may want to try completely exposing the hook but needle the tip just barely back into the worm.

[surfer]

1st Replace the hook.

The last time I lost three fish in a day uneder similar circumstances a buddy ran his thumb nail from the wire part of the hook to the needle.  Just as his thumbnail got to the needle it got caught on something.  He told me to do the same and I felt it too.  He told me with super sharp hooks the tip can fold back on itself rather easily.  This makes it much less sharp and dosen't set like you are used to.  It was so small I couldnt see it with 20/20 vision.  Replace the hook.

I agree with Brian.  Hook all the way through then hide the neddle just under the surface.  

[Red]

that was probebly it! i have had that hook on there for a long time...and i cought about12-15 fish on it the day before..that will be the first thing i do when i get home today..and i will rig it like you said also....man i love this site, i post a question and in no time i have a bunch of responses...this place rules!

thanks guys

Cliff

[wvwask]

I was reading this somewhere, don't remember where now, but someone (a pro Im sure) said they give the hook a slight twist to it is barely out of line and gets a better hookset?

Anyone else ever heard of this? Sorry, can't sight a source on it, can't remember where I read it, but it was recent.

[Raul]

I was reading this somewhere, don't remember where now, but someone (a pro Im sure) said they give the hook a slight twist to it is barely out of line and gets a better hookset?

Anyone else ever heard of this? Sorry, can't sight a source on it, can't remember where I read it, but it was recent.

Hooks like that have been in the market for a very long time, I still have some left ( they must be 10 years old or more ), I stopped using them for a reason, they have the maddening habit of hooking the fish through the eye socket.  >

[Fish Man]

ill quote a famous man (AKA dad) on this one...i believe this is how it goes "somtimes ***** happens"

[Guest avid]

People have been catching, and missing bass on plastic worms for close to 50 years.

Alot of hook designs have come and go.  I rememeber "tru turn" hooks, which I found significantly improved my hook up ratio back in the 80's.  They are still popular with many bassers.

But in your case I honestly don't think it was the hook, or rod, or line.

Timing is as important to a solid hookset as anything else.   You were sort of caught off guard and so made a hasty hookset that didn't fully penetrate the worm and penetrate the bass.

This may be the first time this happened to you, but trust me it won't be the last.

good luck and have fun

avid.

[Red]

yeah i kinda figured it was operator error...maybe i will wear some briefs next time

;D

[Guest avid]

yeah i kinda figured it was operator error...maybe i will wear some briefs next time

;D

Real bassmen don't wear panties.  

[Red]

well i plan to get that fish at some point in time...would a bass stay in the same general area? it is a small tank...maybe and acre or two...in something so small would a big fish like that stick to one small area or roam the entire thing?  there is an island that you can basically cast to the entire pond from.  just wondering if i should target the same area where she bit the first time or fish the whole place

Cliff

[Senko4life]

I had something similar happen the other day.  I saw a good 2.5 pound bass on a bed and flopped a 4 inch yum dinger on him and he inhaled it.  It was completly in his mouth so I slammed the hook and started to reel him in but after about 3 seconds the hook just came out.  So anyway I tried bouncing it over him again with no luck so I jerked it past him and he smashed it.