Anyone else have this bad kharma?

[JCrzy4Bass]

So check it out.  I have this neighborhood pond I fish almost once a week, sometimes more.  I have caught numerous lmb in it all pretty small, no more than 1/4-1/2 a lb.  I have caught all of them on ribbon tail worms and senkos.  However, if you toss a spinner on in a chat color and work it around the pads and around the algae beds you can ALWAYS get one to hit HARD.  I normally get one or two.  One day I went out lost two big ones, another day I lost one, today finally set me off, I reeled in slack and hooked this guy as hard as I could.  He ran all over the pond for about 20-25 seconds, pulling him through an algae bed up front (very sparse cover) and he throws the hook.  4th Time this has happend to me here at this pond.  In all other bodies of water I've only lost two on spinners and normally can reel em' in easily no prob.  It's just this pond, on this one bait.  I have such bad luck.  I go out there with confidence and throw that bait, get the hits and good hooksets but can't land the fish.  It just gets frustrating when you know you are doing everything you can and get jipped every time.  Blah.  Sorry just venting and seeing if anyone could share what they did if this ever happend with them.

[Sam]

Are you using a trailer hook on the spinnerbait?

Are your spinnerbait hooks sharp?  Did you sharpen them yourself to make sure?

What type of line are you using?

Are you leaving too much slack in the line?  Is your rod tip around 10 o'clock or 11 o'clockt o remove the slack when reeling in the bait?

What is the length of your rod?  7 feet?  Fast tip?  Medium heavy?

Are you setting the hook really hard?  Like making their eyeballs cross?  Like knocking you backwards?

And are you keeping the rod tip high when starting your retrieve?

Just a few questions to clarify what you are doing.

The guys will have more and more suggestions, too.

[JCrzy4Bass]

I haven't started using trailer hooks yet because I've never needed them before, but have gotten more and more interested in them since I've been losing this many fish, but to be honest and stupid... I don't know how to set up the trailer hook.

I haven't sharpened the hooks, what are some good common tools for this?  Or do I have to buy something from a fishing department to do so?

I mainly use Berkley Trilene Xtra Strength 12lb test on this rod, but sometimes I use Spiderwire 10lb Mono, just the two favorite I've come across since I started fishing and tried numerous brands (keep in mind this is my one bass pole right now and I primarily use it for plastics and spinnerbaits, and topwater crankbaits).  I'm buying a jig pole MH, and braided line for it sometime in October as using heavy jigs with this pole is pretty hard since it is ML and heavier lure weight is not desirable for it.

I know the mono has more stretch so the hookset can be harder but as of now I'm using the trilene, and normally only throw spinners if I have this line on it.  If not I'm working plastics more so.

My pole is 6'6" and I actually don't like anything larger because I'm relatively short and it becomes uncomfortable working a rod that is any larger than that.

I am setting the hook pretty darn hard (almost threw the pole behind me today) and keeping the tip up quite a bit because I have to stand in front of a rail to cast into this pond unless I want to get TONS of poison ivy from the infested shoreline, or bit by snakes and spiders in the high grass.

It's just a thing at this pond.  I swear that the bass are on steroids or just taunt the bejesus out of you!

[grimlin]

I like to trim the skirt down a little bit(even with the end of hook)..a smaller profile bait might help get that hook a little deeper in the mouth.Any slack in the line and that fish can come off pretty quick.I know mono stretches quite a bit.Also the more you play the fish the better the chance of you losing the fish.

[Sam]

Try to find info on how to set up a trailer hook on this site or ust Google trailer hooks to find out how to set them up.

It is easy to set up a trailer hook and I suggst using them.  Put the trailer hook on the bait's hook, with the point facing the same direction as the bait's hook. Then, taking the rubber stopper, force the bait's hook through the middle of the rubber stopper, having the stopper's holes to the left and right.

Place the rubber stopper so that the trailer hook is straight out from the bait and so it can move freely. Do not put the stopper too close to the bait's barb as it can mess up that hook for a hookset.  Just make sure the trailer hook points straight out and is in the same positione as the bait's hook.

Use a trailer hook one size smaller than the bait's hook, if possible.

I use sharpening stones or metal sharpening files to sharpen hooks.  Especially the Chatterbait hooks that I think are not sharp when they come out of the box.  Easy to sharpen your hooks and it can make a world of difference.

A 7 foot medium heavy baitcaster rod with a fast tip works great for spinnerbaits.  Of course, use your 6-6 until you can get the 7 foot rod.  And a baitcaster may work better for your spinnerbaits.

Start out by using the trailer hooks and see if your hook-up ratios improve.  Then, sharpen your hooks.

Go out and have some fun trying to catch those fish!

[Guest btlva]

To answer your question, yeah that kind of stuff happens to me too. Sometimes in fishing there are things that are just plain hard to explain.

Like how you can catch 8 consecutive bass on one plastic worm, and the rest of the day you have to put on a new bait after every fish.

Or when you have 2 weeks of fantastic fishing on your favorite lake and when you finally convince your buddy to come join you the fish completely shut down.

Or when you go fishing at the spur of the moment with one lure and one rod and have some incredible fishing in a place that usually sucks.

Or when you hook 20 bass without losing one and then for seemingly no reason you lose the next 4.

The list pretty much goes on forever. It's weird how those things happen sometimes, I guess it's just the nature of fishing. I'm sure you're going to get a good one at that pond eventually, and when you do, you probably won't have done anything differently. Good luck!

[JCrzy4Bass]

Thanks Sam and Bt I appreciate all the help, confidence builders, and information.  You guys rock.  I'm going to look up those trailer baits and give it a shot (can't hurt).  Also I am more than likely going to buy a baitcaster reel for my new rod (two reels, one spinning and one baitcasting) and switch that and the new spinning reel I buy back and forth as I need to based off jigging and spinnerbait needs.  I know this will improve my casting distance (baitcaster reel) once I get the hang of it, and allow me to pitch and flip easier for my jigs.

Can't wait til' I have the money lol.  Later guys.

Yea Bt it is one of those unsolved, unexplained mysteries.

[dbass]

JCrzy4SmlMth,

It's not Karma, it's experience....... 8-)

I haven't started using trailer hooks yet because I've never needed them before, but have gotten more and more interested in them since I've been losing this many fish, but to be honest and stupid... I don't know how to set up the trailer hook.

You really don't need a trailer hook. I used them once many moons ago, I haven't used one since (I hate um). I see your using Strike King Blades, these baits are the worst coming out of the package. Take a real close look at the hook tip (always bent and barbed). Every package of the SK Blades I have opened I have had to re-sharpen. I finally got tired of spending good money for a spinner bait (blade) that I had to re-sharpen right out of the package, and started building my own...

My pole is 6'6" and I actually don't like anything larger because I'm relatively short and it becomes uncomfortable working a rod that is any larger than that.

The rod in my avatar is a 6'6" MHF with 14# sensation on it. I don't think it is your rod, even in a medium light rating.

One question no one has asked is, what reel are you using?

The GR and IPC (gear ratio, inches per crank) may be to slow to keep up with any slack line that may occur when the fish makes a quick move in an opposite direction.

I am setting the hook pretty darn hard (almost threw the pole behind me today) and keeping the tip up quite a bit because I have to stand in front of a rail to cast into this pond unless I want to get TONS of poison ivy from the infested shoreline, or bit by snakes and spiders in the high grass.

Because a spinnerbait is a reactionary bait, you shouldn't have to set the hook hardly at all when fishing it.

Setting the hook that hard is probably tearing a big hole in the fishes mouth, that while it is fighting you is also making it that much larger, so it can throw the hook...

If you have a quality sharpened hook on the Blade the fish should be able to hook it's self. It only takes 3lbs of pressure to penetrate the cartilage in a bass' mouth...

Look at the fish in my Avatar, that's a 4-1/2lb spot caught on a Chart/White spinnerbait with a really sharp hook, the fish when it hit the bait literally stopped the bait and I thought I had hit a tree trunk. Spots tend to fight a little more than LMB's and not quite as much as smallies. This fish did fight hard and never could throw the hook.

Tight Lines!!!!!  

[JCrzy4Bass]

Well I guess it comes down to hook sharpness more than anything.  I will be investing in a hook sharpener tommorrow morning when I hit Walmart if I can find one before I make my way over to Burke Lake again.  If not I'll find a filer or something to sharpen it.

Anyway as far as:

"One question no one has asked is, what reel are you using?"

SONORA FA

Model Line Retrieve Per Crank (in.) Line Capacity (# Test/Yards) Max Drag (lbs.) Ball Bearings Roller Bearings Gear Ratio Weight (oz.)  

SON1500FA 24 4/170, 6/130, 8/90 9.0 2 1 5.2:1 9.6  

SON2500FA 26 6/200, 8/140, 10/120 11.0 2 1 5.2:1 9.8  

SON4000FA 28 8/240, 10/200, 12/160 17.0 2 1 5.1:1 12.7  

I'm using the 4000 model. Gear ratio is 5:1:1

What is the best type of gear ratio to have for using spinnerbaits on spinning gear?

[FIN-S-R]

Get a 6:3:1 reel or a 7:1:1 reel. With a high speed reel you can take up slack real quick and keep pressure on the fish which will help quite a bit. To help you understand what is necessary to KEEP a fish hooked after you stick it think about a finnesse type hookset and the handling of the fish while fighting it. There is nothing power or fast about it. You simply maintain pressure and lead the fish where you want it to go, and like the guy before stated it only takes a couple of lbs of pressure to stick a fish with a sharp hook. The trick to maintaining pressure is to, like you said, keep your rod tip high (avoid obstructions, but down when they come up to jump), but also, you need to be aware of the angle the fish is moving in relation to the angle of pressure your putting on the fish. A perpindicular pressure angle to the direction of the fishes movement will lose quite a few for ya. Also, pressure exerted directly opposite the direction the fish is moving is likely to get the hook thrown. The optimal angle for keeping a fish hooked is just a few degrees left or right of the direction the fish is moving (picture the hook in the fishes mouth) , and then LEAD the fish where you want it to go. By doing this you will maintain the maximum amount of hook staying in the fishes mouth, ie. the part of the hook you will be pulling against will be the bottum of the curve. I got to learn this stuff the hard way while losing bedding fish left and right 1 day. But as I began to pay attention to the direction the were facing when I set the hook, and fought or played them in, it became really clear what was going on.

[JCrzy4Bass]

Thanks Fin.  Looking back on the past two fish I missed I was playing the angles pretty bad and never thought about the total idea you just stated.  Next time I will do that and picture the hook in the fishes mouth.  Come to think of it, the last two times I lost them my rod was facing the opposite direction the fish was going as I was trying too hard to horse em away from that direction.  It all makes a lot of sense.  So two lessons learned for me in this thread... actually three.

1) You don't need to kill the hook set, but instead keep pressure on by playing the fish correctly and keeping the rod tip high.

2) Sharpen my hooks, though some of you think a trailer may not be key I am going to at least give it a try, but the sharpness will be the first thing on my mind from now on.

3) Pay attention to the angles, direction the fish is swimming, where my rod is facing, where the fish wants to go, etc.

Thanks a lot guys.  I always learn so much from you guys on here.  Hopefully I'll be reeling another in on that spinnerbait real soon.  Picking up a couple new ones tommorrow morning before I hit Burke Lake.  I'll post results if it's worth posting.  Later folks.

[Guest avid]

I think your probably getting a good enough hookset.

play with your fish after you boat them;

Crank those suckers in ASAP and use sharp quality hooks.  For a spinnerbait that means buy something that comes with a quality hook.  they will always say so on the box if the hook is good quality.   nothing less than mustad should even be considered. gammy, and owner better still.

[JCrzy4Bass]

What hooks come standard on Strike King Spinners?

I use Gammy for everything else.  My Senkos, My Zoom Finesse Worms, and my Crawdads.

So horse these suckers in when they slam the spinner?  I didn't know if I should be horsing em' on those spinners.  But I guess if I have the rod tip up and I'm horsing em' in I should be maintaining pressure and it should work.  Thanks Avid.