Lost a bass from drag not set right. What do you do?

[tnhiker44]

And I am not so sure I agree with soft mouth comment made about bass earlier.

Its relative. You took my comment out of context.

There isn't really any reason to use a hookset for bass, they have soft fleshy jaws

I would hardly call that taking your comment out of context. Seriously, that is what you wrote. Perhaps the bass in N.Y. have soft fleshy jaws... but not the larger ones I catch down here in Ga. and Fl.. In fact, I have never heard another single soul say they had soft fleshy mouths. Ever.

[NewAngler]

And I am not so sure I agree with soft mouth comment made about bass earlier.

Its relative. You took my comment out of context.

There isn't really any reason to use a hookset for bass, they have soft fleshy jaws

I would hardly call that taking your comment out of context. Seriously, that is what you wrote. Perhaps the bass in N.Y. have soft fleshy jaws... but not the larger ones I catch down here in Ga. and Fl.. In fact, I have never heard another single soul say they had soft fleshy mouths. Ever.

What's the big deal of what he said? He's a great fisherman for many different speices of fish. He has no shortage of catch any fleshy mouthed creatures.

I don't understand people who try to stir up an Irene storm. Fools.

[J Francho]

And I am not so sure I agree with soft mouth comment made about bass earlier.

Its relative. You took my comment out of context.

There isn't really any reason to use a hookset for bass, they have soft fleshy jaws

I would hardly call that taking your comment out of context. Seriously, that is what you wrote. Perhaps the bass in N.Y. have soft fleshy jaws... but not the larger ones I catch down here in Ga. and Fl.. In fact, I have never heard another single soul say they had soft fleshy mouths. Ever.

Thank you! You proved to me and all the rest you do not know the meaning of the word context, LOL.

Here is the original quote:

To each their own, I guess. Its not really necessary, especially with a moderate action rod, and sharp hooks. I've seen pros do it my way, which is just reel into the fish, and put side pressure on. There isn't really any reason to use a hookset for bass, they have soft fleshy jaws, and the hooks are small enough and sharp enough to penetrate on their own.

Now, you want to talk other species, like large trout, or pike and musky, with tough jaws, and huge hooks, that's another story.

I highlighted the context for the folks that don't know.

That all said, do a search for Paul Roberts' crankbait hookset thread, and you'll see another point of view I have to offer.

Now, get on with it, and go fishing and post a report, or sit there at your keyboard with your huge internet ego. Man, I love internet fisherman.

:

[.dsaavedra.]

To each their own, I guess. Its not really necessary, especially with a moderate action rod, and sharp hooks. I've seen pros do it my way, which is just reel into the fish, and put side pressure on. There isn't really any reason to use a hookset for bass, they have soft fleshy jaws, and the hooks are small enough and sharp enough to penetrate on their own.

Now, you want to talk other species, like large trout, or pike and musky, with tough jaws, and huge hooks, that's another story.

I highlighted the context for the folks that don't know.

hahaha thats funny! ;D

[Randall]

Here is my very opinionated opinion on drag. Weights and scales are useless to me to set a drag. All rods have different bends and amounts of flex and different guides on rods are different depending on type and placement. The friction on the guides changes changing the drag needed depending on how far the rod is bent and angle of the line changes. No scale or weight can measure this other factor and duplicate the force of a fish ripping drag at close range.

So, the best and simplest way I have found is to make a way to tie your line to an object and set your drag where there is no way you can break your line but you still bend the rod to near max as the line starts slipping. Don't just use a steady pull but do whatever you can to break it. If you can't break it ripping line out at close range at the worst angle you would fight the fish then no fish will either. If you are bending the rod close to the max that you will during the fight then the hooks are being set with close to the max force possible on that line.

Since you usually have stretch with more line out on most hooksets you can put your thumb on the spool to keep the drag from slipping to make the most of the stretch in the line since you need more drag pressure when more line is out. Also if need be a fish can be stopped from taking drag to turn it by using your thumb or fingers to slow the fish if needed.

Lastly don't get impatient with big fish wanting them in the boat quicker than they should be reeled in. I once had a guy fish with me and lose over forty pounds of fish for five fish in a couple hours by trying to tighten his drag to get the fish closer to the boat to net it. He lost five fish over eight pounds in one day because he tightened his drag. I set his drag with the method above but he thought it was too lose because he couldn't stop the fish. As soon as he tightened the drag five times in a row he lost all the fish within five seconds of tightening the drag.

As far as the soft fleshy mouth and no hookset needed. I have seen a big bass take a crankbait bend the rod over get reeled in about twenty feet and just open it's mouth up and let the crankbait go. The hooks never set because of the amount of force, and lack of space in side the mouth a big bass has when it clamps down on a bait with a closed mouth. It's not even about the hooks getting penetration it's about moving the crankbait inside the closed mouth of a bass. On smaller bass the hooks usually catch more often on the way out. But with larger bass the hooks miss most of the time as the fish opens it's mouth because of the larger open areas created by a big open mouth of a large bass.

[tnhiker44]

The original posters question was about the proper drag setting on a reel. It seems as if someone has taken that original question out of context, and is trying to turn this into a hook set debate.

As far as the soft fleshy mouth and no hookset needed. I have seen a big bass take a crankbait bend the rod over get reeled in about twenty feet and just open it's mouth up and let the crankbait go. The hooks never set because of the amount of force, and lack of space in side the mouth a big bass has when it clamps down on a bait with a closed mouth.

Good point. Sounds a little like what I wrote earlier.

Certainly you must also fish for Trout, Pike or Musky... you know, those fish that do not have soft fleshy mouths. For bass there is really no need to set the hook, it is the latest rage I am told. Just reel in and put pressure on, the hooks are sharp and small enough... all the pro's do it that way.

[J Francho]

It seems as if someone has taken that original question out of context, and is trying to turn this into a hook set debate.

I made a comment oon hookset, because it sounded to me that the OP tried to whoopin' hookset on the fid=sh he lost.  As with EVERYTHING else on this forum, its about trying to help.  Some of you seem intent on simply being right.

The hookset discussion has gone over here: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1256327089/0

Its three pages long.

[NBR]

Since I started with egg beater reels when I set the hook with my bait casters I automatically put my thumb on the reel spool pretty hard. I can get a good hook set and keep a lighter drag setting.

[Paul Roberts]

...As far as the soft fleshy mouth and no hookset needed. I have seen a big bass take a crankbait bend the rod over get reeled in about twenty feet and just open it's mouth up and let the crankbait go. The hooks never set because of the amount of force, and lack of space in side the mouth a big bass has when it clamps down on a bait with a closed mouth. It's not even about the hooks getting penetration it's about moving the crankbait inside the closed mouth of a bass. On smaller bass the hooks usually catch more often on the way out. But with larger bass the hooks miss most of the time as the fish opens it's mouth because of the larger open areas created by a big open mouth of a large bass.

Real good stuff from Randall, as usual.

To add to the big bass expelling a lure easier -I don't have much specific experience here -but it would seem to me that a large mouth and set of gills behind it could expel a lure pretty forcefully.

As to soft fleshy mouths: Bass do have a lot of soft tissue and fine bones up front -except for one: the maxilla (maxillary). That slab of bone is the one area that can be tough to maybe impossible to penetrate -since it is also free to move, being attached by tendons.

I've had fish come to hand with just the point of a very sharp hook barely imbedded in the maxilla, only to have it fall out in hand. I'm guessing a large number of bass lost by hooks popping free at boatside (properly and not overly aggressively played) are due to this.