Fish Chris Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 Hopefully, it's not you ! I have a good buddy who wants to be a pro bass fisherman so bad, he can taste it ! He has a good job.... So that has allowed him a $50K bass boat, and all the best tackle a person could ever want, or need. He has also spent a LOT of time on the water, and knows where the fish stack up. And he seems to be able to make them bite pretty darn well too. His only problem ? He breaks off more fish in an active trip, than I have probably broke off in my life ! {maybe a slight exageration} But seriously, I used to break off a few per year, when using mono. But for the last 15 years, using nothing but braid, I might have broke off 10 fish... total. And that was usually from something goofy, like a nick in my leader, or the fish wrapping me around something. My buddy is a skinny guy, and he can't seem to help, but swing for the fences with every hookset. Now, I know with crappy, stretchy mono, a guy has to swing harder but apparently, my buddy is still able to swing just too freaking hard even when using stretchy, forgiving mono ! Needless to say, he does even worse with braid. I keep telling him that if he just can't control himself, on the hard hooksets, then he needs to run a really light drag. But he just keeps breaking them off. A few more, just last week Your thoughts ? Fish Quote
Fish Chris Posted December 10, 2010 Author Posted December 10, 2010 Hopefully, it's not you ! I have a good buddy who wants to be a pro bass fisherman so bad, he can taste it ! He has a good job.... So that has allowed him a $50K bass boat, and all the best tackle a person could ever want, or need. He has also spent a LOT of time on the water, and knows where the fish stack up. And he seems to be able to make them bite pretty darn well too. His only problem ? He breaks off more fish in an active trip, than I have probably broke off in my life ! {maybe a slight exageration} But seriously, I used to break off a few per year, when using mono. But for the last 15 years, using nothing but braid, I might have broke off 10 fish... total. And that was usually from something goofy, like a nick in my leader, or the fish wrapping me around something. My buddy is a skinny guy, and he can't seem to help, but swing for the fences with every hookset. Now, I know with crappy, stretchy mono, a guy has to swing harder but apparently, my buddy is still able to swing just too freaking hard even when using stretchy, forgiving mono ! Needless to say, he does even worse with braid. I keep telling him that if he just can't control himself, on the hard hooksets, then he needs to run a really light drag. But he just keeps breaking them off. A few more, just last week Your thoughts ? Fish Quote
Fish Chris Posted December 10, 2010 Author Posted December 10, 2010 Hopefully, it's not you ! I have a good buddy who wants to be a pro bass fisherman so bad, he can taste it ! He has a good job.... So that has allowed him a $50K bass boat, and all the best tackle a person could ever want, or need. He has also spent a LOT of time on the water, and knows where the fish stack up. And he seems to be able to make them bite pretty darn well too. His only problem ? He breaks off more fish in an active trip, than I have probably broke off in my life ! {maybe a slight exageration} But seriously, I used to break off a few per year, when using mono. But for the last 15 years, using nothing but braid, I might have broke off 10 fish... total. And that was usually from something goofy, like a nick in my leader, or the fish wrapping me around something. My buddy is a skinny guy, and he can't seem to help, but swing for the fences with every hookset. Now, I know with crappy, stretchy mono, a guy has to swing harder but apparently, my buddy is still able to swing just too freaking hard even when using stretchy, forgiving mono ! Needless to say, he does even worse with braid. I keep telling him that if he just can't control himself, on the hard hooksets, then he needs to run a really light drag. But he just keeps breaking them off. A few more, just last week Your thoughts ? Fish Quote
Randall Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 At one time that was me. :-[ ;D Switching to fluro and braid and learning to use a sweep hookset most of the time took care of most problems. Better drags on spinning reels took care of the rest. Mono just wasn't abrasion resistant enough for me. Quote
Randall Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 At one time that was me. :-[ ;D Switching to fluro and braid and learning to use a sweep hookset most of the time took care of most problems. Better drags on spinning reels took care of the rest. Mono just wasn't abrasion resistant enough for me. Quote
Randall Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 At one time that was me. :-[ ;D Switching to fluro and braid and learning to use a sweep hookset most of the time took care of most problems. Better drags on spinning reels took care of the rest. Mono just wasn't abrasion resistant enough for me. Quote
Super User CWB Posted December 10, 2010 Super User Posted December 10, 2010 I'm a pretty big guy and I have come close to throwing my partner out of the boat I set the hook so hard. Have not had any problems with breakoffs using flouro or hybrid lines. Need to make sure drag is set properly. Maybe he should experiment with different knots. I use a twice through Palomar most of the time. All the time with braid. Can't remember ever having a breakoff with braid. Now wrapping around a post or stump, that's a different story. Check your line and re-tie as needed. Sometimes we all get too lazy. Quote
Super User CWB Posted December 10, 2010 Super User Posted December 10, 2010 I'm a pretty big guy and I have come close to throwing my partner out of the boat I set the hook so hard. Have not had any problems with breakoffs using flouro or hybrid lines. Need to make sure drag is set properly. Maybe he should experiment with different knots. I use a twice through Palomar most of the time. All the time with braid. Can't remember ever having a breakoff with braid. Now wrapping around a post or stump, that's a different story. Check your line and re-tie as needed. Sometimes we all get too lazy. Quote
Super User CWB Posted December 10, 2010 Super User Posted December 10, 2010 I'm a pretty big guy and I have come close to throwing my partner out of the boat I set the hook so hard. Have not had any problems with breakoffs using flouro or hybrid lines. Need to make sure drag is set properly. Maybe he should experiment with different knots. I use a twice through Palomar most of the time. All the time with braid. Can't remember ever having a breakoff with braid. Now wrapping around a post or stump, that's a different story. Check your line and re-tie as needed. Sometimes we all get too lazy. Quote
Fish Chris Posted December 10, 2010 Author Posted December 10, 2010 I hear you guys. I actually use 3 different knots, depending on the situation, an improved clinch, a bloof knot, and a palomar knot. I consider my knot tying abilities to be just so-so. But what I'm GREAT at, is being able to tell at a glance, if the knot I just tied was a perfect knot, or needs to be retied. Often, I will have to re-tie a knot, once, or even twice. But if I ever tie one that doesn't cinch down cleanly, smoothly, and easily, it will never touch the water. I'll retie it 9 freaking X's, if that's what it takes until I get a sweet one All that, plus I typically run a fairly light drag. Works for me Fish Quote
Fish Chris Posted December 10, 2010 Author Posted December 10, 2010 I hear you guys. I actually use 3 different knots, depending on the situation, an improved clinch, a bloof knot, and a palomar knot. I consider my knot tying abilities to be just so-so. But what I'm GREAT at, is being able to tell at a glance, if the knot I just tied was a perfect knot, or needs to be retied. Often, I will have to re-tie a knot, once, or even twice. But if I ever tie one that doesn't cinch down cleanly, smoothly, and easily, it will never touch the water. I'll retie it 9 freaking X's, if that's what it takes until I get a sweet one All that, plus I typically run a fairly light drag. Works for me Fish Quote
Fish Chris Posted December 10, 2010 Author Posted December 10, 2010 I hear you guys. I actually use 3 different knots, depending on the situation, an improved clinch, a bloof knot, and a palomar knot. I consider my knot tying abilities to be just so-so. But what I'm GREAT at, is being able to tell at a glance, if the knot I just tied was a perfect knot, or needs to be retied. Often, I will have to re-tie a knot, once, or even twice. But if I ever tie one that doesn't cinch down cleanly, smoothly, and easily, it will never touch the water. I'll retie it 9 freaking X's, if that's what it takes until I get a sweet one All that, plus I typically run a fairly light drag. Works for me Fish Quote
Hot Rod Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 Isn't that the defintion of "crazy"? Someone that does the same thing over and over again the same way but expects different/better results. ;D I've been in the boat with people like that. Rarely do they take constructive critiscm very well. They just have to figure it out for them self cause they refuse to even consider what someone else suggests. Especially if they already consider themselves to be an "expert". Case in point, I tried to switch over to braid for a lot of my fishing three different times. After hearing so many positive hype about the latest and greatest generation of braid I spool it up on several rods and think "this is going to put a lot more fish in the boat!". Problem is all my rods are way to fast for it and my technique/style. I ended up jumping off a lot of fish. Finally after more lost fish than I care to mention, I got it through my skull it wasn't working for me. I could buy all new slower rods but instead I just use a more forgiving line with some stretch. Now I rarely jump one off.  Hopefully your buddy will have a similar apipheny Quote
Hot Rod Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 Isn't that the defintion of "crazy"? Someone that does the same thing over and over again the same way but expects different/better results. ;D I've been in the boat with people like that. Rarely do they take constructive critiscm very well. They just have to figure it out for them self cause they refuse to even consider what someone else suggests. Especially if they already consider themselves to be an "expert". Case in point, I tried to switch over to braid for a lot of my fishing three different times. After hearing so many positive hype about the latest and greatest generation of braid I spool it up on several rods and think "this is going to put a lot more fish in the boat!". Problem is all my rods are way to fast for it and my technique/style. I ended up jumping off a lot of fish. Finally after more lost fish than I care to mention, I got it through my skull it wasn't working for me. I could buy all new slower rods but instead I just use a more forgiving line with some stretch. Now I rarely jump one off.  Hopefully your buddy will have a similar apipheny Quote
Hot Rod Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 Isn't that the defintion of "crazy"? Someone that does the same thing over and over again the same way but expects different/better results. ;D I've been in the boat with people like that. Rarely do they take constructive critiscm very well. They just have to figure it out for them self cause they refuse to even consider what someone else suggests. Especially if they already consider themselves to be an "expert". Case in point, I tried to switch over to braid for a lot of my fishing three different times. After hearing so many positive hype about the latest and greatest generation of braid I spool it up on several rods and think "this is going to put a lot more fish in the boat!". Problem is all my rods are way to fast for it and my technique/style. I ended up jumping off a lot of fish. Finally after more lost fish than I care to mention, I got it through my skull it wasn't working for me. I could buy all new slower rods but instead I just use a more forgiving line with some stretch. Now I rarely jump one off.  Hopefully your buddy will have a similar apipheny Quote
Super User Grey Wolf Posted December 10, 2010 Super User Posted December 10, 2010 "Stupid is as stupid does." Quote
Super User Grey Wolf Posted December 10, 2010 Super User Posted December 10, 2010 "Stupid is as stupid does." Quote
Super User Grey Wolf Posted December 10, 2010 Super User Posted December 10, 2010 "Stupid is as stupid does." Quote
Lucky Craft Man Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 I have a buddy that you can tell when he is ready to set the hook. He repositions himself for the power swing, which slightly rocks the boat. Then comes the hook set...the whole boat rocks back and forth. If you are not braced or ready, you could loose your balance and go overboard. I asked him why he feels the need to rip the fishes face off and he says that is just his reaction to the bite. I guess if you get into a habit of doing so, it is hard to break. Quote
Lucky Craft Man Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 I have a buddy that you can tell when he is ready to set the hook. He repositions himself for the power swing, which slightly rocks the boat. Then comes the hook set...the whole boat rocks back and forth. If you are not braced or ready, you could loose your balance and go overboard. I asked him why he feels the need to rip the fishes face off and he says that is just his reaction to the bite. I guess if you get into a habit of doing so, it is hard to break. Quote
Lucky Craft Man Posted December 10, 2010 Posted December 10, 2010 I have a buddy that you can tell when he is ready to set the hook. He repositions himself for the power swing, which slightly rocks the boat. Then comes the hook set...the whole boat rocks back and forth. If you are not braced or ready, you could loose your balance and go overboard. I asked him why he feels the need to rip the fishes face off and he says that is just his reaction to the bite. I guess if you get into a habit of doing so, it is hard to break. Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted December 10, 2010 Super User Posted December 10, 2010 I have a good buddy who wants to be a pro bass fisherman so bad, he can taste it ! He has a good job.... So that has allowed him a $50K bass boat, and all the best tackle a person could ever want, or need. He has also spent a LOT of time on the water, and knows where the fish stack up. And he seems to be able to make them bite pretty darn well too. His only problem ? He breaks off more fish in an active trip, than I have probably broke off in my life ! But he just keeps breaking them off. A few more, just last week Your thoughts ? Fish Off the top of my head I have 2 thoughts ~ 1. Sounds like that's not his Only Problem. and 2. I wish that was the only thing keeping me from going Pro. A-Jay ~ as an after thought - perhaps you could take a video of him in action as he snaps off fish after fish; maybe then he'd figure it out. Quote
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