Losing Big Fish

[NorcalBassin]

Good news is that I've been getting a lot more bigger fish this year, but the bad news is that I seem to be losing more than I should as I lead them back to the boat. Today I had what would have been my PB... definitely into DD, but she went from holding a couple feet deep (while 15-20 ft from the boat) to rising out of the water, shaking her head, and throwing the freakin wacky jig head right back at me. It was as if time stood still and she just stared at the boat to taunt me for what seemed like a few seconds after she threw the hook. I'm pretty mild mannered, but I almost went Ike on this one.

Anyhow, I was using a 7'2" medium power XF Crucial with a Ci4 and 6# Invizx... so I was making sure to keep the pressure on her with a relatively light drag. This has happened at least 3 more times the past couple months with fish over 5 lbs, which more often than not happens when they jump out of the water. Any ideas on what I should have done so I can quit losing fish??? Thanks!

[dhami013]

When they jump, point the rod tip at the fish. It kinda gives them slack so they can't shake the hook. It works for me.

Good luck man.

[Bluebasser86]

I'll have to respectfully disagree with pointing the rod at the fish to give them slack. Never has giving a jumping bass slack line turned out well for me. Slack line will just allow the hook to flop around even more and possibly create an even bigger hole for the hook to fall out. When they're trying to jump about the best thing to do is bury the rod in the water to try to keep their head down. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Also you're fishing light line so make sure your hooks are extra sharp to help dig in. Big bass have pretty tough mouths and sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you set the hook or how sharp your hooks are they aren't going to penetrate to the barb and you'll loose them. I hate loosing big fish as much as the next guy but it's something that is going to happen if you fish enough. Don't let it crush you and ruin your day but let it be a lesson on how to fight the next one! If you do the same thing over and over and keep loosing fish then you should be trying something different!

 

 

[00 mod]

/\ what he said!!

[Grey Wolf]

Bluebasser86 hit it on the head.

[K_Mac]

Keeping pressure on the fish with your rod tip on or in the water will make a huge difference. As Bluebasser said, you may still lose an occasional fish, but keeping them in the water will improve your odds dramatically. Finding big fish is the hard part. Good luck.

[James Yalem]

It's called variance (a poker term). Some years, you land every big bass that you hook; other years many get away. Sometimes, I believe the difference is how they take the lure, but a lot of it is plain luck.

[Sam]

DO NOT GIVE THEM SLACK ESPECIALLY WITH TREBLE HOOK BAITS!!!!

Put rod tip IN THE WATER to stop them from jumping.

Keep line TIGHT.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER POINT ROD TIP DIRECTLY AT THE FISH.

If necessary loosen your drag a little if possible to let her run.

[NorcalBassin]

Thanks for all the tips fellas. A little lighter drag (seemed plenty light but it did not take as much line as I thought it would for how much bend was in the rod) and keeping the rod tip ready to go into the water will definitely be my two initial adjustmemts. Now I'll be ready but will probably be stuck in dinkville for the next few trips.

[brushhoggin]

i agree with burying your rod in the water, not just the tip, but i put nearly half my rod in the water to keep em from jumping, more frequently with treble hook baits. Once you get em in close, steer the bass in figure 8's to help keep em from going under the boat until he's done fightin. that's when i lose a lot of my fish, after the fight and getting them next to the boat, they like to take that one last dive. Figure 8's can help maintain control of the fish until they are ready for lipping. Also, as far as using light line, I've learned the thinner gauge wire hooks are more easily set on light line than say a Gammy Superline or Owner extra strong.

[Sam]

Thanks Brushhoggin, I forgot about the figure 8s by the boat.

Usually I try to have them netted ASAP so I try to guide them into the net.

[Jim H.]

By and large I believe the reason many people loose too many fish is because they try to finesse them and "play" the fish longer than necessary. I'm from the old school and believe the best way is to keep turning the reel's handle and get them in the boat as quickly as you can. If you think the fish is going to jump, turn faster. Every second you waste is just another opportunity for the fish to throw the hook. Obviously the strength of your line will dictate just how long the fight must go on but the objective is to get the fish into the boat not to "play" with it. Just my $.02.

[Avalonjohn44]

I NEVER lose a big fish. Because all I catch are dinks these days...

[brushhoggin]

oh yeah, or you can use a net lol

[Catt]

It was as if time stood still and she just stared at the boat to taunt me for what seemed like a few seconds after she threw the hook. I'm pretty mild mannered, but I almost went Ike on this one.

LMAO, I have seen that so many times

I’m not a fan of light line especially 6# because when I set hook I’m trying to break something & I don’t want that something to be my line.

I think bass in the 8# plus size can hold a lure with enough force that you will only slightly move it in their mouth which results on only skin hooking them. The reason I believe this is I’ve missed bass on Rat-L-Traps or cranks & on inspection of the lure there was a perfect imprint of a semicircle of teeth marks.

As for sticking my rod tip in the water to stop a bass from jumping, it’ll work on smaller bass but on some 10# plus bass you aint gonna stop them no matter what so I would rather have my rod up in fighting position.

Each individual bass caught is different so they are fought different, if I’m in heavy cover its man handle all the way, if I’m in open water then maybe I’ll play em a little more.

Give em slack? Not until them are in the boat!

[JellyMan]

I have only lost 2 big ones. One in pads and when I set the hook, she was on for about 3 seconds then came off. nother had to be like 15lbs. I was using a jig, line got tight and started drifting, when I set the hook it was dead weight... heavy... then the line popped. I was like "hooooolyyyyy s********t!

I loose small ones way more often than big ones.

[Locked]

If the bass jumps hold your rod down towards the water. I've noticed that you can almost feel when the bass is surging towards the surface. It almost feels as if the fish is swimming towards you. When I get that feeling, I will pull the rod down and away from the fish while reeling. When I say away from the fish I mean have my rod in front of the fishes direction. For example, if the fish goes to my left, I will move my rod further left and point it down to the water. If the fish is swimming towards me, I will try to steer him left or right while pulling the rod down to the water and away from the fish. I'm not sure how much it keeps them from jumping, but I know it seems to help me keep tension on the line.

[Dwight Hottle]

When I'm concerned about a big fish jumping I always hold the rod to the side below parallel with the tip near or below the water . I just keep steady pressure on them slow reeling & stopping when they are pulling drag. You can't keep all bass from jumping but the slow side pressure keeps most of them down. Most of the time I am fishing deeper water without wood obstructions.

[James Yalem]

I've caught lots of bass, big and small. I've lost lots of hooked bass, big and small. I just hold me rod and about 9 o'clock and reel. I love seeing a bass jump and fight. If it throws the hook, then I'm not really bothered; especially if it was on a nice jump. OTOH, I can only remember losing two real big ones, over 7 lbs. This was on Truman Lake over 15 years ago. One broke my line because I had a groove in my reel's line guide and one pulled off the hook on a rogue. But in March 2000, I caught an 8lb. on a jig and in March 1987 I caught an 8 lb. on a black bomber. I've caught two ten lb. in Florida. So losing a bass; even a big one does not bother me. However, I'm 56 and have been bass fishing for more than 40 years.

[SirSnookalot]

All the pointers about the rod tip are correct, keeping a tight line is paramount. Experienced anglers lose less fish for 1 simple reason..........they don't get excited, they stay cool, calm and handle the fish instead of the fish handling them.

Try targeting larger species, get used to a more dramatic fight, landing bass should become easier for you. NO ONE LANDS THEM ALL !

Personally, I want my fishing jumping, that's the excitement for me. Makes no difference to me if the fish comes unbuttoned, I'm letting it go anyway.

[NorcalBassin]

Thanks again for all the tips guys. Snook... I was probably too relaxed if anything due to being surprised by the size of her. The rod was bent 1/3 of the way over the entire "fight" (medium weight), so there definitely wasn't any slack contributing to her coming unbuttoned (likely should have had drag a little looser). I've caught a halibut around 300 lbs, multiple kings over 30 lbs, and a bunch of steelhead over 10 lbs... no deer in the headlights fright on that fish, although I would've loved one pic with a 10+ pounder for sure!

[steezy]

I'll have to respectfully disagree with pointing the rod at the fish to give them slack. Never has giving a jumping bass slack line turned out well for me. Slack line will just allow the hook to flop around even more and possibly create an even bigger hole for the hook to fall out. When they're trying to jump about the best thing to do is bury the rod in the water to try to keep their head down. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Also you're fishing light line so make sure your hooks are extra sharp to help dig in. Big bass have pretty tough mouths and sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you set the hook or how sharp your hooks are they aren't going to penetrate to the barb and you'll loose them. I hate loosing big fish as much as the next guy but it's something that is going to happen if you fish enough. Don't let it crush you and ruin your day but let it be a lesson on how to fight the next one! If you do the same thing over and over and keep loosing fish then you should be trying something different!

X10, keep the line tight and get the rod tip down (into the water if necessary) so the fish cant easily jump.

[Fat-G]

Thanks for all the tips fellas. A little lighter drag (seemed plenty light but it did not take as much line as I thought it would for how much bend was in the rod) and keeping the rod tip ready to go into the water will definitely be my two initial adjustmemts. Now I'll be ready but will probably be stuck in dinkville for the next few trips.

I would say go up to 8 pound InvisX to be honest man. If you're getting a lot of 5+ pound fish, heavier line would be extra reassuring.

[WRB]

Fully realizing you need to get bit before you can lose any bass; consider changing both the line lb test and the rod power rating, if you are catching bass over 5 lbs.

8 lb is 25%+ stronger than 6 lb line, 10 lb is 60% stronger, the difference is 0.001 in diameter for each 2 lbs in strength!

The medium power Shimano is light to start with, over rated and more like a medium/light action. Try going up to medium/heavy, far better control.

8lb line and med/hvy rod you can put 2 more lbs of drag tension without breaking off, better hook setting by reel set and sweeping the rod back. Use the sharpest, strongest forged light wire hooks on the jigs. Might consider using 12 lb NanoFil with 12' of 10 lb FC leader for better hook setting and control.

Forget about lowering the rod to prevent bass jumping, keep steady pressure, stay in front of the bass and in control, if they jump off they win that day.

Tom

[Fishing Noob]

All these posts have been helpful for this topic! Thanks guys! All except for the person who stated that variance is a poker term lol....