When A Fish Jumps

[Wrknapp]

Okay I've heard differently... When a bass jumps, do I raise the rod tip or lower it?

[SoFlaBassAddict]

I just generally wave my rod around crazily and hope for the best.

In all honesty, I try to keep the tip down when I feel a fish coming up. Works for Tarpon, works for bass just as much.

[IneedAnewScreenName-972354]

Pointing the rod tip down and applying back pressure is a way to try and stop the fish from jumping or keeping it from jumping very high and if it does breach the surface then the back pressure helps keep your line tight.

[SAC2]

i just worry aobut keeping my line tight more than anything. sometimes when you're in the moment there is no paying attention to your rod tip. something that's just instilled into me (and probably everyone that bass fishes) is keep the line tight no matter what.

[Dwight Hottle]

I almost always enjoy the jumps & arial display. But if I think I have a big fish on I'll apply side pressure with the tip near or even under water to discourge jumping. The constant side pressure keeps the line tight and lets the rod maximize the pressure on the fish.

[Fat-G]

You set the hook and CRANK. Do not stop until the fish is in your hands DO NOT STOP CRANKING AND KEEP THE ROD TIP DOWN!!!

You do NOT stop reeling, no matter how hard the fish is pulling.

[Jigfishn10]

For the most part I keep constant tension on the fish and rod tip down, but that's not to say that going the opposite way isn't an option. I made the mistake of hooking into a nice bass last spring on a spook jr and I tried to keep him from jumping, so I kept the rod tip down and reeled. I knew that eventually I was going to be reeling it into a wall of weeds, so instead of turning my rod tip up and try to skate that fish over the weeds, I maintained my original technique and wound up losing a 4# fish in those weeds. Lesson learned.

Sometimes you don't have a choice and that fish will break the surface. Some anglers give slack (bow) to the fish and some maintain tension. Me, I maintain tension and get religious (pray) real quick...LOL

[NBR]

Since I'm a C&R guy and don't fish T's I love for them to jump but when they do I pull them strongly but not an actual jerk to put them back into the water.

[james 14]

I keep the rod tip as low as possible, even underwater, to keep the fish down and reel as quickly as possible. This is mostly a concern when fishing with treble hooks.

If you're using light tackle it's a little more difficult to use this approach since you can't manhandle the fish as much. This is one of the reasons it's important to use a rod that loads up more so you have more room to give the fish before the line goes completely slack.

[Hyrule Bass]

You set the hook and CRANK. Do not stop until the fish is in your hands DO NOT STOP CRANKING AND KEEP THE ROD TIP DOWN!!!

You do NOT stop reeling, no matter how hard the fish is pulling.

ummm, ive had times where i had to stop reeling because the fish is taking out line regardless. happened to me with a striper and with a honest to goodness 20+ inch crappie. they went on amazing runs and reeling did no good as the fish continued to strip line off the reel. you just have to know when to start reeling again, you have to feel the fish wearing down near the end of their run and then get them turned around.

but as for when a fish jumps, i never put my rod tip down or in the water, it really doesnt matter so much to me. i love to see a fish jump, the real key to me is keeping constant pressure on the fish and keeping your line tight the whole time through the jump, and i havent lost any fish in a long long time because it jumped. the key is keeping your line tight whether the fish jumps or not...

[Lund Explorer]

Since I'm a C&R guy and don't fish T's I love for them to jump but when they do I pull them strongly but not an actual jerk to put them back into the water.

There you go, let them put on an air show! Half the fun of hooking into a big smallie is watching to see how high he/she can clear the surface.

[LgMouthGambler]

Heres the trick: when the fish jumps, pull that fish as hard as you can to slingshot it to you. While its on its way, reach down, grab the net, and catch it.

[James Yalem]

I just keep my rod tip high and line tight. I like to see bass jump. Of course, I'm 57. I have caught many bass and don't fish tournaments, so losing one even a big one doesn't matter.

[lmoore]

You set the hook and CRANK. Do not stop until the fish is in your hands DO NOT STOP CRANKING AND KEEP THE ROD TIP DOWN!!!

You do NOT stop reeling, no matter how hard the fish is pulling.

And here we have a manual on how to lose fish while jerkbait fishing

[brushhoggin]

if you watch your line, you can tell when they are about to jump. it's difficult to explain but when i see this, i go from a side to side, sweeping, controlling motion (according to the direction the fish is swimming) to raising my rod tip up, often times raising my whole rod above my head with one hand, similar to how fly-fishermen fight fish. This helps me keep the line tight while the fish is jumping. if you really want to keep them from jumping, when you see your line coming up, try and time it, so that you sweep your rod hard to the side, pulling the fish towards you in the same instant she jumps.

[jkarol24]

Especially when fishing smallies, watch your line to detect when they are coming up to the surface. When you see this, proceed to put your rod tip down (i get it in the water a good ways). This will be your best bet at keeping that fish from jumping.

[POPRG]

bow to the cow! tarpon fly-boys creed! i'd rather have an aerial fish on a lose line than to gain leverage on a tight line..

[BrianinMD]

In tourney's, I keep the rod low and keep the line tight to limit the amount they can jump.

For fun fishing, just yell woohoo after a nice jump.

[Colton Neal]

try not to let a bass jump since they can get extra leverage to throw the hook out of the water by lowering the tip. If they do jump, which will happen, just keep a steady tension on the fish with your rod pointing in the direction the fish is traveling.

[WookieeJedi]

I tend to keep the tip down if I can. It keeps them from jumping as much, and limits air time when they do come out of the water. Also, if I have a big hardbait with multiple hooks, I don't want the fish to get airborne and risk hooking him in the eye or gill plate while he is thrashing around. They can get hung up like that in the water, but it seems to happen more when they do the jump and shake.

[Michael DiNardo]

I think BRUSHHOGGIN has it right. I try not to keep the rod high over my head. A fish jumps and that lure is coming back at you like a bullet. Use wide sweeping motions to keep the head down, if you want to land the fish.

Mike

[Daniel My Brother]

I remember the first time I watched big-time tourney fishing on TV. Those guys would hook a bass and reel it in so fast it looked like it was skiing across the surface. Then they'd flip it into the boat and back in the lake, or livewell, before you could blink.

I started doing this with my buddy and it was effective, but it sure wasn't much fun.

Like most here, I love it when a fish goes airborn, or makes a deep run next to the boat. Or when you're wading with light tackle and the fish literally swims circles around you. I remember catching a 10 inch smallie in 3 inches of water that lept 2 feet in the air. I don't remember any of the 10 inch fish that I water skied back to the boat.

[bassin is addicting]

I keep the rod tip as low as possible, even underwater, to keep the fish down and reel as quickly as possible. This is mostly a concern when fishing with treble hooks.

X2

not sure if this is the "correct" technique...but it works for me...

[.ghoti.]

You set the hook and CRANK. Do not stop until the fish is in your hands DO NOT STOP CRANKING AND KEEP THE ROD TIP DOWN!!!

You do NOT stop reeling, no matter how hard the fish is pulling.

100% DEAD WRONG.

[aclark609]

When a bass jumps the only thing that needs to happen to keep him pinned is keeping the line tight. When I feel one about to jump I will dip the rod down and pull hard to keep him from jumping. If the fish isn't too far away, it'll work almost every time. Just keep a good constant pressure on the fish and you won't lose him. Thats to say if you got a really good hookset on the fish in the first place.