Wits end with losing fish

[FishEastCarolina]

So I am a novice big bait fisherman and have been trying g to throw them more and more. I have a local pond that I have gotten some nice bites on a swim jig which keyed me into a large fish I lost a few weeks ago. I went out tonight and was tossing a 68 special top hook. I have tossed this bait here before with one bite right at the bank almost at my rod tip. Just nipped the tail and swam off.

 

Tonight once again I get a big bite prob ten feet from me on tha bank , I swing and hook up and chaos issues . Decent fish and he goes ballistic , I start reeling and backing up to drag him and he head shakes, I make up some ground and he jumps and a shakes second time just short of the bank and comes off in a few inches of water. I lost the fish the other day on a swimjig also to jumps near the bank. I am beyond frustrated. First that all my big bait bites outside of the rat and shellcracker come at my feet almost and I can’t seem to keep those fish pinned.

 

Is this from a bad Hook set or hook penetration?

Do I need to loosen my drag with the 65 pound braid for these close encounters?

Could a Mono leader help with the shock absorbing when up close?

 

 

To top it all off after a few more casts tonight a snapping turtle bit the tail off my Huddleston. Rant over , anger has subsided after smashing a taco salad. I will keep grinding but would love some advice

[bassbass]

Using braid you should have gotten a good hook set especially been that close. When the fish comes up do you stop reeling ? Even for a half a second?

 

May just be bad luck, and you may be letting your nerves get the best of you. Keep at it, next hook up try to relax and always keep tension on the fish.

Good luck

[Moleman]

What rod are you using, when it comes to swimbaits rods r everything when it comes to keeping fish pinned. It could be how you're fighting them but beyond that its; probably to stiff or too soft.

[FishEastCarolina]

It's gotta be slack coming into the line when they are jumping

[Moleman]

_{get a higher gear ratio or a softer rod, thats how you can deal with it.}

[R8R]

stick your rod in the water or very low to the ground to prevent them from jumping. every time a big fish jumps their percentage of getting off goes really high. or sometimes they just get away, like Brian said don't stop reeling.

[bigpoppabass]

Hard to offer suggestions cuz u r doing something right by getting bit. Seems to me ur running out of real estate and not getting a chance for your rod to load up properly....I still can't seem to hook em good on anything other than a rof 12.

[BigSlant]

stick your rod in the water or very low to the ground to prevent them from jumping. every time a big fish jumps their percentage of getting off goes really high. or sometimes they just get away, like Brian said don't stop reeling.

This^^

 

"Sweep the leg Johnny" hookset sideways not up if possible.. keep it low.. minimize the head shake

[jhoozie1]

This may be against popular decision but if you're getting bit that close maybe instead of trying to get the fish in ASAP, play it by walking down the bank a bit. Hard dragging a big fish up the bank when it's going crazy - not the same as netting a fish from the boat. If you keep it pinned passed the initial thrashing you have a good chance. Have the fish come towards you after it's done jumping (try not to let it jump in the first place) and use its own momentum to slide it up the bank easier. I fish from the bank and have learned not to rush them in since I don't have a net to help me get them up.

[Bloodkitty]

stick your rod in the water or very low to the ground to prevent them from jumping. every time a big fish jumps their percentage of getting off goes really high. or sometimes they just get away, like Brian said don't stop reeling.

I was going to say an ignorant version of this. ^^^

[JR Basser]

^^^

 

Agreed on the rod tip low.

 

Keeping the tip low not only diminishes jumping, but also it helps keep pressure where it needs to be. When a fish jumps and the tip is high, the tension of the rod is reduced, the fish gets slack in the line to help him throw the hooks, the less line out, and the greater chance you'll likely lose the fish. Not trying to sound like an expert, but unfortunately I've lost more than my damn share of quality fish to have figured it out, and still do... that's why it happens at the net often in a boat, the netter comes from below, and if the rod gets high sticked while fish is jumping or thrashing around, they're gone.

 

That's why "steering" the fish when it's close is do important, keeping tension in the right direction as much as possible. Sometimes you may have to switch directions several times before landing, essentially pulling the fish towards where you're trying to land it.

 

Being on the shore I'm sure has it's own challenges. At least you're getting bites and hooking up, that's one part of the game you can check off!

[Tinos240]

Dont stop reeling, stay concentrated keep the head of the bass coming toward you and just horse em in as fast as you can no slack and rod low, over powering the fish is key, this has happened to me in the past and have lost fish over hesitating and letting the fish swim around and try to tire em out, other factors may have been involved just my two sense... keep grindin man you will get another shot...

[Tuco]

Sometimes they just come off.

[MA Frog Man]

More parabolic rod or switch to mono. You need some stretch somewhere. With braid and a stiffer rod when that fish jumps that rod goes back to straight too quick. Combine that with braid and that fish has a lot of time on slack line to shake a big bait, which isn't hard.

[FishEastCarolina]

Thanks for all the responses , I feel like I have a better mindset go after them next time. Im gonna go with the sweeping hookset to help keep my rod lower. I might try a 20 lb mono leader as well.