Is it me?

[stevomac59]

This past weekend I went fishing with my uncles new JON boat.... IT WAS AWESOME. I took it out to the flats and started to fish. I took some advice from this forum and used wacky rigged senkos. I casted out... then after about 10 seconds I twiched it... and BOOM a bite! As I reeled it in... the fish spat it out. Then, about 10 minutes later I casted into this submerged tree... I waited again another 5-10 seconds, twitched it and it felt as if it were snagged on a rock or branch.... then my pole began to move, I was so excited... a big BASS on a LURE!!!! As I reeled him in... it jumped, with its beautiful green and white colors, and spat out the hook! DARN!!!! That was yesterday.... today I went out again with my uncles boat and no luck for a while... then I moved to where I had ALMOST got those two other fish... and BAM I felt a bite... but I was not sure if he was on. I reeled him in and about 2 feet away from teh boat he jumped and spit out the hook!

I think my excitement overcame my "setting the hook" part... so thats what I think it was.

Anyway... what hooks should I be using?


by the way... I have never caught a fish with a LURE!!!

Thanks....
-ST3V0

[JB]

Try a 2/0 or 3/0 gammy hook and when you notice you are getting a bite, either feeling a tick on the line, or seeing the line move, point your rod tip towards the line, reel any slack in and then pull the rod tip back to over your head and keep it there to set the hook.

[lizardsrule]

You gotta give em a boat rocking hookset, and cross their eyes. Or get some circle hooks.

Lizards

[bassfisher02]

Do what everyone has stated already, reel down the slack, then set directly up. A nice smooth upward motion is needed. The keep the rod tip up at all times, directing the bass left or rigth as needed, but never lower the tip below your waist until he's at the boat. The only time the tip should be at waist level is when pulling the bass away from structure, all other times return to a 12 o'clock position, even when he jumps.

[wargoth]

Originally Posted by bassfisher02

all other times return to a 12 o'clock position, even when he jumps.

I don't quite agree with you here 02, I have found that when I see a fish getting ready to jump, I will drop my rod tip to as low to the water as I can get it reeling like hell. This seems to keep them on the hook, or even better and just as often, deter them from jumping in the first place. Just my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

[bassfisher02]

I guess it depends, the high rod tip will keep no slack in the line at all, when I feel the fish coming up for a jump, I raise the tip even higher and I can say I have never lost a fish due to jumping. But to each his own.

[Rebbasser]

Anyway... what hooks should I be using?

SHARP ONES!

Whenever I read about someone losing a good fish like that I know it is without a doubt one of 2 things: Either the rod does not have enough backbone to get a good hookset, or the hook is not sharp. With a wacky rig the hook is exposed so the rod is not as much a factor, so that points me to the hook. Contrary to popular belief, not all hooks are sharp right out of the package. Name brands like Gamakatsu usually are sharp enough, but if you are using a store brand they usually need sharpening. Get yourself a hook sharpener from someplace that sells tackle and use it if the hook does not dig into your thumbnail with just a little pressure. It can make the difference between talking about the one that got away or posting a picture of you holding a good fish up for the camera.

[robbor]

My buddy loses fish all the time, fish after fish. I fish right next to him and I almost never lose a fish at all and we use the exact same thing, atleast when this occured and we were calico bass fishing. I have always been a fan of setting the hook hard, even crappie fishing, I some times do a ron popeal thing "set it and forget it". My buddy often uses wrong action rods, like we are using weedless arkys and he is using a a toy light or ML action rod and I watch him get a bite and not set but try to just bring them in with the reel. Even with heavy rods he never set, or like a little girl. One time we were fishing and they were biting hot and heavy and my hands were cover in squid. I set the hook and the rod actually popped right out of my hands, luckily it floated for a second and i grabbed it quick. Practice setting the hook, and set it like a man, like you mean it. I normally set straight up also.

[jooleyen]

I can't tell you how many fish I've lost due to them jumping. Most of the time it's from shore and I don't have much control over the fish because there is either tall grass or a tree in the way of my rod. Just try to keep your rod in the water. I kept losing four pounder after four pounder and I was so frustrated until I discovered that my rod was too high. If I'm using a bait with treble hooks, I'll set the hook completely to the side and then stick my rod in the water or just keep it low. If it's with a single hook bait like a spinnerbait, jig, or T-Rig, I'll give it like a 2:00(am) hookset.

Hope this helps

[bassfisher02]

Alright well here Stevo, do an experiment, get a good hook set then keep the rod tip up, and when the fish jumps, raise it even higher and dont stop reeling. Then on the next fish, with the same lure keep the rod tip in the water the whole time.

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by jooleyen

I can't tell you how many fish I've lost due to them jumping. Most of the time it's from shore and I don't have much control over the fish because there is either tall grass or a tree in the way of my rod. Just try to keep your rod in the water. I kept losing four pounder after four pounder and I was so frustrated until I discovered that my rod was too high. If I'm using a bait with treble hooks, I'll set the hook completely to the side and then stick my rod in the water or just keep it low. If it's with a single hook bait like a spinnerbait, jig, or T-Rig, I'll give it like a 2:00(am) hookset.

Hope this helps

You will definately loose more fish when they jump, than any other time. Always try to keep your rod tip low or in the water. If you can't keep the fish down, then you need to time it just right, that when the fish hit's the surface, you give it a good pull, which throws the shaking he's about to do off, but you must reel fast, to keep the pressure on the fish. Jumping bass are spectacular to see, however you're asking for a lost fish with it.

Lizards

[brushhog]

I did it it the way 02 suggests for a long time and then switched to the lower tip after reading about it here... I honestly haven't noticed a difference, I haven't lost many fish either way, as long as you keep the tension on. I think your hooks and hookset is probably the issue, with a great hookset and proper tension you'll boat that hawg next time!!!

[wargoth]

The major advantage of dropping your tip and cranking is in that much of the time, if you do it correctly, it will actually deter the fish from jumping in the first place.

[BigBassin144]

I use circle or octopus hooks, no hook set required, and also you really have to put your rod tip down, I've learned how important that is the hard way.

[bassfisher02]

Let him try it both ways, I dont want him only keeping it in the water because some people swear its the only way. Fish can easily be lost with the tip down if you let any slack in the line for any reason at all. T'is why with a high rod tip, even if you arent reeling in, the tension stays, making it easier to land fish. Think about it, you set the hook up in some kind of manor, whether it be 2" on a side sweep or a few feet on a straight up set, so why go back down? Doesnt make sense to me, but like someone else said, the key really is to just keep as much tension on the line as you can without risking a break. Its believed keeping tension on the line is easier with a high rod tip, so thats what I suggest. But it differs, so try it yourself and figure out which you are more comfortable with.

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by bassfisher02

Let him try it both ways, I dont want him only keeping it in the water because some people swear its the only way. Fish can easily be lost with the tip down if you let any slack in the line for any reason at all. T'is why with a high rod tip, even if you arent reeling in, the tension stays, making it easier to land fish. Think about it, you set the hook up in some kind of manor, whether it be 2" on a side sweep or a few feet on a straight up set, so why go back down? Doesnt make sense to me, but like someone else said, the key really is to just keep as much tension on the line as you can without risking a break. Its believed keeping tension on the line is easier with a high rod tip, so thats what I suggest. But it differs, so try it yourself and figure out which you are more comfortable with.

This is not true when fishing trebble baits. Too Much tension, even way shy of breaking the line can pull the bait free. Many times you may have them barely hooked. Or even hooked on the side of their head, not even in the mouth, or gills also. Plus the hook sizes on trebble bait are very small compared to say even a 2/0 hook, therby allowinf them to litterally tear free of the bait much easier. With a standard hook 2/0 worm/widegap/whatever, you will get the hook inbedded past the barb. Many times the barbs aren't buried on trebble bait, thereby allowing a head shake to dislodge them. Trebble baits of any type should be fished with less tension(but constant tension), and more playing of the fish. When I have a fish hooked on a t-rig I'll ski that sucka to the boat. But when using any trebble baits I will play them all the way back to the boat. I also will use a net if it's a decent fish. If I'm not mistaken you've posted several times you don't use cranks much at all, so perhaps that is one of the reasons you are not understanding the issues. BTW, when saltwater fishing, you truly need to get a Mirror Lure suspending twitch bait. They will flat out catch fish, including, but not limited to, Snook, Reds, Flounder, Tarpon, Trout, Gar, Mudfish, also LM Bass etc... They are the most productive lure I've used in the last 5 months.

Lizards

[bassfisher02]

Yeah, I dont use baits with treble hooks much at all. I'll look into that Mirror Lure twitch bait, I've always had success on a stinger tail grub on a jig head. Also, GULP ALIVE shrimp and other soft baits have been killing the fish around here lately.

We recently found about $300+ worth of saltwater tackle at a local carwash, and after about 2 weeks and posting on Florida Sportsman with no response we decided to divy it up. I'm pretty sure I might have seen a mirror type looking jerk bait in there, I'll give it a look.

[DRBASSMAN]

I agree with everyone's comments about keeping all slack out of the line to keep the fish from spitting the hook. I, myself, have found that keeping the rod tip low when I feel the fish surfacing to jump has been a better style for me - but to each, his/her own. Back to StevoMac's main question in his post: "what kind of hooks to use?" When I fish my Senko wack-worm, I use a 2/0 or 3/0 Gammy; but when I don't fish it wacky-style I use a Gammy 4/0 or 5/0, fish it weightless and "skin'hook" my Senko. It works for me.
DrB