Big fish coming unpinned !

[Super Fluke]

Why does it seem that when ever you get bit close to the boat you always lose the fish?It occurs a lot more with big fish than small one's this is very frustraiting.You wait and wait and you feel him you set the hook 4 feet from the boat and you say got'm lost'm:mad:.Do you fellow I-fishers have the same trouble with big fish?Any input would be great!Thanks

[arkansasbasser]

I have had the same experiance. I lost the biggest fish I ever hooked like that. This was in Arkansas. I was reeling a minnow type bait back to the boat. When the bait got to the boat it was still several feet underwater and I was pulling it straight up when he struck. I got a look at him as he turned to go and he was in the 12-14 lb class. I had no control of the fish. It was literally like snagging a passing train. He ripped free in about 2 seconds. I would have had to have had my drag set extremely loose for him to have stayed on and then he would have been back into the thick cover. I never had a chance. I hate it when they strike at the boat.

[Two Ducks]

Looks to me like the 5 lb bass is not afraid of you and the big fish know who the BAD DUDE is. Good luck Vinny. PS finished the year on springers with grandson limits by 7:00 Am. Looking forward to fishing with you again.:meme::meme::meme:

[hawgcatcher]

How true. I was always wanting to go to Florida for the big Bass. Well two years ago my daughter and son in law made that dream come true. We went to Daytona Beach with them and stayed in their timeshare. My daughter arranged with a bass guide, Joh Leech, to take us out. We went out to a chain of lakes near Orlando.

Beautiful day and got to see some beautiful homes along the shoreline, one belonging to the Shaq. Clear lakes that made me wish I had a home along them.

Well we fished all day and caught several bass in the 3 to 5 pound range. We caught some gar and other fish. All in all a wonderful time. We used shinners for bait. We were fast approaching time to head in when I got a strong bite and fight from one. The fish surfaced several times before getting near the boat. The guide leaned over to lip it and it jumped way out of the water and spit the hook. It was huge to me. The guide said that in his estimation, it was in the neighborhood of 10#, my personnal best.

The daughter had taken one picture of it's head sticking out of the water, but no fish. Lots of people have laughed and said "yeah, the big one always gets away" but I have that picture in my head and I am the only one that has to believe it. I have caught lots of bass and lost lots of bass in the last 54 years and I am happy that I at least had him (or her) on and got the fight. Maybe another time I will get another chance.:thisbig:

[Dan Grbavac]

"I never knew a man that lost a small fish"

[bassin newbie]

they probably know you dont need to catch them due to all of your pigs already this year

[ExBassGuide]

It could be one of two things going on. The hooks are pulling out or the hook is not penetrating all the way past the barb.

Some possible fixes to the problems: If the hooks are ripping out or pulling free, try setting the drag a little looser and don't horse her in unless she is headed for thick cover.

Penetration problems:D: use a little more drag, a less stretchy line or light wire hooks. Set the hook with a little more authority.

Always carry a net and use it. I do not lift the bass in the boat with the net. Using a net is macho:flowered:!
I hope this helps every one that it can.
Thanks
Roger

[KStock]

So True! My buddies and I were discussing this very issue last week! I think it has something to do with the fishes position.... head is up as they chase your rising crank bait for example. Conversely when they get their head down, you can get a good hook set and they rarely come off. I caught by personal best Smallie (4-11) a few weeks ago when it bit my crank bait 2 feet below the surface just a split second before I was about to pull the bait out of the water. I didn't set the hook but immediately depressed the clutch and let it swim away with the bait... and it allowed me to resume control. This is the only one in recent memory that I've actually landed this way, however... lost the rest.

[arkansasbasser]

So True! My buddies and I were discussing this very issue last week! I think it has something to do with the fishes position.... head is up as they chase your rising crank bait for example. Conversely when they get their head down, you can get a good hook set and they rarely come off. I caught by personal best Smallie (4-11) a few weeks ago when it bit my crank bait 2 feet below the surface just a split second before I was about to pull the bait out of the water. I didn't set the hook but immediately depressed the clutch and let it swim away with the bait... and it allowed me to resume control. This is the only one in recent memory that I've actually landed this way, however... lost the rest.That was some quick thinking. Hard to remember that when your adrenaline is going through the roof.

[DJD]

I have had the same experiance. I lost the biggest fish I ever hooked like that. This was in Arkansas. I was reeling a minnow type bait back to the boat. When the bait got to the boat it was still several feet underwater and I was pulling it straight up when he struck. I got a look at him as he turned to go and he was in the 12-14 lb class. I had no control of the fish. It was literally like snagging a passing train. He ripped free in about 2 seconds. I would have had to have had my drag set extremely loose for him to have stayed on and then he would have been back into the thick cover. I never had a chance. I hate it when they strike at the boat. Remenids me of a big one my buddy lost at fern ridge; we got her near the boat and she just opened her mouth and let go. She was NEVER EVEN HOOKED. She just clamped down on the bait and swam around with it! That fish was around 28 inches and went whereever she wanted. He was using a 6 1/2 ft Daiwa procaster rod and it was bent completely over so the rod tip was almost touchiong the reel; creaking and groaning like it was going to break! Awesome memory!

[MXRacer105]

........ I caught by personal best Smallie (4-11) a few weeks ago when it bit my crank bait 2 feet below the surface just a split second before I was about to pull the bait out of the water. I didn't set the hook but immediately depressed the clutch and let it swim away with the bait... and it allowed me to resume control........

That was an awesome fight.... and a beauty of fish to. And Kurt is not kidding about 2' from the boat, it was crazy.

Great story to have for a PB smallie.

Too bad it was not the biggest of the trip :D

[Wild Chrome]

Consider too, that when a fish is hooked near the boat, it has all its energy and jumps/head shakes with little line out and almost no bow in the line, which normally would straighten with a run or jump, were the fish further from the boat. Thus, there is more direct loading of the rod, which, in turn, means the rod is pulling on the hook harder than if the fish is 30 feet away; while the fish is at it's feistiest. If you're using mono, there's also a lot less stretch.

Also, as some one else said, the fish's head is coming at you when they're chasing a lure, so the hook is more likely to be set (or not) in the harder part of the mouth in the front, rather than in the corner of the mouth, where the hook would set if the fish was coming at the lure from the side.

Exciting, but frustrating!

[T Dot]

Why does it seem that when ever you get bit close to the boat you always lose the fish?It occurs a lot more with big fish than small one's this is very frustraiting.You wait and wait and you feel him you set the hook 4 feet from the boat and you say got'm lost'm:mad:.Do you fellow I-fishers have the same trouble with big fish?Any input would be great!Thanks

2 things come to mind: rod and hook penetration. i would suggest looking at a rod longer than 8ft. this way, with more leverage you can pin the fish when the slam near the boat.

gl

[KStock]

That was an awesome fight.... and a beauty of fish to. And Kurt is not kidding about 2' from the boat, it was crazy.

Great story to have for a PB smallie.

Too bad it was not the biggest of the trip :D

:excited: Ha ha... nicely played, Ryan. To explain (though not needed) Ryan upstaged my PB that day with a 4-15 on a Jig!