Do you love big bluegill?

Not losing Fish with right Gear and Technique

Information

The thought that made me think of starting this interactive group was losing fish and why it happens . Many reasons I suppose but sometimes the gear itself doesn''t match up to the task and blaming yourself isn't always fair .

Also lengthy casts are great to cover water but perhaps harder to get a good hookset with that much line out to the fish ,especially with stretch in mono which I use . So figuring a max distance for casting that still is a safe distance from spooking fish but a better more reasonable distance to increase solid hook sets is something to consider .

However my wife's explanation as to why people lose fish is;"because their stupid" Ha ha , so lets discuss this and be less stupid friends!

Members: 9
Latest Activity: Jul 21, 2023

Discussion Forum

Preventing Pickerel exit Strategy 6 Replies

The problem is Pickerel like thin profile 2-3"swim baits a LOT and bite through the thin monos and co-polymers in their cutoff exit strategy. Landing the hardest fish to land that I encounter…Continue

Started by John Sheehan. Last reply by John Sheehan Aug 12, 2022.

Gear Ratios...work in progress 4 Replies

Here is a list of my Spinning and Bait casting reels with their gear ratios . I am suspecting lost fish isn't always my fault , well yeah it is , but maybe because I hooked them with the wrong…Continue

Started by John Sheehan. Last reply by John Sheehan May 30, 2016.

View All

Comment Wall

Comment

You need to be a member of Not losing Fish with right Gear and Technique to add comments!

Comment by John Sheehan on August 9, 2022 at 10:00am: Welcome Eric Pierce! Look forward to your helpful input and experiences!

Comment by John Sheehan on August 9, 2022 at 9:09am: This year I lost a jumping Bass that both brother Greg and I estimated at 6# , I had previously lost a fish under the boat that pulled loose after diving under the boat . I should have checked the line for nicks and retied .What I think happened is ; the line rubbed along the sharp edges of the bottom of the Aluminum boat and frayed my line about 10 feet above my hooked bait as that is where the "6 pounder" broke off . The fish were hitting so well that day I let my impatience get the better of me . Lesson learned I HOPE !

Comment by John Sheehan on February 23, 2021 at 11:41am: Lost a fish pulling the transducer out of the ice hole .My jerky movement knocked the fish off .Minutes later caught a Perch through same hole and didn't make the same mistake.

Comment by John Sheehan on February 27, 2018 at 1:02pm: Another mistake I made while trying to land what I think was a small bass on a tipup handline; I didn't kneel to the hole and banged the fish on the bottom of the ice and knocked it off the hook .Glad the lesson was on a small fish as the rest of the season fish were captured through the ice while kneeling at the hole. No others lost .

Comment by John Sheehan on January 11, 2018 at 12:13pm: I can attest and so can nephew Zach, don't pull light biters lip hooked outta the ice hole .Get down to where you can grab their head across the cheeks and you should have them .

Comment by John Sheehan on July 25, 2017 at 7:52am: Used the plain Aberdeen and pushed the plastic Minnow up above hook eye yesterday, no stolen baits .Plenty of Bluegills caught . The long shank and pinched barb of the #6 facilitated the one hand release.

Comment by John Sheehan on July 23, 2017 at 7:55am: Carl, another solution may be ;using plain hook and pushing bait up the shank over hook eye ,(no inhibiting collar) perhaps then adding a small shot .

Comment by John Sheehan on July 23, 2017 at 6:38am: I may have to use a thin gauge Guitar string piece and do that Carl .Thanks!

Comment by carl hendrix on July 22, 2017 at 10:36pm: JOHN;; ANOTHER TRICK;; IVE LEARNED FROM BBG SITE;; TAKE A -- PAPER CLIP;; WRAP ONE END AROUND THE JIG HEAD;; MEASURE ; ABOUT A 1/3 ?? TO 1/2 ?? LENGTH DOWN THE HOOK;; THEN;; MAKE A ; ( L ) TRIM THE CLIP OFF INSERT THE ;; ( L) INTO THE PLASTIC BAIT SUPPOSE TO HOLD THE BAIT WELL;;; IVE NEVER TRIED IT MYSELF;; BUT-- THEROILAGY;; SOUNDS GOOD ! ALTHO; IN MY OPPINION;; IT WOULD LEAVE; A SILVER STREAK; DOWN ONE SIDE ! JUST A THOUGHT THO !!

Comment by John Sheehan on July 22, 2017 at 3:56pm: These are small baits not sure the bait will swim well with those .I can see for larger Twister tails Bass baits where that would work though Carl.