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Not losing Fish with right Gear and Technique

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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: 8
Latest Activity: Aug 12

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.

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.

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Comment by carl hendrix on April 28, 2017 at 7:01pm: AGE OLD QUESTION THERE JOHN;; JUST WHEN DO YO U;; ( SET THE HOOK ) WHEN THE FLOAT GOES DOWN; AND NOT MISS THE FISH ! LOLOL BUT JUST THINK;; IF WE CAUGHT; EVERY FISH; WE TRIED TO CATCH;; WOULDNT IT GET-- BORING ?? ITS A HUGH PART; OF MAKING US KEEP COMING BACK ! LOL

Comment by John Sheehan on April 28, 2017 at 10:43am: When to set the hook when floats down ,that is the question .Missing fish especially when long casting from shore in April .Catching too though .

Comment by John Sheehan on February 7, 2017 at 2:07pm: I am being haunted by the memory of a possible lost/missed fish on a Tip up this past Saturday afternoon . A flag of mine went up but when i checked the spool it wasn't spinning and reset the flag on the heavier trip thinking it may have been a false flag set off by the wind . The flag then went up again and I came up with a bare hook without the shiner .The guy nearby who caught a 15" Crappie said his spool wasn't spinning either . False Flag or not I've learned to check the bait line ANYTIME the flag goes up and don't assume . arrgh!

Comment by John Sheehan on January 19, 2017 at 1:29pm: 42degrees here Carl .No ones on ice around here .Greg and I may take the boat out to partial open water Tuesday .

Comment by carl hendrix on January 19, 2017 at 1:11pm: NOT MUCH ICE HERE TODAY JOHN;; RAINY; AND 61 DEGREES !

Comment by John Sheehan on January 19, 2017 at 12:43pm: Lost a Crappie just below the ice hole last Sunday ,saw its head. It's my feeling that i had a bad hook set due to setting too early .The fish looked very sluggish as it dropped back

Comment by John Sheehan on January 13, 2017 at 8:34am: Losing fish at the hole while ice fishing I suspect often happens when the rod tip is lowered too quickly creating slack when bending down towards the fish .Keeping the rod bent to the fish at all times if possible is crucial . Raise rod over head if needed get the fish head enough in the hole to grab it across the Gills .Sometimes I just slide it outta the hole while keeping the line tight to the hook .

Comment by John Sheehan on November 30, 2016 at 12:09pm: Cold water fish are lost sometimes due to reacting too quickly to line movement or hit .Dropped a nice Pickerel the other day before they got into higher gear by reacting too quickly and not getting a good hook set .Of course afterwards ,also broke off a Pickerel when I had too much slack and the teeth cut above the jig/worm. .SEMI TIGHT line has become a meaningful thought . High rod tip and dropping back a little on the take and using the rod angle opposite to the way the line is swimming off . It's not always doable but I am trying to tweak some better success.

Comment by John Sheehan on November 8, 2016 at 4:29pm: BTW Carl Today I caught most of the 30 fish with one of my spinner rigs used with the smallest model Nungeser spoon/tipped with crawler piece .The rubber stops slip after setting the hook AND/OR WORKING THE BAIT SOMEWHAT AGGRESSIVELY so adjustments are necessary.I gotta work out the proper stop for the test line I'm using to see if things will improve .

Comment by John Sheehan on November 8, 2016 at 6:24am: Glad you appreciate Carl! If you do please explain the making of the the rig in the Walleye group. Perch go for spinner worm rigs too.I know you don't have the Yellow bandits in your area though .You catch Walleyes ? Walleyes up here eat Perch .I believe it's a big part of their diet!