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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: 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.

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Comment by John Sheehan on May 29, 2016 at 7:34am: I may just cut off the treble on the blue fox spinner add a small split ring and new better, sharper and bigger hook. I have some concern the balance of the spinner wont be as good . It obviously attracts fish the way it is .

Comment by John Sheehan on May 29, 2016 at 7:32am: Easy to do on the plugs with split rings but the Blue fox spinner doesn't have one. I realize now . You are right on my Bass plugs and Top water baits with split rings I've changed out a lot of hooks for bigger sharper wider bend hooks and it pays off . If I recall correctly , the Zara Spook was the biggest culprit of having lost fish with improper hook size .Though it may have been that the fish that hit it to "chase it away " instead of eat it .When that happened went right back with a 6" plastic worm and caught some of those fish . You are absolutely right that some of those older baits had ridiculously poor hooks on them . I have very few treble hooks left that I use for changing out . I am with you on this .Thanks man!

Comment by carl hendrix on May 29, 2016 at 7:17am: JOHN; FOR WHAT ITS WORTH BUDDY; WHEN I USE TO FISH FOR BASS; OR OTHER BIGGEER FISH;; I ALWAYS CHANGED OUT MY TREBLE HOOKS; ; FOR BETTER;; STTRONGER; AS WELL AS WIDER GAP HOOKS;; AND HAD MUCH BETTER HOOK UPS.. A LOT OF THOSE ALREADY ON CRANK BAITS; OR WHAT EVER; COME WITH NOT SO SHARP HOOKS; TALKING TO SEVERAL BASS PROS; IN THE PAST ( AND PRESENT ) JUST ABOUT EVERYONE OF THEM ;; CHANGE THE HOOKS THAT COME ON THEIR BAITS ! HOPE THIS HELPS YOU BUDDY; YO UMIGHT EVEN PUT A LITTLE ; DRESSING ON THE TREBLE TAIL HOOK !!

Comment by John Sheehan on May 29, 2016 at 6:29am: You got me thinking Carl maybe I'll change the Blue Fox treble #4 to a bigger bite hook .it hooked three but lost two .Pickerel . They are just so fast right now they are hard to get a good hook set on at times. Plus when the wind puts slack in your line right when your getting the hit or have them on makes it hard to keep them on . Not complaining just trying to figure out how NOT to lose fish .

Comment by John Sheehan on May 28, 2016 at 2:11pm: Glad to have your point of view . Yup hooks and how sharp is a good point .Pun intended . The treble that caught three fish ,lost the big guy this past Thursday , oh I mean I lost the fish .I thought I had him on and a solid hook set then he ran deep the wind kicked up a breeze and I lost my direct contact with the fish and bink he was off . I agree though I should've sharpened the hooks after three fish on that lure .

Comment by carl hendrix on May 28, 2016 at 12:50pm: JOHN;; MY OPPINION IS;; THE HOOKS ARE THE CULPRIT !! TO SMALL OF A HOOK;; TO DULL OF ONE;; PREVENTS GOOD HOOK SETS ! I KNOW OF NO FISHING REEL;; THAT CAN KEEP UP WITH A RUNNING FISH ! IF A FISH ; HOOKED; COMES STRAIGHT AT YOU; AND YOU ( BURN THE REEL ) TO CATCH UP TO IT; DO YOU EVER REALLY CATCH UP TO IT ?? A RESOUNDING;; NO ! IS THE ANSWER ! EVEN MY AUTOMATIC FLY REELS;; CANT CATCH UP TO A RUNNING FISH; AND MY AUTO REELS ARE SUPER FAST ! KNOWING YOUR A REALLY GOOD ANGLER;; KNOWING WHAT; AND WHEN TO FIGHT A GREAT FISH;; TO LOOSE ONE;; ;; GOT TO BE THE HOOK ITSELF !!

Comment by John Sheehan on May 28, 2016 at 12:07pm: Welcome Gary! Still thinking about the best fish(Pickerel) that got off from Thursday last , so decided on mapping my thoughts here .