Bluegill - Big Bluegill
Not losing Fish with right Gear and Technique
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!
Gear Ratios...work in progress
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 tool. Perhaps with more matched gear I wouldn't have lost that fish that defeated me . Catching up to a bolting fish and keeping the tight feel to the tip of the rod that may not have a good hook set can be tough . Windy conditions can really screw things up by putting slack in your line as the fish heads toward deeper water where the boat is . .I am trying to figure out best gear ratios for conditions ,metabolic activity of fish etc. I lost a good Pickerel that was swimming like lightening toward the boat and a 5.2:1 gear ratio couldn't keep up . You are doing something right when hooking them for sure but losing a fish even after feeling like you had a good hook set means you're doing something wrong or something like Nature or power of fish to gear ratio used made you lose .Have to consider rod length and position of rod to fish also. Holding rod high takes slack out and is helpful depending on which way you're positioned to the fish .
Ask yourself friends; did i blow that or could I have got the fish to the shore or in the boat with the right gear and technique ?
Spinning Reels :
5.5: 1
Penn Silverado SV 2000
5.3:1
Daiwa Laguna 2500
5.2:1
Pflueger President 6730 ;Lost some Pickerel ,
Pflueger President UL
PfluegerSupreme UL
Shakespeare Whisker Titan 41/35; Lost a Pickerel
5.1:1
Penn 4300 SS
Daiwa 500 T Spinmatics UL
Daiwa SST 1300
4.9:1
Browning Challenger 40
Daiwa Sweepfire 1000 UL
Daiwa Sweepfire 1000B UL
4.1:1
Ryobi/Fintek: Silverspin SX4M
Baitcasting Reels:
6.2:1
Abu Garcia Ambassador Black Max
5:1
Shimano 2000 Bantam Magnumlite
Shimano BTX 100MAG
4.9:1
Daiwa SP 1000 Magforce
4.67:1
Daiwa Magforce HT 1500 F
3.8:1
Quantum Crankin' Reel 381
carl hendrix
AFTER READING YOUR EQUIPMENT LIST;; NOTHING THERE THAT COULD LOOSE A GOOD FISH;; YOU HAVE SOME GREAT EQUIPMENT THERE BUDDY ! MY OPTION IS THE HOOKS THEMSELVES;; POSSIBLY TO DULL; OR TO SMALL;; NOT GAPED WIDE ENOUGH FOR PROPPER HOOK SETS ON THOSE BIGGER FISH YOU LIKE. A GOOD HOOK;; GOOD HOOK SET; SHOULD PUT FISH IN THE BOAT !
May 29, 2016