…Yep ... like a razor thru butter... braid will easily be cut thru a pikes teeth. there is no braid on the market that is not susceptable to the bite-off. you can up the poundage to decrease the chance though

the problem i have is i dont usually fish for them nowadays... usually im after the panfish. im finding the 1.5" to 2" minnow presentation in front of a pred is somewhat irresistable to them. the bite-offs happen often.

if i intentionally fish for them i would most probably be using a wire leader. the problem im having is the tiny lures are easily inhaled 100% and the line is dragged across their teeth on the hookset.

Wow!  I was hoping 10# test/4# test diameter leader made from Fireline and attached to 4# mono  would serve when using small spoons for pannies and Pickerel are around .The wire leaders I have are better used for the bigger lures during warmer water seasons;late spring thru late Fall.  Pickerel in Cold water really are caught more often on smaller stuff in my experience. I usually go that way November and December .  I 'll see if they cut through the Fireline  I guess. They've stolen some of those small spoons meant for Gills.I am toying with making leaders from guitar strings ,barrel swivels, and Duolock snaps . I'm thinking a 012 Light gauge E string or a 016 Light B string is worth the experiment . Thanks for your input! 

I have not needed a trailer hook so far on my spinner-baits and haven't lost one fish on any I've used this year. I have caught Pickerel and Bass on about five or more different spinner-baits.Maybe one hook is better than a Treble . sometimes.

ONE THING FOR SURE JOHN;; ITS A LOT EASIER TO REMOVE ONE HOOK;; THAN A TREBLE HOOK !

Got that right Carl , especially from a net.

  A nice fish lost today .A 2# Bass I got a good look at before the hook pulled out of his throat .I saw the lure entirely inside  his bucket mouth but these small hooks didn't hold .They are sharp hooks but thems the breaks . The fish came off when I turned him away from some snags but by doing so I might have helped him get off . http://bigbluegill.com/photo/super-teeny-wee-r

Lost a trout at my feet by trying to lift it from the water .Caught two afterwards and learned my lesson ,worked them downstream and slid them into a shoreline pocket   more conducive .

while fishing the other day i noticed i was missing quite a few fish on the hookset with some of the tiny jigs where the eye of the hook is in line with the point of the hook and was reminded to slightly bend the shank offset kirbied or reversed... i found by doing so it increases my hookset ratio significantly and less fish pulling off before reaching the boat.

Thanks Slip , like your  post!

Got a few fish on the Mepps #2 Spinner  but more bumps than catches .I assume this is a territorial behavior and they are not so much interested in eating the bait as much as to intimidate it away from their feeding zone .I suspect they are keyed in on live bait and I am thinking I should get some fatheads and Herring or shiners and try them out again .Haven't used them yet this year .

Didn't lose this one though Haha!

HAHAHAHA  JOHN;; NOW THATS TREE FISHING !!  FABULOUS PIX BUDDY !

Glad you got a kick outta this pic Carl! This Crappie was several years back when my home lake was prolific with decent Crappie .Greg and his son Orrin were with me and we were slamming a ton of Crappie and releasing them . This "HANGIN' CRIME' fella was retrieved by Greg rowing me over and me plucking him outta the snag ! HAHA!

Last time out using 4# test Cabelas mono ,which granted is from an old spool, I dropped a Pickerel at the boat and cut another one off .I am wondering if I had a fresh spool of copolymer  with less stretch and less  abrasion if a 4# test line would've helped me land those fish .

The large Pickerel lost at the boat bit through the line at the bottom Easy shiner of an 8# test tandem rig. UGGHHH! I really have to work this getting bit off with swim baits problem I'm having quite often.
Here's my next move to figure out how to hold them on the line and land them ; Fireline 10# ,4 # diameter test leaders.

  Been dropping some fish due to quicker reactions than needed for the dropping water temps. Dropped a Bass that looked to be a 1.5# class fish .Of course it was a small jig and hook .Dropped a Pickerel 5 days ago by setting the hooks on a Thin Fin and pulled the fish up to see it get off. Slower  metabolisms as the water dips below 35 degrees. Gotta slow down now.

HEY JOHN;; HOW ABOUT POSTING A PIX OF YOUR CRAWLER HARNESS // SPINNER RIG ?  IM THINKING OF TRYING TO MAKE ONE; THANKS BUDDY!

Carl- I've been using #0,1, and 2 blades and various beads I've collected .The trick I've devised is using the rubber float stops as cinchers to secure the beads/Clevis/ Spinner package anywhere I want between the hook and the barrel swivel.

MANY THANKS JOHN;; I LIKE YOUR SET UP;; GOOD IDEA TO PIN THE SPINNER ; WHEREEVER YOU WANT IT TO  BE...  IVE THOUGHT OF MAKING A DOUBLE HOOK; WITH SPINNER BLADE; FOR WALLEYES;; USING WHOLE NITE CRAWLERS

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!

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 .

 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.

  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 .

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

NOT MUCH ICE HERE TODAY JOHN;; RAINY; AND 61 DEGREES !

42degrees here Carl .No ones on ice around here .Greg and I may take the boat out to partial open water Tuesday .

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!

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 .

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

You are right my friend!

Been catching pan fish with the 1" minnow but at one point they were getting stolen off the jig head hook  a lot . Any suggestions on keeping that Gulp minnow on the hook . I am thinking the collar on the jig head I'm using isn't helping any.

PUNCHED OUT; PLASTIC PIECES;; FROM CLEAR PLASTIC LIDS;; WORKS FOR ME !!   ONLY A SUGGESTION THO

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.

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 !!

I may have to use a thin gauge Guitar string piece and do that Carl .Thanks!

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 .

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.

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 .

 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 .

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.

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 ! 

Welcome Eric Pierce! Look forward to your helpful input and experiences!

Thank you for the add John. Haven't been fishing in a while. I had surgery on my gut and still recovering, but will add what I can, as I can.

Heal well Eric ! Glad you're aboard!

I am John. Almost there. Had some scar tissue from colon surgery get tangled and wrapped up with the small intestine. The surgeons had to free up the intestine then remove a lot of scar tissue, my gal bladder due to a large gal stone and a hernia that I didn't know I had. need to build up some stamina now and I'll be good...Thanks for the well wishes.

GOOD NEWS ERIC!

Welcome Jim Cosgrove!

Welcome Mikey-D

Welcome McScruff!