My woes continue. Anyone else have this happen? 2024
Chance_Taker4 reply :
First Sunday in August I fished a tournament. I never weighed in a fish. I had 4 keepers hooked all on drop shot and lost all of them. The next weekend I took my wife out she caught about 9 all weighing 2# or more. I again skunked having hooked up with what looked to be around a 4#er got her to the boat went to grab her, her last shake threw the hook this time on a shakey head. Then this past Saturday I went pond hopping and AGAIN had 3 fish hooked up and they threw the hook this time one was a Carolina rig the other two were on a wacky rig. Am I the only one that has been in this position? I am setting the hook like I always have but for some reason the fishing gods do not like me right now.
thinkingredneck reply :
Sometimes you get off. Like a baseball player. Subtle changes that you can't notice. Try a different tactic like crankbaits for a while and go back to your normal techniques in a while. That helped me.
scaleface reply :
I have went through periods of losing high percentage of fish . One reason was I was trying to horse them in like I seen the pros do . That didnt turn out well . I lost a lot of big fish . The other reason was just poor hook selection . I jumped on the newest and latest hook bandwagon and lost a lot of fish doing so . But you know , I'm a better angler because of those lessons learned .
StrikePrince reply :
Ya, I lost what would have been my best bass this year this past weekend. Thought I had a good hookset on the jig but she just came off. You can replay in your mind and agonize over what you did wrong, but I think that that's just fishing, sometimes.
Gotta lose some fish once in while, maybe it'll make the success that much sweeter.
Spankey reply :
I'm sure something good will come out of this. Let us know what happens.
Just a slump. Fish your way out of it. It will turn around.
Chance_Taker4 reply :
On 8/29/2017 at 2:23 AM, Spankey said:I'm sure something good will come out of this. Let us know what happens.
Just a slump. Fish your way out of it. It will turn around.
I hope so I have my next tournament September 10. I sure hope to get out of this slump before the event and not during.
Columbia Craw reply :
The tissue of a bass in the warm summer is much softer than cooler months and that may contribute to fish lost. Been there many times.
Spankey reply :
On 8/29/2017 at 3:03 AM, Chance_Taker4 said:I hope so I have my next tournament September 10. I sure hope to get out of this slump before the event and not during.
You can't afford to be in a slump. You can't afford head game either. Relax, free your mind.
Steveo-1969 reply :
On 8/28/2017 at 10:31 PM, Chance_Taker4 said:The next weekend I took my wife out she caught about 9 all weighing 2# or more. I again skunked.
Have you asked your wife for some pointers?
hawgwash reply :
Don't feel bad. I've lost a lot of fish. Happens to the best of us. The other day I was fishing with a beetle spin blade, jig head and Mr Twister double tail brown/orange. I made a few casts and then BAM - this humongous pike took off with my bait. I swear this big guy must have been close to eight pounds. Got him up to the dock and when we tried to net him he flipped the bait out of his mouth and was gone. Oh yeah, misery.
NHBull reply :
@scaleface makes a lot of sense. I fell into this by accident. While reading in a 4# my daughter needed some help with her fish, which really slowed my bass in getting to the boat. By the time I got him in it was easy and never really tried to throw the popper. It was in that moment that I stopped surfing them in and loosen the drag a bit
Spankey reply :
I'm admittedly very anal and have a tendency to over think things. Work or my mental relief activities. I want things to go right and don't like things half butted.
Things will turn around for you your next time out. Have a good practice day. Things will fall in line.
Oregon Native reply :
Sometimes we go through cycles of not being able to do nothing wrong and then there will be a period of "OMGosh" moments or days. Fact of life......enjoy your time on the water and don't over think. Lots of good info above.
BCline reply :
On 8/28/2017 at 10:31 PM, Chance_Taker4 said:First Sunday in August I fished a tournament. I never weighed in a fish. I had 4 keepers hooked all on drop shot and lost all of them. The next weekend I took my wife out she caught about 9 all weighing 2# or more. I again skunked having hooked up with what looked to be around a 4#er got her to the boat went to grab her, her last shake threw the hook this time on a shakey head. Then this past Saturday I went pond hopping and AGAIN had 3 fish hooked up and they threw the hook this time one was a Carolina rig the other two were on a wacky rig. Am I the only one that has been in this position? I am setting the hook like I always have but for some reason the fishing gods do not like me right now.
What have you done to keep the fishing gods happy? I keep an alter at my desk with an offering cup. Whenever I have loose change in my pocket it goes to the alter. Just remember to NEVER take the money back out. Anyone who has seen the movie Major League knows it is very bad to steal Jobu's rum.
Its only weird if it doesn't work.
frogflogger reply :
If some didn't get away it would be called "catchin'" - fish escaping are part of the fun (and frustration) of the game (for myself anyway)
WTnPuddleJumper reply :
If you lost all of these fish during your slump on the same rod might I suggest changing rods. I have found that a rod with more flex in the tip (like a duckett ghost) has helped me land more fish.
Sword of the Lord reply :
Is your wife fishing in the tournament or is she out there having fun? You may be stressing yourself out and trying to do too much, trying to be too perfect, so you can place well rather than simply fishing because it's a great hobby.
XpressJeff reply :
Yes sir, Yes sir indeed!
Chance_Taker4 reply :
On 8/30/2017 at 4:42 AM, WTnPuddleJumper said:If you lost all of these fish during your slump on the same rod might I suggest changing rods. I have found that a rod with more flex in the tip (like a duckett ghost) has helped me land more fish.
They were lost on three different rods by three different manufactures.
On 8/30/2017 at 5:08 AM, Sword of the Lord said:Is your wife fishing in the tournament or is she out there having fun? You may be stressing yourself out and trying to do too much, trying to be too perfect, so you can place well rather than simply fishing because it's a great hobby.
No after the event I had I wanted to go to a lake I am most confident in catching bass and she just tagged along. But she will tell you that the week before and week after an event I carry a lot of stress between pre fishing, online research and going over fish logs of what I did right and wrong.
TOXIC reply :
IMHO....and that's all that it is......I fight fish differently depending on the type of lure I am throwing. Trying to fight a fish using a lure that is weighted on the outside of the mouth when hooked (Rat-L-Trap, Shakey Head, C-Rig, etc.) for an extended time or with more of a fighting style, you will lose more fish because they have the advantage of being able to use the lure as a fulcrum. I keep those fish on a very tight line all the way to the boat. With weightless plastics and lures that pin better, I will fight them more. This is all predicated on the fact that you have the right gear/setup for the type of lure you are throwing.
MickD reply :
Have you changed any equipment, like rod, hooks, or line? If yes, think about whether the changes could have affected hook sets. Like stretchier line or less powerful rod, slower rod? Duller or larger hooks which don't penetrate as well?
Chance_Taker4 reply :
On 8/30/2017 at 8:44 PM, MickD said:Have you changed any equipment, like rod, hooks, or line? If yes, think about whether the changes could have affected hook sets. Like stretchier line or less powerful rod, slower rod? Duller or larger hooks which don't penetrate as well?
I did switch a lot of gear at the beginning of the season without issue until now. I switched my hooks from Mustad to VMC, I started using lighter line and for my drop shot and weightless rigs I picked up a ML rod to replace a broken M rod I had.
MickD reply :
If using lighter mono and lighter power, hook sets could be more of a problem, especially with bigger hooks. I gave up on a ML Mod rod for small swimbaits on bullet jigs because I was missing too many. I would have them on for quite a while, then lose them. I think with some lures the fish bite them and hold on, and to get a hook set you have to drag it out to where the hook can set in the jaw, and I think in my case I wasn't able to reliably do that until I went to a M power F action. In both cases I was using braid with short FC leader, so line was not an issue. By the way, I had caught a lot of smallies on that original setup until one day when I went about 1 for 5 fish hooked. Did the fish go from "inhaling" to just biting? I don't know.
My son in prep for an informal tourney fished largemouths without hooks in the lures and said he was surprised how long he had some fish on with no hook being used. It's not unusual in Lake St Clair to have muskies take smallies, nowhere near the hooks, and hang onto the fish until you force them pretty close to the surface.
Chance_Taker4 reply :
On 8/30/2017 at 11:50 PM, MickD said:If using lighter mono and lighter power, hook sets could be more of a problem, especially with bigger hooks. I gave up on a ML Mod rod for small swimbaits on bullet jigs because I was missing too many. I would have them on for quite a while, then lose them. I think with some lures the fish bite them and hold on, and to get a hook set you have to drag it out to where the hook can set in the jaw, and I think in my case I wasn't able to reliably do that until I went to a M power F action. In both cases I was using braid with short FC leader, so line was not an issue. By the way, I had caught a lot of smallies on that original setup until one day when I went about 1 for 5 fish hooked. Did the fish go from "inhaling" to just biting? I don't know.
My son in prep for an informal tourney fished largemouths without hooks in the lures and said he was surprised how long he had some fish on with no hook being used. It's not unusual in Lake St Clair to have muskies take smallies, nowhere near the hooks, and hang onto the fish until you force them pretty close to the surface.
I just put 24# Gliss on my spinning reels I am hoping this helps. I was using the same MH/F rod with 30# braid on my C-rig. I'm hoping I can get whatever is going on straightened out this weekend to help feel more confident going into a tournament.
Bulletman20XD reply :
Sounds like a hookset or maybe a "Bite Detection" issue to me.
rosshilk reply :
I know this is a bit late, but if you are struggling with drop shot fish getting off maybe you should try g finesse drop shot hooks designed by Aaron Martens. They are tournament hooks and seem to work great for me.
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