When fish jump, I loose them - I need HELP! 2024

jb_adams reply :

I'm having problems landing bass. Yes.....that's a BIG problem! :'( :'( This has been getting worse all summer.

Just yesterday I missed two nice tournament sized bass. By that, I mean they were pushing 3lbs +. At my lake a few of those will win a local jackpot. I can set the hook, it's keeping them on the hook that's troubling me. When they jump, they get off. I lost those two yesterday on a Norman DD14. How can two treble hooks fail me? Must be me right? I think it's like a golf swing, bad habits creep in over time and eventually get bad enough for you to know something is wrong but you don't know what it is.

So I guess I'm trying to power them into the boat to keep them from coming off and I reel down the slack when they jump but it's not enough. I have my rod facing around 45 degrees up I guess when I should be burying my rod tip towards the water and letting them fight a little more and try to trurn them when I feel they are getting close to jumping? Should I adjust the drag down a little?

I use medium light, medium, medium heavy rods and I seem to be having problems all across the board now. Not just my medium light action rod anymore.

What can I do to keep from loosing fish?

BadKarma42 reply :

Don't let them jump!

Check your hook points for sharpness, double check drag, good hooksets.

dman reply :

I agree, check hook sharpness and size. maybe the hooks are too small (?) are you loosing them on other lures? I have had a lot of jumpers this year and havnt lost any from jumping yet. Gotta be something with that lure

Jimzee reply :

I had this same problem in the spring, kept loosing fish on a jig once hooked. After a few responses I found out what I was doing wrong. I was setting the hook too hard, ripping a hole in their lips and mouth. When the fish jumped, that hole was big enough to let the hook fall out no matter how much pressure I kept on the line. They were all good fish too. I started using a pop - type hookset and the problem has almost went away completely. Try it.

Shad_Master reply :

It's hard to know exactly how to tell you to cure this problem, but in addition to the advice given above, you may want to think about your line. For DD14's, 22's etc. you may be better off with a monofilament line that has a little more stretch to it. JMO!

jb_adams reply :

Quote
It's hard to know exactly how to tell you to cure this problem, but in addition to the advice given above, you may want to think about your line. For DD14's, 22's etc. you may be better off with a monofilament line that has a little more stretch to it. JMO!

All good suggestions. That's what I was looking for. As far as hook sharpness, that shouldn't be an issue. They are all sharp. Only baits I have where hooks are lazer sharp are chatterbaits (won't go there....different subject)

I think the drag setting was too tight, I was setting the hook too hard (Bill Dance syle), and the hook was coming out because the hole was too big. This has happened on several baits. Lately the only I've had bass on is a small Zara Puppy and this new Norman DD14. I haven't caught a fish on a jig or plastic in a while. (sad)

I'll try a lighter drag setting, lighter sweep style hookset, and as far as line, I'm using Yo-Zuri hybrid. I may switch over to Berkley Vanish but last time I tried it, it broke too easy. It was the gold colored line. My buddy said he tried it and it was junk. He uses the clear now and he said it was much better in the same size line.

Any other suggestions?

MemphisFisherman reply :

well, here is my advice...you may know it all already and sorry if you do but I'm going to just go back to the basics here. Fish are going to jump, you may can not horse them around so much and try to avoid it but it WILL happen sometimes. You have to keep pressure on the fish all the time, pressure from the rod not from the reel. What I mean by this is make sure your rod is not angled too far up...but not too far down, when the fish jumps you shouldn't be reeling any slack that he may be adding, but your rod should be coming up to make up for it...make sense? I won't get into the whole line issue because its already been covered but I hardly ever lose fish to jumping, and I use fairly cheap mono line, nothing too fancy, I also head out to the backyard and take the stretch out before putting it on my reel's. Good luck and remember practice makes perfect =)

Tokyo Tony reply :

Another thing you can try is when you see that the fish is about to jump, lower your rod tip to the water instead of keeping it high. This will usually at least keep them from jumping too high. Sometimes it can't be prevented, but keeping the rod tip low should keep them from jumping two feet out of the air (unless it's a huge smallie ;D). I remember watching Jimmy Houston once on t.v. and he said anytime he has a big bass to the boat with some kind of crankbait and the fish only has one hook in it, he maneuvers the rod so that he gets the other hook stuck in the fish also. I've never tried this but if I get a huge fish to the boat with a crank, you can be sure I'll try that little technique. He's really good at landing fish if you watch him. He can almost always prevent the fish from jumping too high, and he always knows when the fish is gonna jump.

As for the Trilene flourocarbon, I use it mostly for leaders, and I'm not a big fan of the "transition" (gold-colored) line. It's not as friendly as the clear version, although I've never had a problem with it breaking. I just spooled one of my spinning outfits with P-Line flourocarbone and I actually like it more. It's softer and the knots tighten more smoothly (leading me to believe that the knots are stronger).

Cory N reply :

As you start to see the fish coming up slow down your retrieve and see if the fish is going for a jump. If you're cranking away and the fish wants to jump you are helping them look good and get big air.

Do the opposite with your rod as the fish. If the fish dives for cover, you go high and fight hard. If the fish looks like it's going to jump don't be afraid to put your rod in the water (talking feet here) and change the point where you are retrieving to

below the surface.

Set the hook hard enough for your bait and don't forget to set the hook on cranks. Wacky senkos need a little pop, that same hook set would do diddly on a frog in heavy cover.

Hope this helps, good luck

jb_adams reply :

Thanks guys. I usually don't try to pull their lips off. Although I did jerk a 3 inch perch clean past the boat one day when he jumped on my Zara puppy! ;D

I've leared to reel down and then set the hook. That took a while to remember instead of just setting the hook. Over the last few years, I've never really had a problem with loosing fish. Just this summer is when it's become a problem. I've had fish jump many times before and it's never been an issue until now.

I've heard the "act opposite" bit before. When he dives pull up, when he feels like he's about to jump go down. I'll try that next trip. It's getting really frustrating because I am just now starting to find the fish better on my home lake and that in itself is no small feat. When you finally find them, you definately don't want to loose them. I read somewhere not long ago that Mike Iconnelli wanted my lake banned from the FLW tournament series because it "sucks too much". That's how hard my lake is to fish. :-/

I think the main thing is to pay more attention to the fish and adjust rod & line tension from there. Guide the fish in like a radio controled airplane or something.

Cory N reply :

I forget which pro said that catching bass was easy, it's finding them that's hard.

Jimzee reply :

Quote
I forget which pro said that catching bass was easy, it's finding them that's hard.

Rick Clunn I think.

Clayton reply :

I say just pull the line tight with a swift swing of the rod opposite the fish. Good Luck!

Bassboy15 reply :

keep your line as tight as possible at all times

Del from philly reply :

my favorite part of fishing is kleeping a big bass from jumping

i had a huge bass, would have been the biggest i got in, tryed to jump 3 seperate times, i kept him down each time.....

finally, i get his head out of the water and he was huge, easily 4-5 lbs...in philly thats HUGE....

anyway, he broke free when i got his head out of the water, i almost jumped in after him in my shoes!./...he was close enought to grab, but i lost him

almost cryed

MattDPVN reply :

Quote
I had this same problem in the spring, kept loosing fish on a jig once hooked. After a few responses I found out what I was doing wrong. I was setting the hook too hard, ripping a hole in their lips and mouth. When the fish jumped, that hole was big enough to let the hook fall out no matter how much pressure I kept on the line. They were all good fish too. I started using a pop - type hookset and the problem has almost went away completely. Try it.

I had the same problem.

spotaholic reply :

I am not sure if anyone has said this but your rod may be a problem. With any bait that has treble hooks I use a G Loomis Crankbait rod.THis includes, traps, crankbaits and topwaters. It is a Med with a moderate action. Any crankbait rod will work well I would think. The slower action acts like a shock. Most angles use a rod that is way to stiff with treble baits and allows for the bait to pull out especially when the fish jumps.This type of rod puts a little less pressure on the hooks along with the proper drag. IMO

roadwarrior reply :

Quote
I am not sure if anyone has said this but your rod may be a problem. With any bait that has treble hooks I use a G Loomis Crankbait rod.THis includes, traps, crankbaits and topwaters. It is a Med with a moderate action. Any crankbait rod will work well I would think. The slower action acts like a shock. Most angles use a rod that is way to stiff with treble baits and allows for the bait to pull out especially when the fish jumps.This type of rod puts a little less pressure on the hooks along with the proper drag. IMO

Moderate Action or Fast Action with a soft tip will work fine for medium weight treble hook lures. For heavier lures (and deep divers) I prefer glass, specifically the Lamiglas SR705R designed by Skeet Reese ('07 Angler of the Year!)

jb_adams reply :

Quote
I am not sure if anyone has said this but your rod may be a problem. With any bait that has treble hooks I use a G Loomis Crankbait rod.THis includes, traps, crankbaits and topwaters. It is a Med with a moderate action. Any crankbait rod will work well I would think. The slower action acts like a shock. Most angles use a rod that is way to stiff with treble baits and allows for the bait to pull out especially when the fish jumps.This type of rod puts a little less pressure on the hooks along with the proper drag. IMO

This is a crankbait rod. It's a St. Croix Avid series "crankbait" rod. If I recall correclty, it's a medium heavy fast action or medium fast action. I can't recall for sure at the moment. Besides, the DD14 is not that large of a crankbait.

roadwarrior reply :

All right, let's say the rod is not an issue. How 'bout hook-set? With treble hooks, sweeping the rod pulls the lure and fish towards you, but it is the fight or resitance from the bass that burries the hooks. A "Bill Dance" hook-set by contrast, tends to rip the hooks away from the mouth. What I am suggesting is being "firm" but not violent.

Another suggestion that Mattlures gave me regarding swimbaits applies, I think, to treble hooks. Don't "play" the fish, reel steady and AGGRESSIVELY. Do NOT pump your rod, any slack in your line is a big no-no. When the fish seems to be rising to the surface, reel faster. Maybe that will help.

jb_adams reply :

Thanks RW, that's pretty much what I was thinking. I'm not pumping the rod but I have a nice firm hookset. Not jerking their lips off but I do sweep the rodas often as I can. Sometimes I jerk the rod upwards because I wasn't thinking. I'm trying to teach myself to sweep. I cannot seem to anticipate the fish jumping and I think that's my biggest problem. Usually I can but these little buggers swim up and jump faster than you can say "FISH ON!" Within 3-5 seconds, these fish are jumping completely out of the water. So, I'll ease off on my hookset a bit, bury the rod down when needed and reel aggressive enough to balance line strength, the fish's energy level, and surrounding structure.

A good example is computer fishing games. If you reel too fast, the line breaks or the fish get's away. If you reel too slow, you get slack and the fish gets away. There is a balance to be achieved and I need to find the balance based on rod, bait, fish, and angler.

Thanks guys! These are great suggestions. Last night, I was very concious of my hookset and retrieve. Not that I got to use any of it but I was prepared! Spent more time tracing electrical issues and cursing a dead battery and busted fish finder. Ruined my whole trip and bass were schooling big time! Can't practice as well without a good trolling motor battery. Next time.....

.ghoti. reply :

Who said we have to get every fish we hook into the boat? Most of the time I win, sometimes the fish wins. Either way is all right with me. It's a sport, right? A big part of the fun for me is to see "em jump.

Of course, if you're fishing a tournament, kindly ignore everything I just said. Others have already posted some great advice for when the money's on the line. One thing you might try is backing off the drag as you get the fish close to the boat. You can then use your thumb to keep some bend in your rod and some tension on the line.

Cheers,

fish-fighting-illini reply :

Isn't this one of the best examples of just how helpful the information can be from this

website?

I vote this be a sticky equivelent to the rod power and action one. This is a good thread that I will hang on to.

It would make a fairly good general tip for a Bass fishing newbie.

jb_adams reply :

Quote
Isn't this one of the best examples of just how helpful the information can be from this
website?

I vote this be a sticky equivelent to the rod power and action one. This is a good thread that I will hang on to.

It would make a fairly good general tip for a Bass fishing newbie.

Not to plug my own thread but...that's not a bad idea. If someone would supply a write-up or something, it would be good newbie content under the FAQ or something. Too bad I don't consider myself a newb and I'm having this problem. Going out tomorrow, hopefully I'll lip-land some fish with some of these new techniques everyone has mentioned.

fish-fighting-illini reply :

Quote

Quote
Isn't this one of the best examples of just how helpful the information can be from this
website?

I vote this be a sticky equivelent to the rod power and action one. This is a good thread that I will hang on to.

It would make a fairly good general tip for a Bass fishing newbie.

Not to plug my own thread but...that's not a bad idea. If someone would supply a write-up or something, it would be good newbie content under the FAQ or something. Too bad I don't consider myself a newb and I'm having this problem. Going out tomorrow, hopefully I'll lip-land some fish with some of these new techniques everyone has mentioned.

Kind of two ways to look at it JB. A lot of guys posting had a lot of experience so it is not like newbie advice only. If this many experienced people have this many ideas then it means there is a lot of good information that a newbie can shorten their learnig curve with. Thus less frustration in the long run.

And based on the experience level it looks like longtimers can pick up an idea or 2 as well.

jaystraw reply :

I'm not sure if I read this in this thread or not, but I was having the same problem. Today a lightbulb went on about something so simple:

"Keep your rod tip up".

I was smallmouth fishing today, and they jump a lot at this place (even for smallmouth). I had been playing the fish and trying to keep them closer to the water. Today, I just let them jump, but kept the rod tip pointing up and tension on the line at all times. As long as that hook-set is good and you are keeping that rod tip up, I think it's the key. I reeled in while they jumped to keep the line tight, but not too tight. Great day of fishing because of it.

Thank you whoever wrote that!!

jb_adams reply :

At this point, I'm leaning towards dull hooks as my main problem. I missed a few last night on my favorite bait, the Zara puppy. It finally dawned on me after a nice sized bass inhaled the bait and only a split second later before I could set the hook good, he spit it out. I always reel down just after a strike to reel in the slack and then I set the hook. I usually loose the fish just after hooset and not halfway to the boat.

So, logic tells me it's gotta be the hooks. I checked the hooks and they do feel a bit dull. I'll sharpen the hooks and try again. I'll be sure and check my crankbait hooks for the same problem.

bassmaster8100 reply :

As already mentioned be sure to check those hooks, also try and keep the fish from jumping by keeping the rod tip down, I try and keep my rod tip down close to the surface of the water to prevent fish from jumping.

jigmanb101 reply :

I am having these issues with crankbaits ... I use an E T I orion shallow diver and love that fish are biting this lure . I have lost fish in and out of the water though !!!! according to what I have read so far my Shimano is fine (rod) and the sweep is good ... line maybe ? I have 8lb mono (trilene) and I put new hooks on .

Also I can tell when a fish is going to jump in the daytime by the action of the line.. but nightfishing I lose my bearing . Had one jump last night and that was it !! the fish hit the water and a second or two later the crankbait came flying back at me ....

I am not trying to hijack this thread ...

Please PM me I need some help too .

roadwarrior reply :

Welcome aboard!

You're going to loose a few fish using treble hook lures, there is no way around it.

jb_adams reply :

No hi-jacking required....go right ahead! That's what this topic is about.

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