Why do my fish keep coming off? 2024
RippinLips57 reply :
Hey everybody, I've saltwater fished all my life and I wanted to try somthin diffrent so I bought a little 16 foot Lowe and I just started learning where to look for them what to use and just starting to catch a couple of them, I'm just starting to figure them out but on an average I catch 2 bass a day but I hook around 4 not including those two I caught. How do I increase my catches? I'm not used to having to set the hook, offshore you just wait for them to bite and they do it all, you don't have to set the hook, so as soon as you feel a bump do you set it or do you wait a second and then set it. I normally hook them but they jump and spit it. Am I not setting it hard enough or setting it to quick or what, and normally I catch them on mid diving cranks so it's not just one hook like on a jig you'd figure that those trebles would stick and keep them on but I guess not lol. If you have any advice that will help me out tell me. Appreciate it 
visagelaid reply :
If youre fishing a crankbait, there isnt a whole lot of need to "set" the hook like you would on a jig or worm. With a crankbait, when you feel them load up on the bait, you simply reel faster, or you could try a sweeping motion that will dig the hooks in better. With a crank its all about pressure and keeping that fish pinned and the line tight. With a jig or worm, generally once i feel the bite or bump, i will reel down and see if i feel pressure. If it is heavier than normal, i set that bad boy. But just realize that sometimes fish are going to come off regardless of what you do. It is just a part of fishing.
scaleface reply :
Try not to let them jump . Hold the rod low when they start going upward . If your using soft plastics with the hook buried , set the hook harder and do not hesitate .
I went through a period where I was losing a lot of big bass . I was trying to muscle them in like some of the pros do . Now I dont get in a hurry unless its needed , like trying to get them out of cover .
I watched John Murray play those big bass at Toledo Bend .Thats the way to do it .
roadwarrior reply :
Technique specific gear will help a little.
Rod: Medium Heavy Power/ Moderate or Slow Action
Reel: 6.0:1 or slower (I like 5.0:1)
Line: Monofilament (#10 or #12 Sunline Shooter Deifer Armilo)
Catt reply :
Set hook with authority!
Ya gotta turn that head on the hook set & get em coming towards you in a single motion!
Do Not Wait!
At the first sign... Set hook 
RippinLips57 reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 8:50 PM, visagelaid said:If youre fishing a crankbait, there isnt a whole lot of need to "set" the hook like you would on a jig or worm. With a crankbait, when you feel them load up on the bait, you simply reel faster, or you could try a sweeping motion that will dig the hooks in better. With a crank its all about pressure and keeping that fish pinned and the line tight. With a jig or worm, generally once i feel the bite or bump, i will reel down and see if i feel pressure. If it is heavier than normal, i set that bad boy. But just realize that sometimes fish are going to come off regardless of what you do. It is just a part of fishing.
Alright so with trebles I don't really need to set it just kinda reel into it. But like jigs and Texas rigs you gotta set it. Alright I gotcha man I didnt think about that.
visagelaid reply :
For me fishing a crankbait, once i feel that pressure, its almost natural for me to sweep that rod back. Its not really a hookset, but it increases that pressure and you'll know real quick if you're hung, or if youve got a fish.
RippinLips57 reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 10:03 PM, Catt said:Set hook with authority!
Ya gotta turn that head on the hook set & get em coming towards you in a single motion!
Do Not Wait!
At the first sign... Set hook
So just set it as soon as you feel em?
Yeajray231 reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 10:03 PM, Catt said:Set hook with authority!
Ya gotta turn that head on the hook set & get em coming towards you in a single motion!
Do Not Wait!
At the first sign... Set hook
Lol your first sentence.. I just pictured him setting the hook like that on a total dink and it goes flying out of the water 
RoLo reply :
A solid hook-set is a combination of Timing and Power.
Mechanically speaking, a faulty hook-set is when the hook fails to penetrate 'beyond' the barb.
It's vital to master the hook-set, because on a day when you only get 5 strikes, you have zero margin-for-error.
It's no fun casting for several hours, only to experience losing a fish.
Roger
Yeajray231 reply :
I wouldnt use cheap hooks either ! And I like using braid for nearly every application. Especially single hook and topwater. The sensitivity, casting distance and no stretch strength allows me to hook up with a weightless plastic at full length of my cast rather easily.
scaleface reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 10:31 PM, Yeajray231 said:
Lol your first sentence.. I just pictured him setting the hook like that on a total dink and it goes flying out of the water
The problem is , I cant tell a dink from a Mama so I have to duck the occasional flying bass .
RoLo reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 10:46 PM, Yeajray231 said:I wouldnt use cheap hooks either ! And I like using braid for nearly every application. Especially single hook and topwater. The sensitivity, casting distance and no stretch strength allows me to hook up with a weightless plastic at full length of my cast rather easily.
As much as I wanted to mention braid as being a shortcut to solid hook-sets,
I've been overly vocal about braid and decided to give it a rest.
Thanks for filling that gap
Roger
RippinLips57 reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 10:46 PM, Yeajray231 said:I wouldnt use cheap hooks either ! And I like using braid for nearly every application. Especially single hook and topwater. The sensitivity, casting distance and no stretch strength allows me to hook up with a weightless plastic at full length of my cast rather easily.
Yeah I use braid for almost everything
scaleface reply :
Braid with no stretch and a jumping bass . yep , shes coming off .
visagelaid reply :
Ive really come around to braid with a fluorocarbon leader. You get the invisibility benefits of fluoro, and the hook setting power of braid. Ive been experimenting with it for the last few months, and have had good results. Im late on the leader train, but it really does work.
Yeajray231 reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 11:08 PM, scaleface said:Braid with no stretch and a jumping bass . yep , shes coming off .
Lol no sir ! Cuz I stuck her pass the barb with the slightest pull !
RoLo reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 11:08 PM, scaleface said:Braid with no stretch and a jumping bass . yep , shes coming off .
Point well taken.
In my case though, if she's a Hippo I'm going to back-off on the drag,
which makes it extremely difficult for any fish to find freedom (It feels like cheating).
Since I've been doing this for years, I should warn of the 2 disadvantages
> Never reduce drag tension before the hog is out of heavy cover (sometimes that's never)
> After every big fish you must remember to re-tighten the drag-setting (It becomes 2nd nature).
Roger
Catt reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 10:31 PM, Yeajray231 said:
Lol your first sentence.. I just pictured him setting the hook like that on a total dink and it goes flying out of the water
I don't care if it's a tighteye or 10 pounder I set hook the same!
Yea I duck an occasional t-rig, jig, or fish but I'll never miss because I didn't stick em!
I grew up fishing the swamps & marshes of southwest Louisiana & like @RoLo down in Florida the cover is quite dense.
You might hook em but you aint landing em!
RippinLips57 reply :
Will braid work with crankbaits if I back on down on my drag, because IMO as long as you get them past the barb they shouldn't come off right and braid has no stretch so it should be able to drive that hook in the fishes lip with minimum effort and I think that's my problem because Im not setting it hard enough and Im scared that im going to rip it out the fishes mouth and I'm not gettin that hook past the barb and I think my drags a little too tight too.
visagelaid reply :
On 4/18/2017 at 3:59 AM, RippinLips57 said:Will braid work with crankbaits if I back on down on my drag, because IMO as long as you get them past the barb they shouldn't come off right and braid has no stretch so it should be able to drive that hook in the fishes lip with minimum effort and I think that's my problem because Im not setting it hard enough and Im scared that im going to rip it out the fishes mouth and I'm not gettin that hook past the barb and I think my drags a little too tight too.
Short answer is yes. I do it all the time. Especially in stained water. Fluorocarbon is apparently the preferred crankbait line of choice because it sinks and doesnt mess with the action as much as lines that float.
RippinLips57 reply :
On 4/18/2017 at 4:02 AM, visagelaid said:Short answer is yes. I do it all the time. Especially in stained water. Fluorocarbon is apparently the preferred crankbait line of choice because it sinks and doesnt mess with the action as much as lines that float.
Yeah that's what everyone says to use with cranks but I heard that Fluro stretches real easiy and after a long day of castin it's all stretched out and when it's streatched it gets real weak, that's why I'm leaning more towards braid but I haven't tried fluro so I don't know. What # braid do you use with cranks?
J Francho reply :
Not sure where you got that information from, but I'd ignore everything else from that source. Braid with cranks can be done, but it's not something I prefer. I use 12# Tatsu for most of my deep cranking. I have line that is two seasons old, and it's just fine. I'm currently testing a new mono from Seaguar called Rippin'. So far, it's pretty good. 12# size line strikes a good balance between strength and diameter. Too thick, and your bait doesn't get to depth. Too thin, and you'll break off, or have issues in cover.
A5BLASTER reply :
Use the right, rod,reel and line for how your fishing.
When you feel a bite aka bump, reel down if you feel the fish try to jerk it's face off.
With cranks I'm going to have to disagree with others, when they hit it jerk it as hard as with any bait, it has more hooks and if you jerk it hard you are going to get a deeper hook set and more of the hook barb's will set.
I fish frogs they are my number 1 lure and you have to try and jerk a bass's face off when you set the hook with it, so I just started setting the hook that way no matter what bait I'm throwing and I have noticed the number of bass that throw my hook has dropped.
Others will disagree but do this go out fishing and no matter what bait your running set the hook as hard as you can each time and report back. I would be willing to bet you lose less fish due to them throwing the hook.
Just remember pick the right reel,rod and string for the job.
blckshirt98 reply :
Set the hook if you feel a bite, if you wait for a second bite it's probably the fish spitting the bait out.
Keep your rod tip down, even put the tip in the water, to keep the fish from jumping out of the water. Bass jumping out of the water looks awesome and it's often the image captured on magazine covers and artwork, but it's one of the easiest ways for a bass to throw your hook. You'll often hear pros whispering softly something along the lines of "no no no, stay down stay down, don't jump don't jump" when reeling a fish in because of that very reason.
Also make sure your system is in order so you're getting a strong enough hookset to penetrate the fish's jaw. If you're fishing a bubba shot or heavy jig on a light rod with mono, you may just not be getting the right hook penetration to get the hook/barb into the fish's mouth.
S. Sass reply :
Just skimming through all the responses I didn't see anyone mention that crankbait rods are what keep a crankbait fish hooked.
This is why the crankbait rod is quite a bit different action than most any other bass rods. A sweeping hookset is all that is necessary as the finer points of the smaller hooks generally don't need a swinging for the fence set. But what they do need is constant but forgiving pressure. I prefer mono line on mine as its been more than up to the task. I'm sure braid with a leader if that is what you prefer will give you more sensitivity and will work as long as the rod has that crankbait build in it.
QuoteThe Moderate to Slow action blanks are usually good for multi-hook (treble) lures such as crank baits, rattle baits and jerk baits. These fast moving fish finding baits work best with a soft tip action and the ability to throw the lure over long distances.
These lures and presentations typically require less sensitivity and focus more on keeping the fish hooked. The wire diameter of the treble hook is typically thinner than a single hook and requires less pressure to set the hook. In addition, given that there are more hooks, there are more opportunities for a good hook set.
The Slow tip will cause the blank to return to the at-rest position much more slowly than faster action blanks. With this characteristic, proper tension is much easier to maintain, keeping the hook engaged while the fish surges and lunges. The rod is much more adept at reacting to the fish's abrupt actions.
source https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/rod-actions-power.html
Catt reply :
Even with braid ya got stretch... Not in the line but your rod flexes!
When ya set hook ya must overcome line stretch & rod flex before the hook point is driven forward.
This is accomplished with speed & power; speed as in how soon ya detect the bite & start the hook set.
With crankbaits & spinnerbaits your rod & line is usually lighter contributing to "stretch". To overcome this I use a sideways sweep set moving more line.
RippinLips57 reply :
On 4/18/2017 at 4:35 AM, J Francho said:Not sure where you got that information from, but I'd ignore everything else from that source. Braid with cranks can be done, but it's not something I prefer. I use 12# Tatsu for most of my deep cranking. I have line that is two seasons old, and it's just fine. I'm currently testing a new mono from Seaguar called Rippin'. So far, it's pretty good. 12# size line strikes a good balance between strength and diameter. Too thick, and your bait doesn't get to depth. Too thin, and you'll break off, or have issues in cover.
You've never heard or had any issues with it stretching after making long cast for a day or two? That's the only reason I was a little Leary of using Fluro but I'll just have to give it a try. Say that #12 tatsu works pretty good for ya, I'll have to check it out and see if my lil tackle shops got any of that man
papajoe222 reply :
Line stretch has been a factor for decades and many an angler still uses basically the same line he did back then. If you're loosing fish when then jump, learn to distinguish when they are coming up and drop your rod tip while reeling. If you're loosing them on a long cast, a second hook set when you're in a good, or better position will insure getting that hook's point past the barb. Lastly, you need to match your gear to the size hooks on your baits. A big single hook on a spinner bait or jig requires heavier line and a rod with some backbone vs. say a small crankbait with #6 trebles.
BTW, fluorocarbon lines do stretch, but quality ones stretch much less and transmit more information back to the angler, than mono, or copolymers. They generally have a higher test to line diameter also.
Glenn reply :
On 4/17/2017 at 8:40 PM, RippinLips57 said:Hey everybody, I've saltwater fished all my life and I wanted to try somthin diffrent so I bought a little 16 foot Lowe and I just started learning where to look for them what to use and just starting to catch a couple of them, I'm just starting to figure them out but on an average I catch 2 bass a day but I hook around 4 not including those two I caught. How do I increase my catches? I'm not used to having to set the hook, offshore you just wait for them to bite and they do it all, you don't have to set the hook, so as soon as you feel a bump do you set it or do you wait a second and then set it. I normally hook them but they jump and spit it. Am I not setting it hard enough or setting it to quick or what, and normally I catch them on mid diving cranks so it's not just one hook like on a jig you'd figure that those trebles would stick and keep them on but I guess not lol. If you have any advice that will help me out tell me. Appreciate it
RippinLips57 - you're on the right track. It's all about the hookset. It's a common problem. Here's how to solve it:
The Bassman reply :
I pinch the barbs on my trebles to make unhooking easier on the fish and me. Don't fish tournaments so a jump off is no big deal. It's all for fun. (I keep telling myself this) LOL
J Francho reply :
On 4/18/2017 at 7:54 AM, RippinLips57 said:You've never heard or had any issues with it stretching after making long cast for a day or two? That's the only reason I was a little Leary of using Fluro but I'll just have to give it a try. Say that #12 tatsu works pretty good for ya, I'll have to check it out and see if my lil tackle shops got any of that man
No, not in the decade plus of trying different fluoro lines. If you get hung and yank until it breaks, yes, the end will get deformed. Strip off a few yards, and retie. Never happened from casting. Get your hands on some KVD Line & Lure conditioner. Spray on when spooling and after every trip. The stuff keeps all lines in tip top shape.
scaleface reply :
All lines have advantages and disadvantages . I learned the nuisances of mono a long time ago . So know how to set a hook and play a fish with it . Its not for everybody . Same thing with braid and floro users . They learn their line .
the reel ess reply :
I was bad at this when i started bass fishing. Setting the hook is a feel thing. When I set the hook on a single hook bait, I swing away as soon as I think the bait's in the fish's mouth. If it's a spinnerbait or other fast moving lure, usually a good swing of the rod will do. If it's a T rigged worm, or craw or a frog, I try to cross their eyes and keep them coming my way so they can't get off. Less time during the fight means fewer fish get off. Sometimes I skate them across the water. Higher speed reels can help with that as well.
As for trebles, I usually don't set it as hard, especially crankbaits. Sometimes with trebles you'll hook a fish, it'll jump, then when you see it again the hooks are in a different place. There are more hooks, but weaker leverage on your part and better on the fish's part. I take it a little easier with those and use mono line and more limber rods or at least a rod with some tip action. As stated above, put that rod tip in the water, but keep the same amount of pressure when you think he's gonna jump and you'll lose fewer. Good luck and keep trying.
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