how upset do you get when you lose a fish? 2024

burce reply :

After an hour and a half of nothing I got a huge hit on my hula popper and pulled in a 6~7lb fish. I was walking out of the water and the line broke and she swam away with my lure. I'm pretty bummed it sucks a lot that was my second biggest bass ever so how upset do y'all get over losing fish? It takes me at least a day to get over it

basspro96 reply :

Gotta forget about or else you won't be able to fish to your potential. I get mad for five seconds sit down...Get back up start fishing

Nibbles reply :

The fight and the excitement is what keeps me fishing. That means that as long as the fish I hook put up a good fight and hit my lures hard, I'm happy. If they manage to spit out the hook before I land them, it's just less work for me since I dont have to deal with unhooking them or with deep hooked bass or eye-hooked bass. If they break my line, I'm usually more upset over losing my hook/lure and having to retie my rig than losing the fish.

kllrbee reply :

Same exact thing just happened to me about an hour ago.

Just as I was getting ready to grab the ol boy and get my jig out of his lip, the line broke and away he went.

I was bummed for all of 10 seconds. S**t happens man, nothing you could do about it. The way that I look at it is that I DID catch him. I just didnt get a chance to dehook him. Another 5-10 seconds and he would have been back in the water anyways, but without my jig.

I did head home and grabbed another of the same exact jig and hoped to get the same fish. ;D

Wouldnt that be something!? Catching the same fish and retrieving my original jig? LOL.

BTW, that brings up a good question. When do you guys consider your catch fully caught? I would say after I grab him by the jaw, I consider him a catch.

Sorry to hijack, just curious.

etommy28 reply :

it all depends on the situation, is it a tourny, a big tourny, big fish, little fish, how did I end up.

Red reply :

I used to get super mad when I lost a big fish. Once I lost one I swear was over 10lbs. I was mad for a month!!! Now I just shrug it off and keep fishing.

CAdeltaLipRipper reply :

If u lose a fish you gotta just keep fishing and...

NorcalBassin reply :

I just try to make sure I don't "go Ike" and start breaking my gear... that's a sign you may have some anger management issues.

8-)

sockey reply :

Quote
The fight and the excitement is what keeps me fishing. That means that as long as the fish I hook put up a good fight and hit my lures hard, I'm happy. If they manage to spit out the hook before I land them, it's just less work for me since I dont have to deal with unhooking them or with deep hooked bass or eye-hooked bass. If they break my line, I'm usually more upset over losing my hook/lure and having to retie my rig than losing the fish.

Yup.

Obviously, I'll try some different things to try to get the fish to stay buttoned up 'till I can grab it by the lip, but there isn't *too* much shame in a long distance release.

K_Mac reply :

I used to go crazy. As I get older it's not that big a deal. It does frustrate me to have some kind of line/equipment failure though. That is usually lack of attention on my part.

If I fished for money where losing a fish could be very expensive, I probably would not be as relaxed about it. :

burce reply :

I just love holding my fish up and admiring my catch. I saw her for 5 seconds barely before losing her, it sucks because she was my top 3 fish ever

Big Tom reply :

I usually get upset enough to use an expletive or three. Don't take much to trigger the ol' potty mouth. Then I usually laugh it off and keep on fishing.

My friends won't let me forget it though. I kindly do the same to them.

pad slammer reply :

Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.

You just gotta get back at it and stay positive

Nibbles reply :

My favorite part is right after a bass hits my lure HARD. Gets my potty motormouth workin (my catchphrase anytime I get a hookset is usually "I gotcha now <insert expletive here>!!!")and my heart pumpin and gives me a great adrenaline rush.

I live for that moment.

K_Mac reply :

Quote
Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.
You just gotta get back at it and stay positive

That is one the great truths of fishing. ;D

dablaw1 reply :

I started to tell this long drawn out story that happened one time over losing a fish but decided against it...Anyway, If I miss a fish or he breaks off or there is a tackle issue that causes me to lose one then I'm peed at myself for not tying a knot right or not checking line,lure or equipment..Now if I get a good hook set and everything works perfectly and he jumps 5 feet from the boat and slings the lure...I'm not mad..fish wins fair and square..We both tried our hardest and only one can win...

LilJakeC1 reply :

If I loose 1 then I don't get mad unless it is in a tourny and I go to lift it in the boat and shakes off in the air. If I keep missing fish after fish then I can get pretty mad. When I do loose a couple fish then i start to fish even harder and will do whatever it takes to catch that fish.

BassThumb reply :

I don't really get upset about losing bass. There's more where those came from. If the fish breaks my line, if probably my fault anyway for not using strong enough line for the situation, or for not making sure my line and knots were in good shape.

Scorcher214 reply :

whether its a line/knot break, or he jumps and gets off, yeah its a little upset but whatever. Its more like "AWW MAN HE GOT OFF!!! Well...better make more casts!" So im not ticked, it just makes me wanna cast more and try harder.

SoFlaBassAddict reply :

It happens. Oh well. Theres plenty of other fish to catch. I mean, it stinks losing a big one. Short of it being a World Record, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

OHIO reply :

I get pretty mad, but not as mad as Ike.

JDK. reply :

Quote
If u lose a fish you gotta just keep fishing and...

that video cracks me up its a 3lb fish geez i like Ike but thats just stupid

Fishing Rhino reply :

Lose it or boat it, I maintain an even keel. If it gets off, doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Gotta maintain control. I used to get really excited when I hooked a good fish. Problem is, it's like a hunter with "buck fever".

You get too excited and you end up doing something to lose your quarry. Stay cool, don't force the issue, and you'll land more fish.

I've done enough fishing and been fortunate to catch more than the occasional good un, that I've learned staying cool, calm and collected yields better results.

My first few nice fish got the adrenaline going, and I did something stupid and lost them. That stupid thing was generally getting too excited.

Grey Wolf reply :

Quote
After an hour and a half of nothing I got a huge hit on my hula popper and pulled in a 6~7lb fish. I was walking out of the water and the line broke and she swam away with my lure. I'm pretty bummed it sucks a lot that was my second biggest bass ever so how upset do y'all get over losing fish? It takes me at least a day to get over it

I'd be more worried about why the line broke , bad line or operator error ?

timothy_spain reply :

I used to get all worked up about it. Now, I shrug it off and wonder what I did wrong or what I could've done differently.

I.rar reply :

if im catching fish and loose some , ill take a few seconds and figure out why that fish came off. bad hook set? not enough pressure? slack in the line? whatever it is , ill try and avoid that again.

if im loosing fish left and right , ill probably call it a day and head in lol.

there will always be fish, and that big one will be bigger next time.

fishfordollars reply :

More like disapointed in myself and lack of attention. Getting upset does not help at all. Instead, look at the reasons you hooked up and try to expand on how you can get another to bite.

bigbill reply :

First retie often, new knots, they do wear from stress.

I lost a new state record(probably) in the thick weeds from shore. I fought her trying to get her up for 15 minutes. My adrenaline was pumping so high my only upsetness (new word) was that i lost another bps topnocker. The sight of her top side out of the water as she made a pass at my topnocker was awesome!!! Then she was on my line and i set the hook really hard. I was probably still in shock of seeing her so i may have been in slow motion when she nailed it. That gave her a chanceto go down in the weeds.

I alreday landed a 10lber personal best in the same spot. I know there are bigger bass out there because i see them swim nearby.

All i can remember is she looking like a nuke sub out of the water after my topnocker. If that lure was alive and knew she was'a comming for it???

Its not landing the big bass its the whole action from start to finish. I just hate losing lures when there stuck in the fish. I really don't want to hurt the fish the heck with the lures i can buy more lures.

Landing the 10lber scared me to death in the dusk/low light conditions in the early morning. I never seen a bass this big but its bucket sized mouth could swallow anything from small ducks to panfish very easily. The only time i have ever seen fish this big was when saltwater fishing. (blues/blackfish/small stripers) My older brother always said to keep on going. He fished for stripers everyday, one day he came home with two 50" stripers, fishing from shore, he had a honey hole for stripers/blues.

=Matt 5.0= reply :

Quote

Quote
If u lose a fish you gotta just keep fishing and...

that video cracks me up its a 3lb fish geez i like Ike but thats just stupid

Read his book, then tell us again how stupid it was. :

bassmanET reply :

If its a good size fish maybe 1-2 minutes. If its a hog maybe 5 minutes! If it takes my best lure too, 10 minutes!! But, hey look at this way at least you know where to find bigger fish & have a good chance at hookin up with one again!! ;D

RoLo reply :

When you get to be my age, the reach between the gunwale and the water

seems to grow with the passing years. If it isn't a 'good bass',

I'm always happy when a runt comes unbuttoned next to the boat.

When I lose a good bass, there's no denying that I feel highly disappointed,

but try to remind myself that sometimes the bass have to win.

Roger

I.rar reply :

Quote

When I lose a good bass, there's no denying that I feel highly disappointed,

but try to remind myself that sometimes the bass have to win.

i like that.

fishermantony reply :

One of the most agonizing videos to watch is day 2 of the 2008 Bass Master Classic. Charlie Hartley led after the first day and on day 2 he hooked into and lost 2 REAL good fish while fishing docks. His reaction after the first one hurts to watch, he keels over like he got punched in the stomach, it was so genuine, I couldn't even imagine losing one like that on that stage. I believe what some others have said, shake it off and keep fishing, haven't seen anyone do it better than KVD, he is so focused. There's many more to come for you, just keep casting, it's part of the game.

tholmes reply :

It upsets me a little because, 99% of the time, it's my fault. I try to figure out what went wrong, hit the reset button and cast again.

Tom

K_Mac reply :

Quote
One of the most agonizing videos to watch is day 2 of the 2008 Bass Master Classic. Charlie Hartley led after the first day and on day 2 he hooked into and lost 2 REAL good fish while fishing docks. His reaction after the first one hurts to watch, he keels over like he got punched in the stomach, it was so genuine, I couldn't even imagine losing one like that on that stage. I believe what some others have said, shake it off and keep fishing, haven't seen anyone do it better than KVD, he is so focused. There's many more to come for you, just keep casting, it's part of the game.

Watching Charlie lose those fish was just painful. Going in he had kind of a fatalistic attitude IMO that played itself out over the course of the day. There were a lot of people, including many of the pros who were pulling for him. It was a shame he could not pull off the win.

mk49 reply :

I don't get upset, but I get really disappointed. One time, I lost a bass about 12lb. I went to bed around 10PM, but woke up at midnight. I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.

littlejon reply :

It used to ruin my day. Now I don't give it more than a minutes thought. After you lose enough fish it becomes almost second nature. LOL.

Really I fish for enjoyment, if I couldn't enjoy something unless I was really good at it then there wouldn't be much in life for me to enjoy.

I can be competitive in almost every other recreational thing I do, golf, billiards, and poker----- but fishing?

I'm sure I'm unlike most on this board in that I think of competitive fishing is like competitive sleeping, it just doesn't make sense to me.

I fish because I enjoy it and find it relaxing, there is no win lose or draw for me when it comes to fishing just nature and enjoying myself.

I enjoy the fight and the excitement if the fish gets off, the fish gets off and I make the next cast.

Big Bass Chaser reply :

I lost my first non-dink fish today for the first time in a while. I was very disappointed because I feel I should have retied. However, it was probably a 3-4 lb fish on 6lb test (my finesse rig) that dove into heavy weeds, I lost it when the line snapped shortly after getting it out of the heavy weeds. Oh well, sometimes you get the bear...

burce reply :

Lost another tonight. Tried a palomar knot for the first time and it really seemed strong, then the fish hit and the knot immediately failed, I don't get it

Looked like a 3lber or so, but a fish is a fish. Ended up with just a foot long dink

Nibbles reply :

Quote
Lost another tonight. Tried a palomar knot for the first time and it really seemed strong, then the fish hit and the knot immediately failed, I don't get it
Looked like a 3lber or so, but a fish is a fish. Ended up with just a foot long dink

Make sure to pull your palomars tight. The thing about the palomar is that the loose end of the knot can move around if the knot isn't tight, which can lead to it unraveling if it slips through the knot. This is especially true for higher # test fluorocarbon lines.

Sam reply :

Very.

I have been known to say some nasty things.

I throw things around and even have stomped my feet on the deck.

I continue to say nasty things for about an hour before I get over it.

Then I have dreams about losing the fish.

Otherwise, all is OK.

fishermantony reply :

Quote

Quote
One of the most agonizing videos to watch is day 2 of the 2008 Bass Master Classic. Charlie Hartley led after the first day and on day 2 he hooked into and lost 2 REAL good fish while fishing docks. His reaction after the first one hurts to watch, he keels over like he got punched in the stomach, it was so genuine, I couldn't even imagine losing one like that on that stage. I believe what some others have said, shake it off and keep fishing, haven't seen anyone do it better than KVD, he is so focused. There's many more to come for you, just keep casting, it's part of the game.

Watching Charlie lose those fish was just painful. Going in he had kind of a fatalistic attitude IMO that played itself out over the course of the day. There were a lot of people, including many of the pros who were pulling for him. It was a shame he could not pull off the win.

I like him. I read his "Bass Wars" blog on Bassmaster and always look for his name in the standings. By fatalistic do you mean a lack of confidence in himself going into that second day, feeling like he just didn't belong at the top? I know he mentioned the "disappearing Charlie" nickname his wife gave him for bringing in a big bag on the first day and not following through after that. I'm rooting for him to stay qualified for the Elite Series and Classic and pulling off a win soon!

InLikeFinz reply :

If it's a good one, I do get upset. I'll say out loud that I have to let it go but I do this basically all day. Eventually I'll get there.

K_Mac reply :

Quote

Quote

Quote
One of the most agonizing videos to watch is day 2 of the 2008 Bass Master Classic. Charlie Hartley led after the first day and on day 2 he hooked into and lost 2 REAL good fish while fishing docks. His reaction after the first one hurts to watch, he keels over like he got punched in the stomach, it was so genuine, I couldn't even imagine losing one like that on that stage. I believe what some others have said, shake it off and keep fishing, haven't seen anyone do it better than KVD, he is so focused. There's many more to come for you, just keep casting, it's part of the game.

Watching Charlie lose those fish was just painful. Going in he had kind of a fatalistic attitude IMO that played itself out over the course of the day. There were a lot of people, including many of the pros who were pulling for him. It was a shame he could not pull off the win.

I like him. I read his "Bass Wars" blog on Bassmaster and always look for his name in the standings. By fatalistic do you mean a lack of confidence in himself going into that second day, feeling like he just didn't belong at the top? I know he mentioned the "disappearing Charlie" nickname his wife gave him for bringing in a big bag on the first day and not following through after that. I'm rooting for him to stay qualified for the Elite Series and Classic and pulling off a win soon!

Yes that is exactly what I mean. I am not one of those guys that believe by saying, "I'm going to be rich, good looking, and healthy," makes it so. I do believe Charlie had some serious doubts about being able to close the deal, and those doubts effected his attitude and performance. I am also a fan and wish him well.

I think Charlie 's story is a good example of why it's important to maintain an even keel when you lose a fish or something goes wrong. Watch KVD when he loses a fish. He May grumble a bit, but he never loses focus and his lure is immediately back in the water.

SirSnookalot reply :

Big difference between fishing for serious money ( now we are talking the business of making a living ) vs recreational fishing. I'd be disappointed in losing a good fish if my living depended on it, as in any business deal, but as a recreational fisherman I don't get worked up over losing one for any reason. I have to say that I really have no idea of big fish are that were never landed, the fight can be deceiving so to say I lost some kind of record or persoanal guess would probably be an inflated guesstimate.

zaraspook_dylan2 reply :

I know I shouldn't get worked up about it but I do. It haunts me the rest of the day, mostly because it makes me think I should of done something differently to prevent that, you know like how could I have brought that bass in differently or was it my line, should I of retied? Whatever it is I just think about how I could of done something differently, and if I got the bass, that would just be one more fish to tell my girl about when I get back. ;D

TrippyJai reply :

Losing a fish hurts, but it's nothing to get upset over. I fish to be at peace and away from the city. When it becomes stressful, it's no longer fun. Heck, I don't even mind not catching fish when I'm out at the lake. Catching bass is a bonus for me and catching a big hawg is a special gift. This is the way I always look at things. The past 5 years has been very stressful with school and life so that's how I got back into fishing. When I was younger, it was my favourite thing to do.

I can understand if I did this for a living and losing a big fish equals losing a paycheck, but even then, getting upset can really affect your performance.

Quillback reply :

My reaction depends on the size of the fish:

Less than 2 lbs. - "Have a nice day little feller, come back when you grow up."

2-4 lbs. - "Son of a #*&^@!, that was a decent fish!"

4-6lbs. - "How the @*&^@ did that one come unpinned! I ain't using that lousy brand of trebles anymore." (Box of trebles tossed into lake). Spend the next couple of hours fuming.

6-8 lbs. - So enraged that I am speechless, tacklebox kicked to the back of the boat, rod slammed into the deck, spend the next hour laying in the front of the boat whimpering.

8 lbs or greater - Anything not bolted down tossed into the lake, fall into a rage so great that I "black out" and don't have any memories of what happens the next several days, but when I finally regain consciousness, find my self in a jail in Tijuana.

Sam reply :

Quillback has nailed it for all of us.

Although I still get upset if I lose a dink.

lsufan334 reply :

I don't lose fish.

K_Mac reply :

Quote
Quillback has nailed it for all of us.
Although I still get upset if I lose a dink.

Quillback may speak for you, but lsufan334 speaks for me. ;D

fishermantony reply :

Quote

Quote

Quote

Quote
One of the most agonizing videos to watch is day 2 of the 2008 Bass Master Classic. Charlie Hartley led after the first day and on day 2 he hooked into and lost 2 REAL good fish while fishing docks. His reaction after the first one hurts to watch, he keels over like he got punched in the stomach, it was so genuine, I couldn't even imagine losing one like that on that stage. I believe what some others have said, shake it off and keep fishing, haven't seen anyone do it better than KVD, he is so focused. There's many more to come for you, just keep casting, it's part of the game.

Watching Charlie lose those fish was just painful. Going in he had kind of a fatalistic attitude IMO that played itself out over the course of the day. There were a lot of people, including many of the pros who were pulling for him. It was a shame he could not pull off the win.

I like him. I read his "Bass Wars" blog on Bassmaster and always look for his name in the standings. By fatalistic do you mean a lack of confidence in himself going into that second day, feeling like he just didn't belong at the top? I know he mentioned the "disappearing Charlie" nickname his wife gave him for bringing in a big bag on the first day and not following through after that. I'm rooting for him to stay qualified for the Elite Series and Classic and pulling off a win soon!

Yes that is exactly what I mean. I am not one of those guys that believe by saying, "I'm going to be rich, good looking, and healthy," makes it so. I do believe Charlie had some serious doubts about being able to close the deal, and those doubts effected his attitude and performance. I am also a fan and wish him well.

I think Charlie 's story is a good example of why it's important to maintain an even keel when you lose a fish or something goes wrong. Watch KVD when he loses a fish. He May grumble a bit, but he never loses focus and his lure is immediately back in the water.

Very well said, thanks for sharing. BTW I'm from Illinois originally, right outside of Chicago. Take Care, hope to chat again soon.

bigbill reply :

I have one more experience with missing fish and losing lures. Right at first dawn when the sky is starting to light up at one spot i have lost many lures because the strike is so violent. It just ripps the lure off my line everytime. I'm using a 07 blue rapala or one of my redcraw cranks. I never get to even see the fish. I actually avoid that spot now. My buddy's have lost lures there too at different times. I'm not sure if its a freshwater otter, big pickerel or a big smallie but the strike is so fast and voilent. I need to go back there with heavier tackle and a wire leader next. Bill

ww2farmer reply :

I have lost big fish fun fishing and in tournaments. I want to put big fish in the boat no matter what, my reaction is the same either way. Usually a "d**n it!!" a little louder than my normal voice. Then right back to fishing.

Yeah breaking gear and tossing things in the lake and going "Ike" is super cool :

mferris reply :

last week after losing my 3rd good size bass on a crankbait i broke my falcon cara on the side of the boat...plus the bill on my dt 4 broke off also,needless to say i'm having a frustrating year and that just topped it off!!!! i hope i don't break anything else this year!!!

ShaneK1990 reply :

I usually get over the lost ones pretty quick. THEYRE ALWAYS HUGE THOUGH! lol

Casca reply :

if it's a good fish and it just comes undone i feel like i've been punched in the stomach but not mad. if the knot slips then i'm fuming!!!

pudmunk reply :

It's frustrating, but no hissy fits yet

Bass Fisher55 reply :

I get pretty upset, it takes me a whole day to forget about it. Maybe a three days if it was a monster. If it's a big fish it just goes down in my book as another fish story.

What I also hate is when I lose one of my favorite lures. I lost a bomber crankbait that I will never be able to buy again, it was a rainbow trout color crankbait.

Bankbeater reply :

Happened to me last year. If there had not been a family with little kids about 50 yards away I believe that I would have cut loose with the cuss words.

salmicropterus reply :

Depends on whether it is a tournament or not and even then whether of not it was due to a "controllable" like an equipment failure or a failure in technique. Then I can get a slow burn going for awhile. This is better though then when I played golf and broke some clubs or when I raced and someone would take me out and I would do the same for revenge LOL.

D4u2s0t reply :

I lost a fish last weekend, this thing hit like a ton of bricks... It felt like the biggest fish i've ever caught in my lake, all of a sudden it jumped, looked like it was about 11 inches.... I don't understand??? My rod was bent in half like you couldn't believe. I got only a very quick glimpse as I watched it spit my lure, but I couldn't believe what seemed like such a small fish would pull like that... literally almost yanked the rod out of my hands. I sat there with my jaw on the floor for about 5 minutes lol.

I usually don't get too upset about losing a fish though, it's a part of fishing, and sometimes happens. Of course I don't enjoy it, but I don't beat myself up too much about it.

arul reply :

I get ticked and stew about it for a long time... I am still not over fish I have lost over 2 years ago....

10340

how upset do you get when you lose a fish? 2024

related General Bass Fishing Forum topic

previous topic

next topic

most viewed General Bass Fishing Forum topic