I lost a HUGE FISH OF A LIFETIME Yesterday, HELP!!!!!

[Guy Kelley]

Yesterday in the Delta when i was pre-fishing with my son, I was fishing a trap on 10 pd line.

Casting into docks. I has not reeled in more than ten feet when she or it hit. and the fight was on !

I was using a shimano chronarch reel with a daiwa cranking rod and 10 pound McCoy line.

I had the drag set fairly tight but i could still pull line off.

When the fish hit i did not set the hook causes i thought it was hooked up already. The fish surged for deeper water and had the rod bent in half, I was applying steady pressure but could not reel in line at all and the fish was taking line out.

I could see the trap in the fishes mouth but not the fish itself due to the shadow in the water. After a few minuets the fish came off with a huge head shake and my trap came unbuttoned. My knots held and the line did not break.

I sat there in total shock for a couple of minuets and tried to think what I had done that was wrong or what i could have done to make the situation better.

What Matthew and I came up with was I could have switched places with him , he to the front on the trolling motor to chase the fish and me to the back to fight it !?

We talked about the drag setting on my reel and he said that it was too loose and i should have have had it all the way tightened down. I thought about clamping it down when i had the fish on or applying slight thumb pressure but i didn't.

So my question is what could i have done to get that fish in , instead of loosing it.

And do you have your drags set all the way down on your cranking reels.?? I have always thought that it was not necessary to set a hook on crank fish and the rods were designed to give enough to lessen the shock of the hooks in the mouth of the fish so they would not tear out !? Or is that just for top water baits ???????

We guesstimated the fish would have gone well over 10 pounds and probably much, much bigger

I know where it lives now and i will be BACK !!!!!!!!

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Congratulations on your almost personal best..I think just about every fisherman has experienced this type of delima at one time or another..Of course the size of the fish always seems to vary, but in most cases it was a big one..On one of my last trips out I caught and landed about a three pounder that had the hook almost down his gullet..Joe Kopp can usually get these hookups out without damaging the fish, so I asked for his help..About the same time I hand the fish off it flexed and the bait and hook came flying out..It was almost as though the fish burped and the hook came loose..Sometimes all it takes for a fish to get loose is just a slightly different angle on the the hook..

mac

[g-man]

I always have my drag on baitcasters tight as can be, even with that a good fish can still pull drag! just bad luck guy, part of fishing!

Where was that at? hehe

[Marc]

Several things make a big difference but nothing will prevent an occasional lost fish especially on lipless rattlers:

Use a parabolic action fiberglass rod that bends deeply; this provides shock absorption that keeps your line tight so the fish can't get slack when shaking its head back and forth.

Keep the drag fairly loose so you don't tear the hooks out of a fish's mouth, but not so loose that you can't keep a deep bend in your rod.

Use Gamakatsu EWG treble hooks: very sharp so you don't need much pressure to sink the barb, and they are so sticky you usually get both trebles in the fish during the fight. The angle of the point improves penetration and makes it harder to throw these hooks.

The key is to make sure you keep a deep and consistent bend in your glass rod at all times without applying so much force that you rip out the hooks. You want to straddle a fine line between applying enough pressure to keep the fish from getting slack, and too much pressure that rips trebles out of the tissue.

[Tin Can]

I always have my drag on baitcasters tight as can be,

With 10lb test?

[Mike]

It happends to us all. Sounds like you did nothing wrong. I'd suggest using bigger line on the Delta. The fish dont seem to mind and you can put a little more preasure on them to keep them hooks stuck. A 10+ fish have very hard mouths, and it takes some preasure to get the hooks in. I use 15 seagur for cranking.

Good luck at your next shot

[Burke]

Guy,

If you are not the backseater and hook a big fish, we find that it is a lot easier to play the fish if it's thats the only thing that you have to worry about.

If there are only 2 of you in the boat, the backseater should take over the controls of the trolling motor and you should move to the back. Hopefully, your backseater knows how to control the boat with the trolling motor.

If 3 of you are fishing and the middle person catches a big fish, the backseater and middle person should exchange positions.

It's always worked for us.

As others have mentioned, change out the stock hooks and split rings. I use Owner 4x hooks on my traps.

[Calistar]

Use Gamakatsu EWG treble hooks: very sharp so you don't need much pressure to sink the barb, and they are so sticky you usually get both trebles in the fish during the fight.

Yup. I always sharpen my hooks (or better yet replace with new hooks) before fishing. I seem to remember KVD say that he replaces his hooks about a 100 times a tournament or something crazy like that. Sticky hooks give you more of a chance at penetrating the mouth area.

This story brings back bad memories of when I lost TWO 10-lbers on lipless cranks in my rookie year of bass fishing. And I ain't seen a DD since.

Greg H.
(aka Calistar)

[Brian]

Are you sure that it wasnt a Striper?

[DeltaDan]

2 things I always do now ..... After the Inital Hook Set .... Count 2 seconds to 4 depending on the Fish's position - Then swing hard again to drive that nail home !!


And then stick the pole down low in the water to keep the fish from jumping.

[sTony]

2 things I always do now ..... After the Inital Hook Set .... Count 2 seconds to 4 depending on the Fish's position - Then swing hard again to drive that nail home !!


And then stick the pole down low in the water to keep the fish from jumping.

I wouldn't get too comfortable with that double hook set notion DD. It's not a great idea for some hooks and or techniques and sometimes leads to just making a bigger hole where the fish got stuck and might allow 'em to get off a bit easier. Some techniques you don't want a hook set at all.

sTony

[Timber_Effects]

Use Gamakatsu EWG treble hooks: very sharp so you don't need much pressure to sink the barb, and they are so sticky you usually get both trebles in the fish during the fight.

Yup. I always sharpen my hooks (or better yet replace with new hooks) before fishing. I seem to remember KVD say that he replaces his hooks about a 100 times a tournament or something crazy like that. Sticky hooks give you more of a chance at penetrating the mouth area.

This story brings back bad memories of when I lost TWO 10-lbers on lipless cranks in my rookie year of bass fishing. And I ain't seen a DD since.

Greg H.
(aka Calistar)

always change out the hooks, I have also learned the hard way bud.
Congrats on the monster hook up though. Now you know where she lives.

[Bassman35]

Thats sucks that you lost it, I KNOW YOUR PAIN I lost a spotted bass at McClure during the aba Tourny that was WELL over the world record. I had already caught 2 spots over 5 pounds when she hit. I had her on 25 pound big game 8 foot swimbait rod, shimano 400 calcutta and could budge her. Had her to the boat 2 times and both times I bent over for the net she would make OLD MAN IN THE SEA kinds of runs. The 3rd time I had her to the boat she was shaking her head so I reached down and she jumped up my arm slammed into the boat and the hudd went flying one way and she went the other. I fell to the deck of my boat and literally puked over the other side. Never recovered the whole day and never even have since. I still see that SUCKER when I close my eyes.
Let me know how you get over it.
Bryan Cox

[MikeD]

always change out the hooks

my suggestion too, those stock hooks on the traps are crap - both for sharpness and for durability. I'm an Owner hook guy, but any decent hook is an upgrade over the stock ones. And traps do seem to fish better with EWG hooks for some reason. keep the fish down in the water by putting 1-2' of pole tip down under the water, reduces unbuttoning due to headshaking.

congrats on the 'almost', sure is fun to get them into the boat. always next time

[Mike]

2 things I always do now ..... After the Inital Hook Set .... Count 2 seconds to 4 depending on the Fish's position - Then swing hard again to drive that nail home !!


And then stick the pole down low in the water to keep the fish from jumping.

I wouldn't get too comfortable with that double hook set notion DD. It's not a great idea for some hooks and or techniques and sometimes leads to just making a bigger hole where the fish got stuck and might allow 'em to get off a bit easier. Some techniques you don't want a hook set at all.

sTony

Bingo! Missed again Dan!

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

Unless you can submerge your rod tip deeper than the amount of line still out, you are not going to keep a fish from surfacing and shaking its head..It is true the angle caused by submerging some of your rod may keep the fish down, but if there is enough line they can most certainly still jump and shake..It is not a bad move to do so, and will work often to steer the fish away from jumping..But if that fish wants to jump, and there is sufficient line still out, it will do so..

mac

[SABP]

Hoohs, hooks, hooks!!!!!

With a trap you have to have good ones on at all times. Replace them before you ever put a new bait in the water - never fish stock hooks. Even when the good hooks start feeling dull during the day replace the hooks again. Check them often.

Second, set the hook. I would put on no lighter that 15lb test when fishing traps unless the water is really clear. 10 lb is asking for trouble and makes you fearful of setting hard on a fish. You just never got the hooks past the barbs on your fish. So when she came up she was able to throw the bait.

The bigger fish on the delta have very hard mouths. You have to hit them hard to drive the hooks past the barb on the hookset. Losing fish happens, but you can minimize the reasons and land the big ones more often

[185vsfrog]

My two cents for what its worth. Upgrade to size larger hook in the front and use owner ST36 needle point. I fish 30lb powerpro in the delta with a 7 1/2 foot soft rod for my traps and cranks. I keep my drag on medium setting but I am always ready to hit free spool thumb bar or loosen drag when needed. Aftermarket hooks are a must. Hope this helps.

[Terry Smith]

Guy the week before your tournament and your giving up info THANKS!!!!! Note to self: Trap and docks = BIG FISH THANKS Guy!!!!!!!!!! see you Saturday

[gsc686s]

What could you have done??

Fish throw traps (a lot), or any baits for that matter. Putting larger hooks on helps, and so dose using good sharp ones like Gamagatu or Owner. But fact of the matter is any fish can throw any bait if the circumstances are right! If you fish a lot you will find that it just becomes part of fishing and it is ok as long as you do not do it every time you get a good fish.

[Guy Kelley]

OK, The hooks will be replaced with ewg #6 and they will be nice and SHARP.

I never said the fish jumped, she head shaked under water and threw the trap. So i had no time to dip my rod into the water to keep her from jumping !

No it was not a striper, caught enough of thouse to know the difference.

She was a green L.M BASS, VERY,VERY, LARGE , FRIGGEN HUGE LARGE MOUTH.

My nerves are still shot to hell !!!

BUT like I said I'LL BE BACK, I know were she lives !!!!!

[Terry Smith]

She was a green L.M BASS, VERY,VERY, LARGE , FRIGGEN HUGE LARGE MOUTH.

I know were she lives !!!!!

Me too....... My livewell Saturday morning

[Flippinjigs]

Lipless crankbaits are one of them baits that have the leverage to swing back and forth and fly off, if not fully engulfed in the fishes mouth. Thats why years ago some manufactures came out with a bait that the line slides thru the lure body leaving only the treble hook to stay hooked up to the fish. The lure body would slide away from the hook. The bait only had one hook however. I think that the Excalibur Treble hook with it's counter rotating points may have held on to that fish, along with steady pressure (back reeling if possible) for a happy ending. It's easy to put in my 2 cents, I guess you just had to be there for the experience. You will hook up with another mother again. An experience like that get you pumped up.

Good Fishin

[DeltaDan]

Bingo! Missed again Dan!

Negatory Bro ! When even in doubt and first hooked = SET THE FREAKIN' HOOK !!


Granted I have not been cranking and using trebiles since last fall and am using single barbed hooks/jigs still.

Luke had one swallow a worm all the way down into the stomach last week ... and a Bro I was out with Tuesday afternoon as well. Those "hooksets" I would imagine do the most harm to a fish (other than a gill cut) than into the meat of the jaw and up near the eye.

On Lukes we had to take the needle nose up under the gill plate and across the gills to get the hook out of the esophogus. My Bro R.J. got his out as well with no serious impact to the fish other than alot longer time out of the water.

Luke got on a bite today for 900+ yards or so -- He said he rafted 6 and lost two with one being 6-8 pounds andthe rest were rats- 2 + pounders on average. I watched him from shore and he was "sissy hooking them" -- Like when he is using his flyrod....and also keeping his rod tip up high - Thus the bigger ones that could jump -- Jumped and in return spit the hook.







Great afternoon on the water for Luke and on the Shore for Cobalt -- He even got to get on a Pheasant flush close and in cover.



Jack got his feet wet as well.


Then a hike back to the truck.




Call me both Ignorant and Stupid-- But I have the most Awesome of Teacher/BrothA . And he has always said " SET THE FREAKIN' HOOK !!!" ((and "Get The Net !!"

[Paul W]

I only fish w/ a really tight or locked down drag if I'm flipping/pitching. I see pros on TV fishing w/ locked drags and pressing the thumbar to freespool line if they get a big fish on and want it to run...NEVER understood that. With that said, any fish you hook on a treble-hooked bait is more prone to come off, so dont beat yourself up too much. If anything, the fish was probably skin-hooked and the hooks probably pulled from the tight drag, that would be my guess. Are you sure it was a Largemouth? The fact that it was on a trap, it could have been a Striper.

Paul w

[Guy Kelley]

GOING TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT;

NO WAY WAS THAT A FRIGGEN LINESIDE PERIOD;

SAW THE FISHES HEAD UNDER WATER FOR A BREIF MOMENT AND HAVE CAUGHT PLENTY OF STRIPERS TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

THAT WAS A GREEN, BEAUTIFULL, MONSTER SIZE, DOUBLE D, TOAD OF A LARGE MOUTH BASS.

OR I WILL EAT MY HAT!!!!!!!!!

BUT THE ONLY WAY I CAN PROVE IT WILL BE TO CATCH HER AGINE !

Thank You All For The Advise !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Brian]

GOING TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT;

NO WAY WAS THAT A FRIGGEN LINESIDE PERIOD;

SAW THE FISHES HEAD UNDER WATER FOR A BREIF MOMENT AND HAVE CAUGHT PLENTY OF STRIPERS TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

THAT WAS A GREEN, BEAUTIFULL, MONSTER SIZE, DOUBLE D, TOAD OF A LARGE MOUTH BASS.

OR I WILL EAT MY HAT!!!!!!!!!

BUT THE ONLY WAY I CAN PROVE IT WILL BE TO CATCH HER AGINE !

Thank You All For The Advise !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Was trying to help you out Guy, You could go much easier on yourself for losing the fish is you thought it was a striper LOL

[brambo0311]

Are you sure that it wasnt a Striper?

I am betting it was a big striper. They seem to always head to deep water when hooked. Unlike a largemouth that just tries to wrap you around everything.

[brambo0311]

That tube looks familiar dan. Glad ya found a use for it.

[lionkiller]

After losing a large fish fishing deep cranks (I felt it tear loose...), I went & asked the dude at the baitshop what I did wrong.

too stiff rod & too tight drag. Fish had the leverage to rip itself loose. I went down a power in rods, set my drag looser. My average went up....& way up when I started changing out #4's to #6's....

[plasticman1]

some times it can be a striper hooked into one georiana slough went straight out to deep water took 20 min to land straightened out wire but still landed it.. tight but not to tight drag, need some cush so you dont break off most of all you probroly did not get a deep hook set it happens to every one go with a little heavyier gear when fishing delta PLASTICMAN1

[Sean Graf]

Are you sure that it wasnt a Striper?

I am betting it was a big striper. They seem to always head to deep water when hooked. Unlike a largemouth that just tries to wrap you around everything.

Agreed, sounds like a monster lineside or a sea lion

[stickbait]

Yesterday in the Delta when i was pre-fishing with my son, I was fishing a trap on 10 pd line.

Casting into docks. I has not reeled in more than ten feet when she or it hit. and the fight was on !

I was using a shimano chronarch reel with a daiwa cranking rod and 10 pound McCoy line.

I had the drag set fairly tight but i could still pull line off.

When the fish hit i did not set the hook causes i thought it was hooked up already. The fish surged for deeper water and had the rod bent in half, I was applying steady pressure but could not reel in line at all and the fish was taking line out.

I could see the trap in the fishes mouth but not the fish itself due to the shadow in the water. After a few minuets the fish came off with a huge head shake and my trap came unbuttoned. My knots held and the line did not break.

I sat there in total shock for a couple of minuets and tried to think what I had done that was wrong or what i could have done to make the situation better.

What Matthew and I came up with was I could have switched places with him , he to the front on the trolling motor to chase the fish and me to the back to fight it !?

We talked about the drag setting on my reel and he said that it was too loose and i should have have had it all the way tightened down. I thought about clamping it down when i had the fish on or applying slight thumb pressure but i didn't.

So my question is what could i have done to get that fish in , instead of loosing it.

And do you have your drags set all the way down on your cranking reels.?? I have always thought that it was not necessary to set a hook on crank fish and the rods were designed to give enough to lessen the shock of the hooks in the mouth of the fish so they would not tear out !? Or is that just for top water baits ???????

We guesstimated the fish would have gone well over 10 pounds and probably much, much bigger

I know where it lives now and i will be BACK !!!!!!!!

Sometimes things happen.. that's fishing, but you have to try and stack the deck in your favor..

If I may.. this time of the year.. spawners, the big girls are out there .. I would go with 15 to 20 lb test line even braid .. change out the hook go up a size or two ( factory hooks sucka).. when a big fish with a big mouth sucks in a small lure like a trap there is alot of room in that mouth and you may not get a hook up...make sure them hooks are sharp as they have hard mouths

oh ya and SET the hook helps too!!

How did you know it was over 10 lbs if you did not see it?? .. you been to the Coochie school of weight guessing ... har har har .. only kidding guys ! Love ya Andy!

good luck next time

[bss_hunter]

It may seem like a monster sea lion or a striper to u mr. gaff, but that's because u've never done battle with a double d, so do me a favor and catch one first, u might be surprised to learn that big bass often head to deeper water after being hooked

[Sean Graf]

It may seem like a monster sea lion or a striper to u mr. gaff, but that's because u've never done battle with a double d, so do me a favor and catch one first, u might be surprised to learn that big bass often head to deeper water after being hooked

There you go again, popping your mouth off when you have no idea.

You still pissed because I called you out when you were picking on a kid here on the forum? You have a beef with me son, call me directly, I'm sure we can figure it out.

209 346-3661

[Brian]

It may seem like a monster sea lion or a striper to u mr. gaff, but that's because u've never done battle with a double d, so do me a favor and catch one first, u might be surprised to learn that big bass often head to deeper water after being hooked

There you go again, popping your mouth off when you have no idea.

You still pissed because I called you out when you were picking on a kid here on the forum? You have a beef with me son, call me directly, I'm sure we can figure it out.

209 346-3661

You tell him Rick.

[bss_hunter]

Well mr graff, I am flattered to have ur number, but as I said in my P.M. to u I am not into that kind of thing, sorry......I think brian has made it very clear he would be much better suited for a dinner date with you........let me know how it works out

[DeltaDan]

bss- Da Rickster offered you to call him ....Directly even ~ To settle you internet squabbles.


How hard is that ??



Meat is as good as people you would ever wish to having the privilage and true pleasure to know personally and from as far away from his teeth at the same time.


Man-Up and call him ....... Hell- Leave a message on his phone and he will call you back on his dime even if you can not afford one.

[Brian]

I think brian has made it very clear he would be much better suited for a dinner date with you........let me know how it works out

No, I would rather have a dinner date with YOU. Then you can let everyone know how THAT worked out.

Oh and you're buying.

[Guy Kelley]

How did we go from me losing a what may have been a DD fish loss to a exchange of phone numbers and folks saying this and that ?

Oh by the way, Yesterday at the Future Pro, My son put on a fishing show on the front of the deck of the boat and caught 5's & 7's, while i caught a sun tan and delta rats.


The ol girl that I was after that offered a tease to me on Wed, never showed and I got stood up for our date.

THAT OR TERRY SMITH SCARED HER OFF WITH ALL THE NOISE HE WAS MAKING FISHING MY WATER. HAR HAR HAR !!!!!!

[Iafrate94505]

Well mr graff, I am flattered to have ur number, but as I said in my P.M. to u I am not into that kind of thing, sorry......I think brian has made it very clear he would be much better suited for a dinner date with you........let me know how it works out

I'LL BE YOUR HUCKLEBERRY, BSS .....................YOU CLEARLY DON'T HAVE A CLUE.............

[stickbait]

2 things I always do now ..... After the Inital Hook Set .... Count 2 seconds to 4 depending on the Fish's position - Then swing hard again to drive that nail home !!


And then stick the pole down low in the water to keep the fish from jumping.

If I can offer some advise .. as Tony stated.. If you are fishing properly, and I mean by this .. right gear, right postion in the boat, both you.. your rod, and the boat and are paying attention, you should never double set, it can and will tear hooks out of the mouth that are skin hooked as far as sticking a rod under water .. why? you just loose contact with the fish and another chance for that big girl to get away

Another misstake i have seen guys do is "crossing over" or switching direction with the rod after setting the hook, this should not be done if at all possible as it changes the pull of the bait and can cause a bait rotate and loosen or pull out!

Again .. just some advise and not slamming your style of fishing.

good luck