fighting a bass....

fishbonz412 · Post by **fishbonz412** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 7:30 am

On those bass fishing shows, you can frequently see an angler swinging the rod back and forth when the fish is near the surface. Why do they do that? Is it to assess how well the fish is hooked? is it to keep the fish off balance so that it cannot jump while close to the boat/surface? What is your thought?

Burke · Post by **Burke** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 10:03 pm

I do it to maintain the tension on the line so that I can control the fish as well prevent the fish from unhooking.

Each time that a fish turns, I swing my rod to the opposite direction that the fish is moving. This allows me to instantly turn the head of the fish if I need to, especially if the fish is trying to go under the boat or heading to thick cover.

elfish16 · Post by **elfish16** » Mon Oct 29, 2012 12:08 pm

From my experiences and losing countless costly fish, I have learned to use the heaviest line, heaviest drag I can get away with and really put the wood to them. I mean if I'm fishing crank baits thats a different story but anything other than that I'm grinding those fish into the boat. I usually don't switch angles when fighting a fish as it can dislodge a hook if its not hooked as well.

Everyone has their opinion..but I've watched some pretty incredible fisherman apply my technique and win a LOT!

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Mon Oct 29, 2012 1:59 pm

There are a few schools of thought on this. I have always been amused when I watch Bill Dance fish with limber rods. He sets the hook and makes those rods bend big time. He has always done this and it is probably done to appeal to the masses as opposed to the more seasoned tournament anglers. That rod bends over and he moves it all over the place making it seem like a huge battle to land them. It makes for good TV.

Other anglers will try to keep the pressure in the opposite direction of where the bass are fighting in order to maintain a good angle to hopefully keep them from coming unhooked. They are constantly moving the rod back and forth making the adjustments they think they need to...playing the fish out so they get tired and are easier to net.

Others will bury the rod in the water if the bass are getting ready to jump in order to create that "opposite angle" as the bass rises toward the surface to jump and throw the hook with that classic violent head shake. Some times this works but I've watched my former team partner lose a giant CL bass in a TOC because he jammed his rod down into the water on a spook fish that was wayyy out there and about to jump. He had way to much line out and jamming the rod down into the water to prevent a jump only added more slack in the line...which ultimately allowed that bass to come off. He gave up control because he had "read that this is what you do to stop a bass from jumping". That cost us winning a boat. Tournament time is no time to experiment with "things you've read".

Personally, I think it's a risky practice unless you are very in tune with the fish and their aggressiveness level (during the fight) that time of year. In other words...this technique of moving the rod back and forth can be very risky for the "occasional angler".

I hope that helps.

biteme · Post by **biteme** » Mon Oct 29, 2012 4:23 pm

If Im fun fishing Ill do whatever just to have fun. If theres something on the line (money) Ill put the rod tip in the water and get to cranking. I see so many people hook a fish and start pumping only to watch the fish jump and then come off.

sniper · Post by **sniper** » Mon Oct 29, 2012 6:02 pm

When you see this happening, the rod beieng figure 8'd around, those guys are fishing treble hooked lure with more than one hook. Moving the rod around like this after they get a look at the fish is an attempt to bury the other treble into the fish or another point of the same treble. You wont see them do that with a single point hooked lure like a jig or worm type bait.

Hope that made sense.

Oldschool · Post by **Oldschool** » Mon Oct 29, 2012 6:36 pm

We are taking about LMB that can't fight very long, or make long power runs, the only thing anyone needs to learn is keep the bass under control by keeping the fish in front of you with constant rod pressure. The aveage time between hooking and putting the bass in the boat is under 60 seconds! No reason to be working the rod back and forth, you are just exiting the bass and can easily loose control of the fish.
Tom