Preytorien

I can't really say I have a "method" per-say, but the way I was shown is that you remove as much of your lure as possible so you've so as small of an object to pass through the gill flap as possible. (this required me to tear up my soft plastic - worth it though) Then since the hook is lodged in a way that makes it too difficult to dislodge, pass the line through the gill flap and pull down that way rather than up through the mouth of the fish. Really the issue lies in the fact that one of two issues exist 1. The hook is too far down the gullet of the fish for forceps or hook remover to reach 2. The direction of the hook doesn't allow for a "standard" unhooking, where you'd just pull/push it out of the flesh of the fish. This is the case I've found my method to be most effective. The hook was too far down the mouth, and was lodged where the point of the hook was facing the mouth of the fish, yet was in a position where just pushing the hook out wasn't going to work since it'd push it even further down the gullet. So I had to pull the hook out from the rear, which happened to be via the closest gill flap. Like I said, I can't really say my way is the only way, but it works for me, and saved a fish. My explaination might be more complicated than it should. Once you see it done it's actually not hard at all and you'll realize just how many more fish you can potentially save with your new set of skills However, that said....this video seems to be pretty good at describing what I had to do..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGTL9RBG2s

I had a good lesson shown to me by a great bass fishing friend of how to remove the lure/hooks from a gut hooked fish. Thankfully, I've almost never had such an issue arise, but in all honesty my prior approach was unskilled, and for that I hope I did not kill any fish. However, this last week, I had a 3lb bass quite literally inhale a wolly bug I was using rigged weighless. The lure was very deep in his mouth and was appearing to be too difficult to quickly and easily unhook and release. My mind went to the lesson my buddy showed my about removing the lure through the gill flap. I managed to do so successfully and without hardly any blood. I had to rip my soft plastic to do so, but hey, I allowed that beautiful bass to once again roam the waters. I'm a catch and release fisherman, so maybe the next day I'm getting skunked, that bass will tell his friends that I'm safe to play with and will give me a hit or two to make things fun. Learn and practice saving a gut hooked fish, it'll make you feel all warm inside and it'll keep your water full of fish who can live to fight another day

Sounds like fun! Hope your removal of the swivel did her some good!

I certainly know what you mean bigbill about spooked bass. I fish one pond that it seems like just blinking scares them off, then it seems the fishing never gets started the rest of the day. Then again, they didn't get big by showing themselves all over and hitting any bait that came bubbling by...... I don't have a boat, so I've had to perfect my shoreline process as much as possible to keep from spooking those big gals. In addition to ww2farmer's advice of limiting how well they can see me, the single most effective thing I've used is Hank Parker's suggestion to stay way back off the shoreline. This (hopefully) reduces the amount of ground vibration they'll feel, as well as any additional noises that may spook them, like a clicking reel, jiggling tackle, etc. probably won't be heard. This summer while the bass have been shallow in the evenings, this tactic has been the #1 biggest contributor to what amounts to the most successful summer I've had.

Hey guys, I've never seen a direct nor logical answer on this, and when I search for it I get varying responses.....so I'll ask the pros..... How do you store the line that's currently on your reel/rod combo when you're done fishing? I've heard it's bad to attach your lure/snap to the hook loop near the seat of the reel, but the rod manufacturers (especially high end ones) would most likely not put them there if line manufacturers and customers were complaining of it weakening line. Additionally, just taking in the line to the tip of the rod could cause the lure/snap to tighten directly against the first guide, possibly breaking/bending it in certain scenarios. What's the suggested method to keep rod, reel, and line safe and retain its integrity?

Great fish! Congrats!

I agree that some kids could convolute the purpose and seriousness of a gun. I played with guns ALL the time. We had a nice neighborhood with lots of kids and our "war" would encompass the entire neighborhood. We had infantry (kids with no bikes) and ground assault (kids with bikes), heck I even went to the army surplus and bought a used grenade launcher (launch mech. removed of course) but we rigged it up so it'd fire bottle rockets nicely. The key was, when it was time to fire the real stuff, dads guns, he first had us shoot a pumpkin, and told me sternly that this is what would happen to a person if they were shot, and that it meant immediate death. He taught me over and over the guns safety rules and practical applications of guns. There was never an ounce of thought in my mind to take a gun to school (let alone the fact I could never get to his, they were locked up), nor did I ever consider shooting anyone with anything other than a cap gun. But I agree.....I had a way better childhood. It was better to be outdoors than indoors. Playing in the woods was like winning the lottery. Most kids these days seem to be stuck to their game systems and TV's.

I agree, this site, and you guys on here are my go-to team to help me get fish on-line. (No pun intended) Thanks for all the help guys

I noticed some fraying too when I used it. I'm not used to seeing it, but I figured it was due to me having to pick out those digs. Interesting to hear I'm not the only one that saw that. Thankfully I've never seen it on my spinning rig. Like I said, it's absolutely awesome on that one. For what it's worth (and pertaining to another thread I read), I did indeed tension the line as I spooled it. I always do. Better casts of course. So it wasn't a problem with tensioning while seating the line.

I'm a huge fan of braided line. I like the confidence of knowing that very rarely do I ever lose a fish when I'm using it, in fact, I can't remember the last time I lost a fish due to line problems (weak hooksets are another topic ) I've been experimenting with various braids on my baitcast and spinning setups. By far the best braid I've used for my spinning setup has been Power Pro Slick 8. I use the 15lb (4lb eq) version, and the small diameter lets me cast lures as far, if not further, than the flourocarbon P-Line I had on before. I love the stuff. Usually I use Sufix 832 50lb on my baitcast, and I love the stuff. It's manageable and seems like the kind of line you like to spool then forget about since I've never had any issues whatsoever, and unless you get a bad batch, you won't either. However, the adventurous side of my personality got the best of me and logic said that my casting abilities on my baitcaster might benefit from the same advantages my spinning rig does when I use Slick 8. Boy was I wrong. Let me get this straight, I didn't lose any fish, and really when it boils down to the true test of a line it's making sure our fish are landed, however the problem was right after I let the fish lose. Slick 8 is VERY slick stuff, which makes it great for spinning rods, but it's slick nature caused insane line dig. I was able to pick the first dig out, but the second was so deep I had to cut the line off the spool, and I promptly re-spooled tonight with Sufix. My best educated guess would be that the slick-ness of the Slick 8 allows it to just dive right in. Please understand these weren't 8lb hawgs or anything, they were less than 2lbs and I didn't try to just haul em' in. I let them play a bit. Under every other circumstance with line, I've never had a problem, flouro, mono, Sufix, etc....nothing has ever given me this much line dig. Just to be clear, I'm not hacking on Power Pro Slick 8, there's no way I'd use anything else on my spinning rod, what I'm saying is just that I think it's a risky choice for a baitcaster. What are your thoughts? Anyone ever had the same thing happen?

I stepped out of the home office for a little bit yesterday to throw a line in the water. Made a quick trip to a small neighborhood pond I like to go to, has a good population of 2-3lb bass, makes for a fun quick getaway. The fishing had been slow for several weeks, but yesterday I killed it because of a phenomenon I've never seen. I've seen bass herding and chasing balls of baitfish when I'm out on the boat, but yesterday was something new. They would "herd" the baitfish as close to the shore as they could, and then about 6-8 of them would attack them from all sides. With nowhere to go, they were making a quick meal, and for me, it made fishing easy. I just threw a 2-inch Rapala topwater classic minnow in the mix and hardly had to do anything to get one on-line. Maybe you've seen this before, but in all my years of bank fishing, I've never seen the bass herd them against the shore and assault them from all directions. It was impressive....and savage! It basically looked like one of those feeding frenzy videos you see on Discovery Channel Shark Week.

Great looking fish! Congrats!

I personally have one. I bought the Carbonlite Combo. I have the 7 foot XF model with the micro-guides. I've picked up St. Croix, Fenwick, etc.....most major brands, and I'd pit this rod against them any day. To make my point, I went with a buddy of mine who brough his Curado paired with a St. Croix. I noticed when I used my lightweight spinning rig to do some finesse fishing he would pick up MY combo to do his frogging. I asked him if he liked it, to which he kind of played it down, but the next week he had one on order for himself. I know it's probably not got the sex appeal of these high end brands, and they sure are excellent rods, but I'm just saying that I wouldn't have any issues with considering the Carbonlite along with these others. You're right, it's incredibly light, and the XF model has a great backbone. Like I said I have the Micro-Guide model and I like them, I can cast quite a ways. I think you'd be happy with it as I am. Nice handle, lightweight, looks good, great action......basically all the things a person would look for in a rod. Anyone second this?

I agree man, I hear all kinds of people having success with jigs, even a guy who I fish with has luck and I attempt to mimic his technique, but it just doesn't work for me. I'm not sure why, but these replies may increase my chances, you never know.

I agree with the above post about Cavitrons. They allow for a slower retrieve which has also allowed me to have more strikes than ever this summer. They're my favorite to throw and I have a pretty good amount of success with them.

I was using the Yucatan, J-Knot, and Slim Beauty Knot. I may end up trying the Albright. Seeing how it works I can't imagine any line slipping with that knot. Any experience with it? What kind of knot fo you use? Another factor might be that the PP I'm using is 15lb, which is equ. to 4lb, which is pretty darn small and the leader is 10lb flouro. Maybe the fact that I'm not using lines of similar diameter causes more slippery circumstances?

Went out this afternoon after putting on some 8lb P-Linc CX Premium flourocarbon on my spinning rig (15lb braid) What I didn't know, and would advise against, is to take caution using a flouro leader with Power Pro Slick 8 braid. The first 3 fish that hit were lost because all 3 of my (different types) leader knots simply slid right off the braid it's so slick. I used 3 different knots as described and suggested by Netknot for joining braid and leader (whether it be flouro or mono) PP Slick 8 doesn't lie when they say that it casts like a bullet, but doesn't seem to be good for joining leaders to line. I ended up just tying directly to the lure and almost immediately had a nice fish with a wacky Senko. So the day wasn't all bad

Thankfully I don't have a whole lot of water I fish in that's gin-clear, but I do have 2 ponds I fish that are clear enough that I've seen scuba guys training in it. I got certified some years back and our instructor said they trained in water that was 15' visibility or more. It's not the caribbean, but that's pretty clear. I will give both the flouro and mono a try.

Excellent answer guys. Thanks for the help. Really you all out to write for In-Fisherman or something.

Hey guys, I'm in need of some information..... I use two rods with braid on them, 65lb (17eq) on my baitcaster and 15lb (4eq) on my spinning reel. The fishing has been slow lately these dog days and I've had some luck with my ultralight crappie/panfish combo, however a lost hawg this evening has me wishing I would've brought either one of my aforementioned braid rigs this time. I've read when finesse fishing it's advantageous to have a leader attached, especially in clear water and in my experience a couple of the bodies of water I fish do tend to actually produce better with flourocarbon line versus my braid, and that makes me wonder if I might find it helpful and more successful if I use a flouro leader on my braid rigs when I'm in these clear bodies of water. That brings me to my main question...... As I mentioned my rigs have 15 and 65 pound braids, so what weight of flouro leader should I use? It seems a disadvantage to have 15 or 65 pound braid on my rigs then put a 4 or 6 pound flouro leader on it. That seems to me that it would negate the need for a strong line if the weakest link of the line is the leader itself. So what pound test would I do best using, and where do I find it? I see whole 150/300yd spools of flouro at my local stores, but rarely do they top 10lb and I don't need 150/300 yards of it. Any advice on what and where would be appreciated as would any advice on my logic of using a leader. This is my first time considering it, so I'm not well versed on the pros/cons. Thanks guys

X2 Snakehead. Frogs have to be able to pop back up to their shape after the monster bass you'll be catching chomps down on it.....you'll find it to be worth it no problem. I just kind of get in the habit of about every 5th cast leave enough line out to swing the frog back to me, squeeze 3 times, and done. All said about 5 seconds......well worth it to me since I, like you, have found a lot of good frog action lately. Can't beat a bass busting a frog, best fishin' there is!

I'd say you did pretty good. If it's the Supreme I'm thinking it listed for about $170.

BigBill....I've already become a fan of your logic...... I have a tackle bag system, and has 6 Plano boxes in it. It's a lot of lures, and really not feasible that I can use them all in a given timeframe. One thing a buddy of mine, who seems to have more success than I, suggested to me is to make what he calls a "BOOM-BOX" Just take a small box, like a Plano utility box, Stowaway, or something. Based on the conditions, pick several lures you know you'll need, and a couple that maybe you "won't need". Pack mostly confidence baits and one's you know will produce in the current conditions, then add a couple that might work, might not....you never know. It'll all fit nicely in the pocket of pants/shorts with cargo pockets on them. I've found this is.... 1. Much easier to carry when bank fishing, which is my predominant scenario 2. Limits my selection, which causes me to have to patiently work lures until they work, I tend to switch too often. Also forces me to learn to use lures - often I play with a new lure for a few casts and if I don't catch anything I switch back to a confidence bait since I'm not out to play, I'm out to catch. I probably only consistently use about 20% of my lures. 3. Having only a few lures limits me on how many I can hang up in trees and subsequently lose It's not really an applicable choice to boat fisherman since most guys keep everything in the storage compartments, and boats have enough room to bring everything like "fishes in trees" mentioned....but for us bank fishermen, this has been a great tactic I've used with pretty good success. It's sometimes nice not to tote around the 15lb+ bag. I've had a lot of guys ask what I do about lures that might wear out during fishing, soft plastics and such, but I've never noticed myself really wishing I had my whole back (extras, replacements, etc) with me. Besides, bank fishing limits you to being usually just a walk away from the car, where the bag, and all of your replacement stuff is calmly sitting in the trunk. One thing I usually do carry in my other pocket is my multi-tool since it's a necessity for various uses.

I second MX-9's wisdom. I like the idea of being able to at any time control my cast and prevent backlashes. I'm sort of in the same boat. This year is my first year with a baitcast setup, and I only got it in June. The best piece of advice I got was that your casting motion is very different than a spinning setup. Whereas a spinning cast is more of a whipping motion, the baitcaster requires a very smooth arc-ing cast. Until I learned to do that I was having poor casting ability and had many backlashes. Keep at it, I've had the best fishing year yet with this baitcaster, I'm a believer in the technology.

I have a Clarus rod. I have been very happy with it. The quality is great and for cranking it seems very capable. I'm not sure of your setup but I've used it with a Sahara 2500FD reel and Sufix 832 and had great success with cranking. The only problem I've had is that with the spinning reel's ratio it tends to wear my arm out after a whole day on the water. Using it with a baitcaster should see excellent results.