So over the weekend in a tournament I was on the back of the boat and and culling fish. Set my pole down on the deck with just the hook in the water. Next thing I know I hear the pole go over, no idea how unless a fish grabbed the hook. 

 

Regardless, anyone have any success or tips retrieving pole in about 25 feet of water. I wouldnt bother but its my favorite reel and pole.

 

I have a waypoint for the general area which mostly consist of rock bottom. Any help would be appreciated!

Everyone around here calls scuba Jeff 

Get one of those metal stringers, with about 7-8 clips on it. Open the hooks and put a weight on the end on. Drop it down and drag it around. Don't be surprised if you don't find it. If a fish did drag it off your boat, chances are it's not in the area you lost it

I have a friend that has retrieved four or five. Most recently he had a friend leave two (one of which was a $450 combo that he bought the day before) on the rear deck. They dropped off the back into a Lake Fork boat lane. He tried that day, and another day, and on the third time he had a kid with him, and the kid says "I think I feel something". They brought it up slowly and it was one of the rigs. Ten minutes later they got the second rig up. They used jigging spoons. 

I had a nice combo go over once.

Came back the next day with four catfish rods with big treble hooks and heavy weights to try to retrieve the combo. Two hours of trolling and drifting through the area resulted with nothing. I finally just gave up.

Seems like some have had some success and some, not so much. I will take all combos mentioned and give them all a try! I mean who needs to work on a Wednesday anyway.

25 foot of water...I have lost them a lot shallower and never got them back , but maybe a snag hook like they use for catching mullet might be your best bet ..good luck .

2 hours ago, jslaughter said:

Seems like some have had some success and some, not so much. I will take all combos mentioned and give them all a try! I mean who needs to work on a Wednesday anyway.

Good luck. I lost my favorite spinning set up, a 6'6" Falcon Lowrider Herm Special with a Pflueger Supreme XT Gold version reel in Geist Reservoir in Indiana in like 8-10' and never found it like a year ago. I hate spinning but I liked that set up.

Well.....I got it back!! Actually, my wife did. Took some of the biggest trebles I had off a deep diver crank threw a bunch of weights on and just started dragging. 25 feet of water. We were in shock. 

I've retrieved a couple set ups this way, using a way point.  I was less shocked than the dude on shore was when I told him I lost it the week before.  I used a 10/0 treble with an ounce of lead molded in the center.  Basically what is called a "Michigan Cricket."

 

24 minutes ago, jslaughter said:

Well.....I got it back!! Actually, my wife did. Took some of the biggest trebles I had off a deep diver crank threw a bunch of weights on and just started dragging. 25 feet of water. We were in shock. 

That is A W E S O M E ! ! ! 

28 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I've retrieved a couple set ups this way, using a way point.  I was less shocked than the dude on shore was when I told him I lost it the week before.  I used a 10/0 treble with an ounce of lead molded in the center.  Basically what is called a "Michigan Cricket."

 

That looks V E R Y similar to the Mike Long Ultra-Finesse Snaggy-Head lure.

21 minutes ago, Big Hands said:

That looks V E R Y similar to the Mike Long Ultra-Finesse Snaggy-Head lure.

LMAO!!!

 

1 hour ago, jslaughter said:

Well.....I got it back!! Actually, my wife did. Took some of the biggest trebles I had off a deep diver crank threw a bunch of weights on and just started dragging. 25 feet of water. We were in shock. 

That's awesome!!!  How much time did you spend dragging?

3 hours ago, snake95 said:

That's awesome!!!  How much time did you spend dragging?

About two hours. Its a reservoir in which the walls are super steep so I put the boat up on the bank and would cast basically like a shore fisherman as I got better bottom contact. Then use th boat to get the snags. The real kicker is it my wife had to pee, as usual, so we were just about done. Crazy crazy man!

4 hours ago, J Francho said:

I've retrieved a couple set ups this way, using a way point.  I was less shocked than the dude on shore was when I told him I lost it the week before.  I used a 10/0 treble with an ounce of lead molded in the center.  Basically what is called a "Michigan Cricket."

 

 

That is about what I did but I used a bullet weight with a bobber stop to keep it from sliding. I have never seen that setup. What exactly is that hook for?

Snagging. People used them when the salmon were running, but it’s illegal now. 

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

Snagging. People used them when the salmon were running, but it’s illegal now. 

It may still be legal to snag them on the inside of the mouth ?

 

Weighted hooks are DEFINITELY illegal on any waters that contain trout up here.  Apparently, California is not as strict as NY, lol.

 

It's funny, I made this post years ago about my new bed bait:

 

 

Anyway, here is a combo I left in the drink. In one week it was loaded with baby zebra mussels inside.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

Weighted hooks are DEFINITELY illegal on any waters that contain trout up here.  Apparently, California is not as strict as NY, lol.

 

It's funny, I made this post years ago about my new bed bait:

 

 

Anyway, here is a combo I left in the drink. In one week it was loaded with baby zebra mussels inside.

California takes great offense at the thought of being 'out-stricted' by ANYONE ?

 

I was definitely being facetious, although, if you had a bare hook in the water and happened to snag a fish inside of the mouth, it's not clear whether or not it would be a legal catch. In California, a fish hooked anywhere outside of the mouth is considered an illegal catch and by law must be returned to the water.

 

Here is something from the CA regulations I find interesting:

 

(3) It is unlawful to use any multiple hook or more than one single hook on non-buoyant artificial lures exceeding one ounce.

 

I guess I would need to know how they define "non-buoyant".

 

The dictionary definition I found is this:

 

non-buoyant - tending to sink in a liquid or fall in air. heavy - of comparatively great physical weight or density; "a heavy load"; "lead is a heavy metal"; "heavy mahogany furniture"

 

Would that not describe a big sinking swimbait?

 

(4) It is unlawful to use any weight directly attached below a hook.

 

Gets a bit murky with that too as related to the hook with the weight molded onto the hook, no?

=================================

It also makes me wonder if you were out trying to snag a lost rod and happened to be approached by a warden. . . . would they buy your story about trying to snag a lost rod, and not a fish?

38 minutes ago, Big Hands said:

would they buy your story about trying to snag a lost rod, and not a fish?

It wouldn't be a story.  I know most of those guys by first name anyway.