Why did I lose this one?

[Pkfish49]

This is part of a pattern with my shore fishing.  At least a few times each session, I lose a fish at the end; the part when I'm starting to lift it out of the water.  Why did I lose this one?  Must be either a bad hookset, bad technique, or a combination of both.  I can't think of anything else I could be doing wrong.

Ty

https://i.imgur.com/eCwg8Hw.mp4

[Team9nine]

**It happens. Everyone loses a fish now and then. Don’t worry about it. Could have been a dozen different reasons, but you’ll never know for certain.

[A-Jay]

Sometimes we lose them.

But seems I might have been right.

And it didn't really take that long either. 

A-Jay

 

"This may or may not be how 'the pros' do it but if you continue that technique, you're next post might be about the Giant you lost at your feet."

 

 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, A-Jay said:

ometimes we lose them.

But seems I might have been right.

And it didn't really take that long either. 

A-Jay

 

"This may or may not be how 'the pros' do it but if you continue that technique, you're next post might be about the Giant you lost at your feet."

 

Exactly and I reiterate - use the rod, not the reel to pull the fish in.

[Pkfish49]

24 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Sometimes we lose them.

But seems I might have been right.

And it didn't really take that long either. 

A-Jay

 

"This may or may not be how 'the pros' do it but if you continue that technique, you're next post might be about the Giant you lost at your feet."

 

 

Ty - I'm the kind of guy who won't stop putting his hand on the stove until it gets burned.

My technique worked for a while, but I'm losing too many now.  So far, no big deal.  The one in the vid wasn't more than 1.5 pounds and I haven't lost any big ones at my feet yet.  I'll have to remind myself to practice your advice next time out.

[Aaron_H]

+1 for A-Jay's advice, but it looks like a weak hookset to me as well.

 

Glenn has some good advice here:

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/texas-rig-hook-set.html

[Pkfish49]

6 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

+1 for A-Jay's advice, but it looks like a weak hookset to me as well.

 

Glenn has some good advice here:

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/texas-rig-hook-set.html

Ty - I've already been criticized for weak hooksets.  The problem is that when I try and pull up faster or harder, I usually lose the fish right away.  I'll take Glen's advice and try the slack hookset.

[Michigander]

Agree on the weak hookset, but I don't have the ability to analyze your hook. If you're looking for full critique, the way you manauvered your rod was poor, if you watch the video, you can see where you pumped the rod and gave a lack of pressure to the fish.

[Aaron_H]

4 hours ago, Pkfish49 said:

Ty - I've already been criticized for weak hooksets.  The problem is that when I try and pull up faster or harder, I usually lose the fish right away.  I'll take Glen's advice and try the slack hookset.

 

I know you were looking for hookset advice a little while back. You're catching fish, man, so you're doing something right! I find that when I whiff a hookset, it's usually because it's a small bass that didn't have enough of the lure in its mouth. Those little guys will pick up the tail and swim with it a bit before they really munch it down. If I feel a small bite, I try and give them a few seconds before setting and that usually helps.

 

Major props for seeking advice and trying hard to improve. It's a grind and it takes time, but you've got the right mindset.

[Koz]

Set the hook. You don't have to cross their eyes, but you need to make sure that hook gets good penetration.

[txchaser]

1) if you are on a light spinning rod make sure you aren't using a hook that's more suited to a heavier rod. Shouldn't be using some giant 5/0 jungle hook. Can't tell the bait in the video. 

2) If hooksets are free (they are), you can re-set the hook once you get the fish headed your way

3) For me, little fish and bigger hooks often cause a problem - there's not enough resistance from the fish to get a good hookset. 

4) Unless you were trying to get the fish over an obstacle you don't need to have your rod up high and the fish in ski-mode. Try getting the rod to a 45 degree angle or even parallel to the water. 

 

[roadwarrior]

4 minutes ago, txchaser said:

2) If hooksets are free (they are), you can re-set the hook once you get the fish headed your way

 That's a BIG NO-NO for me. Sharp hooks will embed themselves during the fight.

[Pkfish49]

7 hours ago, txchaser said:

1) if you are on a light spinning rod make sure you aren't using a hook that's more suited to a heavier rod. Shouldn't be using some giant 5/0 jungle hook. Can't tell the bait in the video. 

2) If hooksets are free (they are), you can re-set the hook once you get the fish headed your way

3) For me, little fish and bigger hooks often cause a problem - there's not enough resistance from the fish to get a good hookset. 

4) Unless you were trying to get the fish over an obstacle you don't need to have your rod up high and the fish in ski-mode. Try getting the rod to a 45 degree angle or even parallel to the water. 

 

I was using a plastic worm (either a 5 inch Senko or equivalent) Wacky Rigged to this hook:

Tsuyoi Weedless Wacky Hooks 4/0.  I've had the same issue with normal EWG 4/0 hooks as well.
 

Your point #3 hits home.  I've only been losing the littler ones and my technique isn't magically any better when I set the hook on heavier Bass.

 

I can try some 3/0 hooks and see how it works out.  
 

[Bird]

Hmmm not to be defying here as I've lost plenty of fish but it's been 90% on single hooks and on the first jump.

 

Call me a minority but loosing a fish at the boat or bank after an intense fight is something I've rarely experienced. Idk

[Pkfish49]

30 minutes ago, Bird said:

Call me a minority but loosing a fish at the boat or bank after an intense fight is something I've rarely experienced. Idk

These aren't intense fights.  Just small Bass falling off the hook at the bank.  Now that I'm thinking about it more, this has to be crappy hooksets because the point of failure is at the end when I'm starting to lift the fish out of the water.  The hook is secure enough to reel the fish in, but not secure enough to withstand the extra force of gravity at the end.

[Deephaven]

He spit it.  Not enough tension.  Either from too big of a hook for the line and setting effort, not enough tension during the fight, or poor tension while reeling.  As an aside, wacky rigged and 4/0 on spinning makes zero sense to me.  Use an appropriate hook and the rest of the setup will be fine.  

[MN Fisher]

10 hours ago, Pkfish49 said:

I was using a plastic worm (either a 5 inch Senko or equivalent) Wacky Rigged to this hook:

Tsuyoi Weedless Wacky Hooks 4/0.  I've had the same issue with normal EWG 4/0 hooks as well.

 

8 hours ago, Deephaven said:

As an aside, wacky rigged and 4/0 on spinning makes zero sense to me. 

5" Senko - personally I'd use a #1 or maybe a 1/0 hook for wacky rigging that. 4/0 or even 3/0 is way to big.

[txchaser]

13 hours ago, Pkfish49 said:

Tsuyoi Weedless Wacky Hooks 4/0.  I've had the same issue with normal EWG 4/0 hooks as well.

From the TW description:

Made to pull big bass out of heavy cover,

 

I'm pretty sure my wacky hooks are #2. Not 2/0, but #2.

 

And if you are t-rigging, the owner light wire 2/0 hooks are perfect for a spinning presentation.

 

 

[N Florida Mike]

On 2/21/2021 at 11:40 PM, Pkfish49 said:

These aren't intense fights.  Just small Bass falling off the hook at the bank.  Now that I'm thinking about it more, this has to be crappy hooksets because the point of failure is at the end when I'm starting to lift the fish out of the water.  The hook is secure enough to reel the fish in, but not secure enough to withstand the extra force of gravity at the end.

Why dont you lip or net the fish then?

[cyclops2]

Only 2 reasons I start losing fish............ Using 4# test cheap monofilament................VERY DULL hook points.

 

If the rod has BOTH on it ?  Bye bye fishy.

 

No way can dull hooks be driven Below the barbs end on that rod.  At 83 I know those 2 conditions very well................ I always inspect those 2 things EVERY 10 to 15 years.  Needed or not.    ?

[MickD]

In the video I don't see any lack of bend in the rod until the fish was gone, so rod technique, in my opinion, was not a problem.  Could be lack of a good hook set.

 

One thing that will work even if you are not using a heavy power rod, when finessed fishing, is to give a little slack when you feel the bite, then sharply SNAP the rod up.  When the slack is taken up, the hook most often will be set without having to cross their eyes.  Then you must, of course, keep a bend in the rod which prevents slack which would give the fish opportunity to throw the lure.

 

This happened so fast that I think the hook was never set.  But when it started sliding on the surface, it could be that the line tension dropped enough for the hook to come out.  We have all landed fish where immediately on landing the fish we noticed that the hook had not really penetrated past the barb and dropped out.

 

Looks like the fish hit on a long cast, braid will help.  Not sure what you were using.

[Pkfish49]

1 hour ago, MickD said:

In the video I don't see any lack of bend in the rod until the fish was gone, so rod technique, in my opinion, was not a problem.  Could be lack of a good hook set.

 

One thing that will work even if you are not using a heavy power rod, when finessed fishing, is to give a little slack when you feel the bite, then sharply SNAP the rod up.  When the slack is taken up, the hook most often will be set without having to cross their eyes.  Then you must, of course, keep a bend in the rod which prevents slack which would give the fish opportunity to throw the lure.

 

This happened so fast that I think the hook was never set.  But when it started sliding on the surface, it could be that the line tension dropped enough for the hook to come out.  We have all landed fish where immediately on landing the fish we noticed that the hook had not really penetrated past the barb and dropped out.

 

Looks like the fish hit on a long cast, braid will help.  Not sure what you were using.

Everything you said makes sense.  I was using 15 LB braid.