I have a pretty good season this year, catching a number of 20" - 24" bass (5+ pounds - 8+ pounds). But I've also lost a bunch of big bass including a few that cost me a coveted blue trophy this year. So, I'm reaching out to my brethren for your opinions in hopes I can improve my landing ratio. To start off. here's some background information:

1. I fish from a kayak. A bigger bass definitely pulls my kayak around. Even 2 and 3 pound bass can move me around. Heck, in calm water fishing a big blade spinnerbait will turn my bow a bit.

2. I fish with straight braid about 95% of the time. If the water is crystal clear I may throw a rod with straight flouro or put on a flouro leader. My reasoning is that because the kayak can get pulled towards the bass on a hookset, I don't want line stretch and slacking line from the boat being pulled towards the fish. My reels are usually 8:x, but occasionally a 7:x. Rods or 7' or 7' 2" MHF. I through a heavy rod in heavy cover, but that's not where I've lost fish.

3. Every big bass that I have lost has been on a small Spro popper frog. Yes, I know. It's frog and it's a lower percentage hookup ratio.

In the past, my net usage wasn't very good at all. I'd lose fish on single hook baits trying to boat flip them, especially spotted bass. So, I worked on my net game had no more problems when it cam to 1-3 pound fish. But twice with the 20+ inch fish I lost them as I reached for the net with one hand, the bass moved towards the boat, slacked the line, breached the surface, and spit the bait. Other times I didn't have the net and hand and while submerged the bass made a run for the boat, turned, and spit the bait.

My hook sets are decent, but I don't cross their eyes? Should I? It's hard to get huge leverage sitting in a kayak, But I can work on it.

Should I consider a 9:x reel to get any slack in quicker?

But I think my biggest question is, should I be more patient and try and wear them out before netting them?

Back when I fished in a kayak ( fish from an aluminum boat now) I crossed there eyes. I lived in Florida then and was always aroudn pads and vegetation. And I straight winched them in. No reason to finesse them around. I’d haul em in so fast they were mad they didn’t get to fight.

I get it tho everything moves my lil

Aluminum boat around. Wind and fish. As ya know tho everything is way harder in a kayak. I used to kinda high stick them to net them it kinda minimized them throwing slack. But it’s also horrible on rods lol

You have spotlock, so that takes a lot of the movement out of it.

Sharpen your hooks. Now go do it again.

If you’re only losing frog fish you may not have any non-standard problems.

If you’re just looking for idea then here’s a few.

if the fish throw the lure. Maybe keep the tip in the water to prevent jumps.

Spot lock can make a pretty big difference on your autopilot. Seems kinda odd your kayak moves that much if you’re locked to a spot.

Consider a longer rod to pick up slack faster by keeping rod tip up?

In soft Swimbait fishing some folks bend the hook up to get better hook catch on the fish at hook set.

GL

Also, I fish my popper frog on braid and XH rod. Makes sure when I set the hook it

hook connects to bass and I can pull the fish right out of there.

6 hours ago, TimTheGearNerd said:

If you’re only losing frog fish you may not have any non-standard problems.

If you’re just looking for idea then here’s a few.

if the fish throw the lure. Maybe keep the tip in the water to prevent jumps.

Spot lock can make a pretty big difference on your autopilot. Seems kinda odd your kayak moves that much if you’re locked to a spot.

Consider a longer rod to pick up slack faster by keeping rod tip up?

In soft Swimbait fishing some folks bend the hook up to get better hook catch on the fish at hook set.

GL

Also, I fish my popper frog on braid and XH rod. Makes sure when I set the hook it

hook connects to bass and I can pull the fish right out of there.

99% of the time I engage spot lock after setting the hook. But spot lock keeps me within an area, not locked on a dime. Bigger fish can still move the boat.

When I move to the XTR it may help because I can engage spot lock with my foot and don't have to take a hand off the rod to hit the button on the remote.

8 minutes ago, Kayak Koz said:

99% of the time I engage spot lock after setting the hook. But spot lock keeps me within an area, not locked on a dime. Bigger fish can still move the boat.

When I move to the XTR it may help because I can engage spot lock with my foot and don't have to take a hand off the rod to hit the button on the remote.

You getting rid of the old town?

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Small boats have the same problems. In a big boat you can winch them to the net quicker. In my opinion getting them landed as quick as possible is best, the longer the fight the more problems can happen. So I vote no on patience.

However, a big, hot bass right next to a small boat can be a problem too.

You have caught a lot of big bass. Just keep fishing!

With a frog I always go straight braid 50lb minimum. I also bend out the hooks or change them out for a larger size. Doing all of those hook mods has little effect on snags, even here in the Everglades. There’s also this debate on when to set the hook, with some delaying or even waiting to feel the weight of the fish. I nail them hard as soon as I see the splash and they’re always coming in. My casting is also strategic, meaning that I position the kayak (usually forward) where I have the best possible leverage advantage and also the best advantage to control the yak. Much of that comes from punching mats where it’s a an absolute must to be in the best position possible, especially in a kayak!

It’s often hard to be so meticulously conscious of every single cast but when the mind starts to drift while casting is usually when those monsters hit, catching you totally off guard. Most of my big fish that I’ve lost happened very unexpectedly, like when I was totally not ready. I would say, if anything, to always always be ready even if you’re in the most unexpected places!

With other baits I incorporate some sort of shock leader, depending on what I’m using. With bladed jigs I use strait floro on a moderate rod, not too moderate but just enough give to let me still feel the bait and the hits. Topwater gets about 3ft of 30lb mono connected to the braid. All treble hooks are changed out to saltwater BkK hooks. About it except for the net, which is very accessible in front of me, like a loaded gun.

I try to keep things pretty simple and strait forward with not too much clutter to worry about. My max rods that I bring is 5, and even that’s a lot! Keeping things simple has helped me out a immensely. When there’s just so much stuff in the yak and so much stuff to think about that’s when things can go bad, like losing a fish of a lifetime.

Kayak fisherman here too. What I've found best when netting big bass is that first off my net is easy to access when I need it. I try as often as I can to have that line tight and my rod tip leaning fairly well in the direction of the bass, that way I can play the bass a little with rod tip movement as the bass moves, if it moves towards me I can lift the tip. A lot of times that leads the bass right into the net.

1 hour ago, Smirak said:

You getting rid of the old town?

Yes. Package deal with my upgraded trailer. Trailer has upgraded 10” tires (with spare) and a winch. It will also include a bunch of kayak upgrades including wiring and switches, lighting, two 100Ah lithium batteries, captain’s bridge, upgraded plugs, USB ports, Garmin UHD 93SV with transducer. Might even thrown in a Helix 7 DI/SI as well.

Back when I fished in a kayak ( fish from an aluminum boat now) I crossed there eyes. I lived in Florida then and was always aroudn pads and vegetation. And I straight winched them in. No reason to finesse them around. I’d haul em in so fast they were mad they didn’t get to fight.

I get it tho everything moves my lil

Aluminum boat around. Wind and fish. As ya know tho everything is way harder in a kayak. I used to kinda high stick them to net them it kinda minimized them throwing slack. But it’s also horrible on rods lol

2 hours ago, Lottabass said:

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Small boats have the same problems. In a big boat you can winch them to the net quicker. In my opinion getting them landed as quick as possible is best, the longer the fight the more problems can happen. So I vote no on patience.

However, a big, hot bass right next to a small boat can be a problem too.

You have caught a lot of big bass. Just keep fishing!

This hands down. Winch them suckers in. Don’t give them the chance in their home environment to do what they do best.

27 minutes ago, Kayak Koz said:

Yes. Package deal with my upgraded trailer. Trailer has upgraded 10” tires (with spare) and a winch. It will also include a bunch of kayak upgrades including wiring and switches, lighting, two 100Ah lithium batteries, captain’s bridge, upgraded plugs, USB ports, Garmin UHD 93SV with transducer. Might even thrown in a Helix 7 DI/SI as well.

As soon as I posted that, I saw your other post about the XTR. I’d love an XTR, but honestly, it’s just too much “boat” for me…

14 hours ago, Kayak Koz said:

I have a pretty good season this year, catching a number of 20" - 24" bass (5+ pounds - 8+ pounds). But I've also lost a bunch of big bass including a few that cost me a coveted blue trophy this year. So, I'm reaching out to my brethren for your opinions in hopes I can improve my landing ratio. To start off. here's some background information:

1. I fish from a kayak. A bigger bass definitely pulls my kayak around. Even 2 and 3 pound bass can move me around. Heck, in calm water fishing a big blade spinnerbait will turn my bow a bit.

2. I fish with straight braid about 95% of the time. If the water is crystal clear I may throw a rod with straight flouro or put on a flouro leader. My reasoning is that because the kayak can get pulled towards the bass on a hookset, I don't want line stretch and slacking line from the boat being pulled towards the fish. My reels are usually 8:x, but occasionally a 7:x. Rods or 7' or 7' 2" MHF. I through a heavy rod in heavy cover, but that's not where I've lost fish.

3. Every big bass that I have lost has been on a small Spro popper frog. Yes, I know. It's frog and it's a lower percentage hookup ratio.

In the past, my net usage wasn't very good at all. I'd lose fish on single hook baits trying to boat flip them, especially spotted bass. So, I worked on my net game had no more problems when it cam to 1-3 pound fish. But twice with the 20+ inch fish I lost them as I reached for the net with one hand, the bass moved towards the boat, slacked the line, breached the surface, and spit the bait. Other times I didn't have the net and hand and while submerged the bass made a run for the boat, turned, and spit the bait.

My hook sets are decent, but I don't cross their eyes? Should I? It's hard to get huge leverage sitting in a kayak, But I can work on it.

Should I consider a 9:x reel to get any slack in quicker?

But I think my biggest question is, should I be more patient and try and wear them out before netting them?

I’m relatively new to kayak fishing, and still trying to figure out my system for netting fish. My boat is pretty dang convenient the way it’s rigged, but everywhere I put the net is either difficult to get to, or in the way. I also went with the Yak Attack Leverage Landing Net, and I don’t think I care for it. I like the idea of the collapsing handle, but in practice it’s just one more thing to fiddle with. Folks on YT make deploying that thing look so simple. I may simply lack the coordination. Right now, I keep it in the yak just in case but don’t really use it. I boat flip most fish, and hand grab the better ones. The largest fish I’ve landed in the yak so far was just over 6.5lb. I tried to get the net from behind me but it was hung on something, so I abandoned that plan. Hit my knees on the deck and grabbed her. I honestly think this approach has better odds of boating fish, for me personally. Honestly, I never use a net in a boat either. I’m just clumsy with a rod in one hand and a net in the other. A firm grasp of the fish by hand has always been easier for me.

The SPRO frogs are really good, but the material can be a bit too firm. Once they’re worn in, they do better. If I didn’t have this complaint, I’d probably only throw SPRO frogs. If you search, you’ll find a multitude of different approaches to getting the frog softer than they come out of the package (boiling/steaming is popular). Some guys bend their hooks a bit too. I’ve tried both. I could tell a difference but it wasn’t night and day. I’ve given into buying some JDM frogs, with better QC and more consistent materials. They cost way too much money, but they’re usually good to go out of the box. Bend the hooks a bit if that’s your bag, but I have good luck without tweaking them at all.

My hooksets change depending on what I’m fishing. With frogs, they’re getting the business.

I think the fish tells me if it needs to fight. I’m bullying them if I can. If I get their shoulders turned early, I’m burning them to the boat. If not, they may need a little exercise before they ascend. Frogging with a heavy rod and 50lb+ braid, you can really lay the wood to em. I’m not in the habit of fighting fish very long on my frog rigs. It’s usually bully ball.

15 hours ago, Kayak Koz said:

But twice with the 20+ inch fish I lost them as I reached for the net with one hand, the bass moved towards the boat, slacked the line, breached the surface, and spit the bait.

Me too, Koz. I also lose my biggest bass when I reach for the net. There are two things, I do to reduce the number lost and they work:

Really load your rod with tension before reaching for the net. Put the maximum bend in it because some fish-pinning tension will be lost when you reach. This helps a lot.

When we see a big bass, the natural tendency is to reach for the net earlier than necessary. When you do, you're fighting the bass off-balance. So, talk yourself out of reaching too soon.

Two other tips:

Buy a big net.

If a bass is about to jump, anticipate where it's going to land and position the net there. Their power often lets them throw a hook on a boat-side jump, but I've netted several that freed themselves on their final jump when they jumped into the net I had waiting.

@AnonymousSoreMouther - not sure which kayak you’re in, but I too use the leverage. I used to have an autopilot and when I moved to the boat I kept the net. I have the bigger hoop leverage net. When I get in the boat (or when I was in the kayak) I always left it opened and ready. In the kayak I had it in the rear well over my right shoulder/side. I hold the rod in my left hand so just holing the rod in my left I’d twist to my right and the net was ready. I made sure there was nothing in the rear well that could get tangled in the first place. And I fished standing up, but would sit to net the fish. I still do half the time in the boat- I’ll sit on the drivers seat to get low to the water and slide the fish in.

When using braided line, there’s no reason to “cross their eyes”. Massive hook sets are needed with nylon lines that stretch. Big bass are just very good at throwing the hook. It happens. Big smallmouth are very, very good at it. What happens after you land a fish? You measure it, take a photo and throw it back right? Do you really need more pictures of fish? Are you going home hungry without that fish? Are you fishing tournaments where prizes are involved? Does it really matter exactly how big a fish is? You had your fun getting bit and fighting the fish, weren’t you going to let it go anyway? A quick release is better for the fish. Less harm from handling and being out of the water longer than he’d like to be. We are used to being disappointed by the one that got away, but is that actually a bad thing? If it’s about bragging rights, let’s be honest. Very very few people (if any) care about how many or how big the fish you catch are. Be happy you are getting bites. If a big ones gets off too soon, shake it off and get your bait back out there and get another one.

@Scott F considering he’s fishing tournaments and losing 20+” of fish I’d say it matters to him.

35 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

@AnonymousSoreMouther - not sure which kayak you’re in, but I too use the leverage. I used to have an autopilot and when I moved to the boat I kept the net. I have the bigger hoop leverage net. When I get in the boat (or when I was in the kayak) I always left it opened and ready. In the kayak I had it in the rear well over my right shoulder/side. I hold the rod in my left hand so just holing the rod in my left I’d twist to my right and the net was ready. I made sure there was nothing in the rear well that could get tangled in the first place. And I fished standing up, but would sit to net the fish. I still do half the time in the boat- I’ll sit on the drivers seat to get low to the water and slide the fish in.

I'm in an old school Predator MK XL that I've re-rigged with the hull plug, and a bow mounted Terrova. Probably not miles away from your previous AutoPilot.

I installed a rod holder on the back of the seat utilizing a small theatrical lighting clamp. The net sits nice enough there. It just seems difficult to keep tension on the fish while reaching behind me to grab it, get it in hand nicely, and deploying it. Alternatively, I've tried leaving it deployed and sitting on the deck in front of me. That works fine, but if I need to access the hull for gear, it's in the way. My feet hit it a bunch. I've barely used it, and I've already torn the netting in place that I repaired with a 75lb zip tie.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think there's anything wrong with the product. This is definitely user error. I just suck with it. But like anything in life, the only thing standing between me and expert level fish netting, is focused repetition.

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

Are you fishing tournaments where prizes are involved?

Yes - I fish the Bassmaster Kayak Series, the Bass Nation Kayak Series, and the Native events if they are close enough.

I take multiple photos of each catch on my Ketch board just in case. Make sure the mouth is close, mouth is against the, tail is pinched or positioned for maximum length, ID is visible, etc.

1 hour ago, AnonymousSoreMouther said:

I also went with the Yak Attack Leverage Landing Net, and I don’t think I care for it. I like the idea of the collapsing handle, but in practice it’s just one more thing to fiddle with.

I looked at those, but I went with the Foreverlast Gen 2 floating net. When I launch I stow it in the left side gunnel rod holder just behind my seat. For a while I kept it there while fishing, but I lost some fish reaching back for it when the line slacked allowing the fish to jump. So now it goes on my deck.

Space is at a premium all around me with my Sniper LIvescope pole to my left, my captain's bridge with two UHD 93's in front of me, and the rudder pedals on each side of the gunnel. My Ketch board is also on the deck, pushed up towards the bow. If it looks like rain, there will also be a dry bag up towards the bow.

Because my Livescope black box is in the under seat storage area, I have a battery box, Blackpack, and cooler taking up the tank well behind me. It's crowded. This is where I will enjoy the extra space if and when I buy the XTR.

@AnonymousSoreMouther - this was my solution. I had added the rod holders before I added the 4-rod horizontal holder. Then I wasn’t using them, so I put one back in for the net.

6 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

@AnonymousSoreMouther - this was my solution. I had added the rod holders before I added the 4-rod horizontal holder. Then I wasn’t using them, so I put one back in for the net.

I have some obstructions that would prevent this in my boat, but that definitely looks convenient!

@Kayak Koz,

Your boat looks like the convertible model of an F-35.

Sincerely,

Henrietta Davina Thoreau