I had some trouble in the past with landing a fish after hooking it. I had a fair amount of trouble with the fish unhooking while in the air out of the water.

I decided to try to keep tension and wind but to keep the rod tip low on the retrieve forcing the fish back down to the water right away. I also concentrated setting the hook better beforehand.

Next step I want to try is when the fish does jump I want to concentrate on continuing reeling during the jump. I fig'd this is least resistance time and can make up a lot of easy ground up during the jump. I for one tend to freeze when the fish jumps ( I think).

I had some success with the keeping low when I remembered to do it, hard to break old habits.

Has anyone else tried this?

What do yo think of the technique?

That keeping your rod low is the absolute worste thing BassMasters TV did.

The problem is when a fish runs towards the boat you are in the worst postion.

You need to lossen up your wraist. Hold the rod in front of you if the fish makes a run away from you lower the rod slightly. This reduse the drag.

If the fish jumps theres a piont between putting pressure on a fish and giving it slack this takes fenness and practice.

If the fish runs towards you pull back on the rod to maintain pressure and reel down to get that rod back into position.

Almost allways when you hear about buddy thats constantly losses fish he just sets the hook and cranks to landing or he drops the rod down and lets the fish get slack.

Steelheading is the best teacher of how to fight fish if possible I would give it a try.

Garnet

Spent Sunday morning watching KVD DVD's never once seen him do that drop your rod stick it the water bassmasters crap.

Switched over to watch Bass Champs couple guys losing 1 fish after another everytime they drop the rods the fish came off.

Thats it I'm going out to throw spinnerbaits in fluffy snow.........this winter getting old.

Garnet

Garnet you've got some good points but are kind of off on some assumptions.

First I didn't get any of this from TV. I just put 2 &2 together and figured if the bass is shaking the lure out when in the air it might make sense to keep him in the water.

2nd I'm not crazy enough to just drop my rod and give slack I know that's bad. I reel down and keep contstant tension. Quite often I'm fishing to the side so dropping wouldn't be an issue

3rd I'm not sure about the bad posistion when the fish runs toward the boat seems to me you would have full range of movement to pick up the rod quickly if he ran toward you. It might be  be more of a problem for the fish suddenly running away or diving as nowhere to go with the rod

4th so far this has seemed to work better for me I just wondered if anyone else did anything similar

5th Also was wondering if anyone else made a point to reel during the jump & or if anyone else found themselves freezing during the jump. I bet most people freeze and never know it.

6th I'm thinking that my biggest problem is forgetting to consistently set the hook

I think I'm still pretty new at fishing so I will definately keep your in the back of my mind though

Most people get this from tv. If a fish runs towards you the boat gets in the way from reacting quick.

By lfinding that inbetween slack line and pulling the fish towards you in the jump is your answer. Once you get those wraist lossen up jumping will not be that big of deal.

Most people put a lot of presure on a fish just before the jump this give the fish advantage when in the air.

Steelhead are like smallies on rouds fast and always in the air great for learning how to fight fish. Snook seem to be the same way looking opprotunitty to try snook fishing.

Garnet

will do makes sense thanks for the follow up

I got some 2 cents on this. Everybody has their own opinion when it comes to rod placement. The main guy I go fishin with thinks you should keep the rod low when pullin in a hawg. I think you should keep the rod up. More like 2 or 3 o'clock than straight up.

I used to have the same problem with fish flyin off my line in the air. I finally figured out that you should just have a constant retrieve when bringin em in. Keep you rod up, and it puts even more tension on the line. Keepin the rod tip down, I've seen my buddy break his line a couple times on a catch. I use Power Pro 50 lb. braid test line, so I'm not worried about breaking anything. When you hook a big one, first place it's goin is down. You hold your rod tip down, you give the fish more line to run with. That ends up tangled in trees, lillipads... I don't know. Dudes right about KVD, never seen him rod tip down reelin in a one.

Thats the best thing about largie fishing. You must lean on them until you get them into more open water. At this piont a lot just keep leaning until they landem or lose them.

I like fishing against landum or lose them crowd.

Garnet

I don't like "watter ski"-ing the fish towards me (horseing),except in thick vegetation or very snaggy water.I just keep enough presure to keep him out of snags: you develop a feel for how much presure is needed based on water conditions and tackle being used.

There are certain techniques that require setting the hook strait up: flipping, drop shotting, etc mainly when you fish close to, or under the boat.

For fishing at some distance (cast out and bring the lure back to you)in fairly open water, I very rarely hold my rod pointing to the ski. I always set the hook swiping the rod sideways and I fight the fish with the rod held sideways, to the oposit side of where the fish is swimming (for example, if the fish is going to my left I'll set the hook and hold the rod to my right). if it changes direction ,I am changing the rod position by bringing the rod up and than lowering it to the other side.

I don't stick my rod in the water, don't think it does any good

Just my $.02. Hope it helps.

I dont know what they are saying to do on tv but my personal sucess has been when i keep the rod down and tension on the line I can keep the fish in the water. When keeping the rod up my luck has always been the fish will jump out of the water several times before making it to the boat. I mean I dont go as far as sticking the rod in the water dont see where thats such a good idea just keep it low. Its usually somewhere close to the level of my feet. Keeping the rod down has been what has worked for me.

For fish to jump sevaral times it takes the fish heading towards the surface and angler leaning into them it's a levearage thing.

If you learn to take the presure off the fish just before they jump they won't jump as much and you will not lose fish.

Again if it's not broke don't fix just entry my tourneys please.

Garnet

I don't like "watter ski"-ing the fish towards me (horseing),except in thick vegetation or very snaggy water.I just keep enough presure to keep him out of snags: you develop a feel for how much presure is needed based on water conditions and tackle being used.

There are certain techniques that require setting the hook strait up: flipping, drop shotting, etc mainly when you fish close to, or under the boat.

For fishing at some distance (cast out and bring the lure back to you)in fairly open water, I very rarely hold my rod pointing to the ski. I always set the hook swiping the rod sideways and I fight the fish with the rod held sideways, to the oposit side of where the fish is swimming (for example, if the fish is going to my left I'll set the hook and hold the rod to my right). if it changes direction ,I am changing the rod position by bringing the rod up and than lowering it to the other side.

I don't stick my rod in the water, don't think it does any good

Just my $.02. Hope it helps.

What he said. Also, I watch my line t decide where the fish is going and turn the rod the opposite way. The only difference here is that I will hold my rod tip up until I think the fish has cleared all cover on the bottom. Then I fight him based on the direction my line is moving.

I've found that too much pressure on the fish while it's in the air will usually cause it to come loose.    Rod tip at a 45 degree andgle works for me with a taught line.

Hadn't thought of it from this angle Robert could be it causes the fish to flip around suddenly and thus come loose ( just like if you would be removing the hook)

Man I thought this a simple minded post but some great responses.

I'm still confused but has made me think and made for great reading