Read a little about this and had one do it.  Nice size fish just stuck his head out of the water and gave a good shake and tossed the worm right out?  Then laid up on the surface for a little just to let me get a good look at him and then sank back down.  

How does the fish do this?? Is is a result of a poor hook set or can the fish do this with a good set?  

usually happens on poor hooksets, but that doesn't mean it won't happen on good hooksets.  It's basically the bass getting the right amount of leverage to send your bait back to you.  Best bet is to keep tension at all times, and as you feel the bass coming to the surface, lower your rod tip down and keep the tension.  This will many times help to keep them from jumping in the first place.  Good luck.

Jason

Last time that happened to me I found out my hook was dull. A sharp hook is helpful in driving the hook deep on the hook set. The deeper past the barb it is set the harder for the hook to back out.

Road Warrior gives a good description of the parts / procedure for setting the hook using a worm bait on this thread.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1184183091

Happened to me last weekend at Guntersville, but I was an idiot in the first place.   I didn't think I would get a hit on a 10 inch worm, so I didn't switch the 3/0 hook for a 5/0 when I tied on.  I set the hook hard as I could--made no difference.  Sickest feeling I have ever had to lose the biggest I have ever had hooked--just from being lazy and stupid.

I get a boot out of reading the self-deprecating replies.

Not only does it takes guts too blame yourself, but it shows that you're on the right track.

There are many things that can go wrong, but lost fish are usually the result of one of two angler faults:

1. The hook was not "Set Beyond The Barb" (the only substitute is a wing and a prayer)

2. The angler did not maintain a "Constantly Taut Line"

To be totally fair, there are a couple of other things that can go wrong that smack of bad luck rather than total negligence.

1. When the hook "keyholes" in the fish's mouth.

2. When the line wraps around an underwater object (stump, reed stalks, brush, piling, ad nauseam).

The pike family (pickerel, pike and muskellunge) have alligator-like snouts composed of membrane

that's especially susceptible to keyholing, and bass to a lesser extent. Even on a taut line, once the hook is badly keyholed,

a headshake or an abrupt turn can mean a lost fish.

     Much worse than keyholing is when the line wraps around a snag!!! Whenever this happens you are in trouble DEEP!

In truth, this single event has cost me more big bass than all other causes combined. Once the fishing line gets snarled

around an underwater snag, the fish gains two tremendous advantages. Even if you're maintaining a taut line, the tight line

is only good up to the snag, because behind the snag the bass has the ability to produce slack line and slip the hook.

The flipside is just as bad. Once the line gets wrapped around an object, the fish now has the leverage to literally tear free

of the hook, because the reel drag has been rendered totally useless.

Roger

I think the best way to avoid this is to do your best to keep the fish from jumping in the first place.  Other than that just make sure you hook is ALWAYS sharp.

Some times it's operator error & some times it's bad karma  

I've landed fish that were only skin hooked because of a poor hook set & I've missed fish on Rat-L-Traps that had both hooks replaced offering 6 points with which hang up on something.

Y'all can't stick em all & y'all can't land em all  

All things said are true.  I am a firm believer that sometimes when a bass clamps down on a worm, jig, trap or whatever, the hook(s) NEVER penetrate the skin.  They just clamp down on it and hold on till they let go.  I know I have 'crossed their eyes' and have had them throw it back to me or land em and the hook just fall out.

I try to get a good hook set and try not to let them jump, and that dont allways work.

Well, on another thread I stated that "My hook-up ratio using soft plastics (single hooks) is something north of 95% and once hooked, my landing ratio is much higher".

Why?

#1 Razor-sharp hooks

#2 Solid hook-set (snap-set). No "double sets".

#3 Dependable line and proper drag setting

#4 Constant pressure on the fish, never allowing slack in the line

#5 I mostly fish structure in relatively open water

I like bass to jump, especially giant smallmouth! If a (single) hook is embedded in a bass, it should not be thrown.

However, if we were talking about treble hooks attached to a lure, that is a horse of a different color.

The weight of the lure changes the equation. Lures create leverage that can dislodge even well set hooks.

I like bass to jump, especially giant smallmouth!  If a (single) hook is embedded in a bass, it should not be thrown.

For some crazy reason this is my attitude as well.  If a fish is up there jumping his not diving into grass or wrapping himself around a log.  Which is almost a guaranteed way to lose a fish.

I posted a thread a while back about hook setting and Roadwarrior gave me a brand of hooks that do not dull but can't remember the name. I bought 50 of them and haven't had a dull hook yet. Don't have the packaging anymore. Can you help with the name RW?

This might help

id say its just this.....

the bass gets out of the4 water and loses all the pressure from the water

once in the air, the bass can shake as hard as he can,. and that motion gets the hook to fall out

happens to me quite a bit.....

Gamekatsu 4/0 EWG hooks for all soft plastics. They don't dull out and they are strong! I purposely pull my rod tip up and crank so they jump!! ... It's like bonus points for me 8-)

Sorry, but I realized in retrospect that I drifted off-topic, by not sticking to bass lost during the "JUMP".

Three thoughts quickly jump into my head (no pun intended):

1. I love it to death when bass jump, and feel kind of cheated when they don't

2. I've lost some of my best fish during the jump, so I won't deny that my blood-pressure skyrockets every time they do.

3. I've yet to find a surefire method that prevents bass from jumping, that are bent on jumping (especially smallmouth bass)

Bass don't jump for enjoyment, but instinctively know that they can generate greater head-shaking speed in the air

than they could ever hope to achieve underwater. If the hook has torn a keyhole slot, and the bass takes to the air

Hmm well...even with a tight line, that might save you the bother of having to weigh and release the fish

As an aside, have you ever noticed the difference in the jump speed between a largemouth and smallmouth bass? (not even close)

The head of the bigmouth pushes above the surface almost in slow motion, then he'll stand on that broad tail while rattling his gills:o

Roger

I do everything i can to keep a fish from jumping if i am planning on boating it. Jumps will cost you money.Even my heavy rods i have somewhat soft tip. I have never had a bass jump on flytackle.

The only reason R.W's bite/hookset/catch % is so high is the fact that he doesnt fish for money ;D . When there is money on the line it all changes, murphy's law takes effect sometimes.

No matter what you do, some days they will get off, especially when fishing tournaments.

If i really kept up with it, I am probably around 90%. I am also pretty calm and collected tournament fishing, yet i have had fish come off for no explainable reason that me or my partner could figure out.

Don't feel to bad, we were fishing yesterday and a bud of mine put a nasty jerk on a fish in the brush... This is one of those hook sets when you look back and think d**n, and with 65lb braid...

The fish gets 4 foot from the boat and jumps, throws the lure... Would not of been bad but it was a nice 9 or 10 lb fish, all I could do is laugh... I felt terrible for him, but it has happen to me also.