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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | Last year I lost many fish after the hook set; head shakes, charging the boat, twisting, etc... My goal for this year was turn more lost fish into CPR's. After last weekend's display (4 fish on - all lost), I need advice on increasing the %'s of landing a fish. My own advice, try to be less aggressive, but what does that look like?
Do you hit free spool? If so - when?
How tight is your drag?
What to do during a head shake, twist or boat charge?
Thanks in advance for your time and advice!
Edited by agrimm 5/23/2006 7:45 AM
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | It would be really hard to help you unless we could see you during the fight.
Here are a few tips:
1. KEEP YOUR ROD DOWN, do NOT point it at the sun, keep it down.
2. Do NOT hit free spool if you are not comfortable with it. I have seen to many people hit free spool and give them to much line to quickly.
3. Do NOT have your drag set to MAX. You want it to be able to move around so you don't rip the hooks from it's face
4. Set the hook once, do not do the Tuna Pump
5. Use longer rods with softer tips, not short heavy broom sticks
6. Pray |
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Posts: 2089
| Set the hook and .....REEL!Biggest mistake I see is that after the hookset, slack develops, fish shakes it's head and ...gone.Keep reeling. Steve |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | I like Mike's point on longer softer tiped rods. I was actually talking to Jonesi about this last night. When I first started throwing weagles, I was throwing them on a rod that didn't have a soft enough tip, and once the fish started jumping and head shaking, I got alot of slack in the line, and consequently lost alot of fish. I went to a longer rod, and I don't loose very many fish that I have pinned up now.
Basically what it amounts to is keep the slack out of the line, (you can have the rod up, sideways, down, whatever) but keep the slack out. Don't horse the fish. Have fun with them (unless you're doing it for money, then just pull them right into the livewell like the bass guys)  I think some people get too excited, and try to pull the fish in when it's not ready, and you can loose alot of fish this way as well. So in summary;
1. Keep the slack out
2. Have more fun
3. Don't freak out when you hook one. |
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Posts: 136
| I agree, I think you need to have a real powerful hookset to pull the fish into motion. Then you can keep it moving with the reel. You don't want to be pulling one direction and have the fish going the other. Sharp hooks and a big hookset are the ticket. |
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| any time you can -use baits that hook well - i rarely lose fish on bucktails, spinnerbaits, topraiders.....now there are times when you you will get more strikes on a 9" suick , "walk the dog" topwater, glide baits, ect - but no matter what you do some baits just dont hook as well.. and odds of the fish throwing the bait go up....I like to pray as well  |
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| I'd say to:
1. Always make sure to keep your hooks sharp. My brother checks the hooks more than anybody else I fish with. Every lure, every time he puts it on. He's got 200+ fish registered with Muskies Inc., so I started to do it to.(Just not as often).
2. Don't let it get to you. Go to Simplyfishing.com and order the new "Close Encounters" DVD. Almost one hour of action, and not one fish in the boat. Even a couple of break-offs. Nobody catches them all, and you need to realize that. I've had a couple of 50 inch fish on, and even though I did everything right, they just got off. It happens, and you just have to move on. My moment in the spotlight is yet to come. Maybe yours is too. Good luck. |
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Posts: 19
Location: North Central Iowa | Good post. As a beginner who has yet to catch a musky, I appreciate all the tips |
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | I'll second the advice already given by Hulbert and Jonesi.
On the free spool, I only do it with the fish is next to the boat. This is something you need to learn through experience. As mentioned previously, I once watched a person put it in free spool, the fish mad a short run and the person's finger slipped off the spool... The time for a snarley backlash is not when you are fighting a nice fish... I keep my drags quite snug, not rock solid, and then back them down once the fish is on.
Longer rods with good back bone and softer tips to keep the bend in the rod when the fish is on.
Keep the rod tip low, try not to let them jump. Lead them around the boat, don't horse them.
Only other thing I might add is to think about hiring a guide who might be able to help you with this stuff.
Good luck... I hope it improves for you. |
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Posts: 1939
Location: Black Creek, WI | Great tips so far.
One more thing I try to do is keep the side the fish is hooked on FACING ME. If the fish turns around (does a 180) you are now at an angle to unhook the fish (just like you would with your pliers once the fish is in the net). Thus, once I have a fish facing me the "right" way... I will do whatever it takes to never allow the fish to turn around.
The latest edition of Musky Hunter has a neat article about "running laps" during a figure 8 to trigger strikes. Look at the picture in that article... and envision doing the same thing once the fish is hooked. The side the fish is hooked up should be closest to the boat. If the fish is snoot hooked.... this becomes all that much more important... since you gotta LEAD the fish to keep constant tension/pressure on 'em. Then just walk 'em around the boat until they tire out or give you a good opportunty to net 'em.
Oh yeah... the bigger the fish... the more important the above scenario becomes.
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Posts: 350
Location: WESTERN WI | Can not emphasize keeping the rod tip down enough. When a fish get its head out of the water and shakes its head or goes airborne the bait gains a substancial amount of wieght allowing the fish the shake hooks out easier. Converting a bass/walleye fisherman to do this can be tough for their first few but a little coaching goes a long ways. ESTABLISH DOMINANCE!!! Always be leading the fish towards the net/around the boat, never let the fsh sit idle at the end of your line. That usually equals a bitter taste left in your mouth. I just have to try not to be so overbearing when an inexperienced angler hooks into one in my boat. You said it Hulbert, praying helps too. |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | One more thing to mention, as said above, try to keep the rod angled to the side or down to keep them from jumping. One thing to watch for, is if you see the angle of the line starting to go towards the surface, that fish is gonna go airborne. So that's what you want to watch for to make sure you adjust to keep them under the water. |
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Posts: 427
Location: Wausau | Thanks for the tips. The one that stands out the most is from Mr. Long. As I revision the few bigger fish that I lost last year and last weekend, most fish were hooked with a right sided hook set and then the fish would take a left turn at the boat (lure on the opposite side of the boat) and with a shorter leash would rise to the surface, head shake and spit the hooks. Good advice on walking the fish around the boat, but one question.
How long of a leash do you leave when the fish is near the boat and are you worried about the fish making a run towards either motor? |
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Posts: 1939
Location: Black Creek, WI | How long a leash? As short as possible I guess... since the goal is to get them boatside and wait for an opportunty to net them. I am a freespooler... so my reel is in freespool whenever I am not turning the handle. If I stop reeling... I immediately put the reel in freespool.... ready to "thumb out" line should the fish do something unexpectedly.
As for using a lower rod tip... I wouldn't say its needed all the time. Initially... I always go down like Hulbert suggested.... but once I'm back in control from the chaos of the initial hook-set/hook-up..... I'll move my rod tip high or low as needed..... usually keeping it higher when the fish is farther from the boat... and as it moves closer I lower and lower and lower the rod tip accordingly.
Now....after a long learning curve with super braids and now the long, powerful rods... I've gone back to a softer drag setting rather than locked down tight. Now when I set the hook with an 8' rod... my drag usually slips a little. There is nothing worse than setting the hook and getting nothing in return except a straightened hook or a piece of lip/tissue from tearing off. I think with todays tools... you can actually put too much power into a hookset.... especially on larger fish that have more "weight" behind them (you can't drag a big fish towards the boat like you can a dink... so you tear off or straighten a hook). |
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Increase CPR's %