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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | I had a 40" class fish follow a DCG this weekend. She came in pretty hot and on the first turn of the 8, she took a half-hearted nip at it. I didn't set the hooks home because I wasn't sure if she really had it, so I just applied moderate pressure and dragged the bait back against her. She was on . . . until she tailwalked and threw the hook. Then she was gone.
It's the first fish I've ever had take a swipe on the 8 and I missed it. Should I have let her run with it more? Should I have ripped lips? Or was it just a "them's the breaks" type of deal?
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Posts: 100
| On your 8 do you freespool, or at least have your thumb on the thumb bar? That way if a fish hits you can let out drag and control the tension with your thumb. Many experienced musky anglers that I have talked to do this on the 8. |
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Posts: 2067
| If you would have set the hook three more times (for luck) you would have a caught her! ..of course you did something wrong, no good muskie angler has one nip a DBl-10 in the 8 and lose a fish?.....I'd be really kickin myself if I were you! sounds like you totally screwed the whole deal up! |
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Posts: 462
Location: Madison Wi. Chain | I would suggest you look at something else: What did I do right to get the fish to Eat? The second part is: what could I have done better. So often musky fishing is either pass/fail. I look at every fish follow etc. as a positive and try to evaluate what I could have done better. Even with caught fish. Just my two cents. BG |
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Posts: 2376
Location: Chisholm, MN | I'd say thats the way she goes. I dumped a big one in the 8 after dark the other night. Should have drilled her a little harder but who knows. Sometimes they eat it and sometimes they nip it.
Edited by Kirby Budrow 8/9/2012 5:01 PM
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Posts: 432
Location: Eagan, MN | You didn't do anything wrong. We all lose fish. I lost a 50" class fish last weekend at the net. The only thing I did wrong is take up this #*^@ sport in the first place ;). |
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Posts: 265
Location: Manitowish Waters WI | big gun - 8/9/2012 4:19 PM
I would suggest you look at something else: What did I do right to get the fish to Eat? The second part is: what could I have done better. So often musky fishing is either pass/fail. I look at every fish follow etc. as a positive and try to evaluate what I could have done better. Even with caught fish. Just my two cents. BG
Great advice, everyone looses fish. Be glad it wasn't a monster, you'll be better prepared next time it happens. |
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Posts: 1150
Location: Minnesota. | Likely nothing. They're muskies. Mouth full of teeth and bone. Sometimes it happens.
I had a hard, solid hit on the V, leaning into the cast, casting a new, sticky-sharp treble Muskie Killer bucktail and hit him hard enough to have a firmly set drag give. That fish came half out of the water, shook like a dog , mouth open, gills flared and flew the lure right out of his mouth.
Happens...
Jeremy.
Edited by Jeremy 8/9/2012 5:28 PM
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | Quit fishing now so it won't ever happen again,cause it will |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | cast10K - 8/9/2012 5:06 PMThe only thing I did wrong is take up this #*^@ sport in the first place ;).
You don't know how many times I've told myself this. |
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | just keep pulling in the same direction the bait and the fish were going. I'm not a fan of huge hook sets, pulling backwards, etc...when a fish hits on the 8, just keep pulling in the same direction, no reason to lift up or set back. When a fish thhits on the 8 the first thing that happens 95% of the time is she will instantly start head shaking, mouth wide open....when setting the hook or going backwards, this only causes more lost fish. When she eats on the turn or the straight aways, just keep pulling in the same direction. And of as always, have crazy sharp hooks. |
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Posts: 925
| Interesting Hulbert. I have done what you explain for 15 years. Then just last year someone said, oh no, you gotta set backwards against the fish. As everything else, there is more than 1 way to skin a cat. |
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Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota | Thanks for the responses, guys. From the sounds of it, there's no one right answer. Every strike is different and each fish is a learning experience.
Someone asked me where my rod tip was right after she nipped it and it was up. I guess I was supposed to bury it to keep her from going airborne. Rookie mistake, I guess. Next time I'll know.
Edited by lhprop1 8/10/2012 3:20 PM
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | I too just keep pulling forward. As Mike says usually the fish will just sit there and start to shake their heads. To try and do too much thinking almost always results in more lost fish. Don't worry about getting the button pushed or anything else, worry about making a good figure-8, and getting the fish to eat, usually the fish will stay on! All that said I lost two today that hit on a figure-8, and my fishing buddy lost another. Some times you win, some times the fish win. Doug Johnson
Edited by dougj 8/10/2012 11:12 PM
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Posts: 175
Location: Tonka, MN | All great advice. I remember an instance where I did everything "right ". Nipped right at the turn, keep pulling the 'right" direction and 3 head shakes later she was gone. The best advice I have is don't beat yourself up about it. You did the best you could with the information at hand. Remember what you did right.... you had a fish commit. |
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Posts: 246
| If I only had half the fish that hit a bait boat side and made a little run. |
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Posts: 181
Location: St.John, Indiana | First rule of Musky fishing always set the hook HARD! up or back.
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| RAZOR sharp hooks - always do the finger nail check for sharpness; I don't like them coming up out of the water even though it is so cool, so many times I keep the rod down to help keep her down in the water - lessens the chance of throwing the bait... |
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Posts: 95
| When I have a fish hit in the figure 8, I pull the reel straight back like I'm double hauling while casting a monster fly. No matter which way the fish is swimming, most of the time the hooks get buried. Does this make sense? |
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What did I do wrong?