Unbuttoned Bass

[Bonefish]

Throughout my bass fishing, when a bass comes out of the water on the jump, I try to keep a tight line and even try to pull him back into the water. I don't loose too many fish this way, but in the past year I have watched a lot of the pro's "bow" to the fish, or lower their rod tips to take off the pressure in the jump. I am curious as to what you all do when a fish jumps to lessen the percentage of becoming unbuttoned.

[smljaw]

If it's a BIG HAWG MOLLY I pray real hard... Seems to work most days.

[DJD]

I try and pull him down as he is getting ready to jump but it doesn't always work out as planned. I have seen the tarpon fishing shows that talk about bowing to the fish but haven't seen that on bass shows. Am i missing something?

[fish24/7]

The reason you want to lower your rod or even lower it all the way in the water like the "pros" do is to try to prevent the fish from jumping at all. When you first set the hook, you pull straight up. This causes the fish to rush toward the surface and usually jump. When a fish jumps they are shaky their head back and forth trying to throw the bait and can easily get slack in the line. By them staying down and preventing them from jumping it is easier to keep pressure on them and prevent them from throwing the bait. I always lower my rod when I know I have a decent fish to keep them from jumping. Plus they have a lot of money riding on the line!!!!!

[elnutsmalljaws]

Throughout my bass fishing, when a bass comes out of the water on the jump, I try to keep a tight line and even try to pull him back into the water. I don't loose too many fish this way, but in the past year I have watched a lot of the pro's "bow" to the fish, or lower their rod tips to take off the pressure in the jump. I am curious as to what you all do when a fish jumps to lessen the percentage of becoming unbuttoned.

I personally like watching them jump during the fight and will actually pull up on the fish as he/she jumps to keep the line tight but also to get a little fun. If after the first jump, she is a trophy, then I will try to keep the rod tip down to keep them from jumping but targeting Smallies like I do the majority of the time, if they want to jump there is really nothing I can do to stop them. I lose very few on the jump and actually have lost more fish in trying to keep my rod tip down for I can't always keep the line tight. Being a fun fisherman and not a tourney guy, it does not cost me any money at the weigh in.

[biggw]

So Elnut you are saying that are going to let that 12 lb smallie jump out of the water at Dale in dec.. lol i don,t think so ha ha

[flippindrew]

I've found that I loose far less fish when letting the fish fight, rather than fighting the fish. Yes, hold your rod down, keep slight pressure, but don't fight the fish, let your rod do the work and just let the fish wear themselves out.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

flippindrew hit the nail on the head i think.I feel i loose more fish trying to make them do something instead of just figting the fish.my uncle and i discussed this awhile back when we go prefishing and want to loose them or just hold tight line to get them to drop the bait or let go it seems we can land just as many.we had them on a good jig bite one day at nolin prefishing deep and when they bit we just kept reeling and never even set the hook and landed most every fish that bit.

[slowjerk]

i don't mean to burst any bubbles but i been smallie fishin for over 40 years and have lived on dale hollow for over 20 years and i can tell you that any smallie over 2 lbs is going to jump if he has a mind to and they ain't nobody, pro or not going to stop him. the only reason u get him in or not is according to which way god is pointing your hook when it happens.

[Red Shad]

Slowjerk you speak the truth. Many good fish are lost reguardless of our efforts to keep it hooked!

[elnutsmalljaws]

So Elnut you are saying that are going to let that 12 lb smallie jump out of the water at Dale in dec.. lol i don,t think so ha ha

I let them all jump at least once and then decide what to do. If she is 12, then it does not matter what I do for she is going to do whatever she wants. I have no clue how big they are when they hit, especially in December at Dale Hollow. For the pure enjoyment of the FIGHT, I would rather catch a 3-4 pounder in December than a 5 or 6. To me, the 3-4 is a better fight for they have more quicker runs and jumps than the bigger fish. I have only had 2 Smallies that jumped that I wish I could have landed and neither of them came off during the jump. One was a week ago Monday night at Dale and I only got a sillohette look at her in the Marina light and the other was in February 2005 with my buddy Chunknwind in the boat with me. We both saw the one in February for a long time during the fight and she was an EASY 7 per Chunk and probably more. Compared to the 2 over 6 that I have landed since at Dale in December, the fish in February was an EASY 7 and pushing 8 pretty easily for she was an absolute HORSE. I still have the FNF jig that she straightened the hook out to get off. I will go to my grave wondering how she straightened out the hook for I had fought her for several minutes and she had stripped drag several times. She came to the surface just out of net range and gave both of us a Clear view of her on all sides before a slow methodical return to the depths and out comes the jig, STRAIGHTENED.

[kc]

I agree on not overfighting the fish and try to force them into to doing things. I think I loose more fish at the boat than jumping out away from the boat. To that end I find if one gets impatient to get the fish close to the boat then that is where you end up with energetic jumps which will can be trouble. It happens away from the boat but not as much close.

Since I don't fish for money I don't mind letting them jump. It is part of the excitement of the battle and if I lose them -- so what. Like elnutsmalljaws I have only had a few through time that I really hated losing. I stuck a huge largemouth about 15 years ago on Barkley that I lost at the boat - she bounced off the end of the net but she was a double-digit mama. I really would have liked to held her - at least for a few minutes.

Any more I don't even net fish which is why I lose so many at the boat. If they are under 4 I usually try to swing them in and I end up bouncing some of them off the side of the boat. I really should not be so lazy and hand land more of them but we can't all be perfect.