July '97
There
are many reasons why we lose a fish that is "hooked". I'll cover a few of the
most likely reasons. The one that is heard most often is bad luck. Well">
July '97 There
are many reasons why we lose a fish that is "hooked". I'll cover a few of the
most likely reasons. The one that is heard most often is bad luck. Well, I do not believe
in bad luck. We "make" our own luck. It just comes down to being prepared. Take
a little time to be sure everything is ready before your next trip, that alone with change
your "luck". Now for the actual
reasons. The fish comes un-hooked. That is the one
feeling that every angler hates. The fish is running or fighting and then the hook falls
out. To prevent this, first make sure that your hooks have a sharpened knife edge. Dull
hooks do not "stick" in a fish. The old fingernail test still hold true. If your
hook point does not scrape a little nail away when it is dragged across your nail, then it
is dull. It needs to be sharpened. Also be sure that your tackle is balanced to the size
of hook you are using. Trying to set a large hook (7/0) with 20 lb. test mono is very
difficult. The line breaks. Always fish with "fresh" quality mono
line. For the few extra dollars it costs to re-spool it is not worth losing a nice fish.
Have your drags set at one-fourth to one-third of the line's test. Even fresh line will
break if you are pulling too hard. If you know that the line is fresh, the main cause for
line failures is tying a bad knot. The knots that we recommend are the Palomar and the
Uni. Both are easy to tie and have good knot strength. Be sure that your are tying the
knot correctly.
Lost the fish in a tangle. This can be avoided most of the time. Pay attention
to your fish and the anglers around you. The old saying "No angles, No tangles"
is also true. Try to out think the fish. Have control of your fish and not have the fish
control you. This is easier said than done, but try. Finally, I did everything right and still lost the fish.
Sometimes
it happens That fish you hooked was not to be. It is not bad luck, it is just how it goes.
The solution is very simple, go hook another one. Do not waste time wondering what
happened, hook another one.