I’m looking for tips from those who are more experienced. I’ve lost two large (for me) bass in the last few days when they have come up early, jumped shaking and threw the hook. I seem to have no problem keeping the smaller ones on when they do the same. I think I’m keeping tension on them when they jump. I’m using a Texas Rigged senko on a 3/0 offset worm hook, from shore. It’s frustrating to lose such nice fish.
In my experience, I’ll do as much as dig the rod in the water to prevent or reduce jumping.
As fish begin to rise to jump, I dig that rod down so the angle of line is flat or even negative with the water.
Why do wake boats have the rope tied high? Because it allows the towable person to jump higher. Rope coming from bottom of transom allows the least jumping. It’s all about angle of pull.
In fishing, you’ll always lose fish. Unavoidable in many cases.
Too much pulling on a fish and bill dance hooksets RIP lips vs penetrating a hook. Ripped lips fish can throw hook easier.
Free weights (slip weights) also do some funky things when fish jump. I’ve got experience with this whether it be 1/8 of an ounce up to a half pound.
Mono or flouro always seems to land more hooked fish imo than braid. Better shock absorption.
Tie a Snell knot so line pressure is downward on the shank keeping fish hooked better. Increases hookups too.
All good advise above – In addition I would add often you can take a little pressure off the fish as you notice it heading to the surface. This will often cause them to turn back around and head deep. You have to keep pressure on them just not as much. Also as you lessen the pressure lower your rod tip as close as possible to the waters edge. I’ve never had much luck with sticking the rod tip into the water, but I know others who swear by doing it. I just done like the loss of feeling that comes from doing so. For me the fish tend to head to the surface and jump the most at the start of the summer pattern. and then again right at the end of the summer ( Think we are getting closer to that now ) Mid summer and fall for me they mostly tend to all dig hard for the bottom to try and get into whatever weeds are around. Keep you head up – you are catching some nice fish so your doing something right. Losing fish when they jump just happens sometimes – not always anything you can do about it.
” In my experience, I’ll do as much as dig the rod in the water to prevent or reduce jumping.”
This. The Tarpon guys call it playing the fish “down and dirty”. The only time I get the line up high is when there are obstructions in the water like big rocks or logs.
SR
Thanks for the tips.
I generally use a fairly light hookset so it’s not likely I’m ripping a hole. I thought maybe the problem was that I wasn’t setting the hook well enough. I do generally keep my rod tip pretty low but I could go a bit lower when I feel them coming up. This time I saw him coming up for a several seconds.
Based on the location I hooked him, the feel when I set the hook, the type of fight, and my seeing the fish when he jumped, it might have been the same fish both times. A few days in-between. Possible? My wife suggested that it’s one that knows/uses the jumping/shaking technique to free itself.
Get that rod underwater when you feel the fish starting to rise. As Steve pointed out, tarpon trick, works great on Smallies. I will go as far as getting on my knees and getting my rod all the way to the reel under water, and pull opposite the direction of the fish.
Yes some will still jump, but that angle seems to keep them on even when they do.
I’m on shore. Getting the rod underwater would be difficult. 
Hooks inline with the shank struggle penetrating fish mouth roof. I’ll bet your worm hook is that way… catches less grass that way and less roof hooked fish too.
See this tip. It applies to hooks not just jigs.
Search for this:
Jigging Tip – Increase Catch Rate | In-Depth Outdoors
This is my hook. Offset but no bend.
I’d estimate that I lose about 1 out of 3 of the fish that jump when I’m using braid, and about 1 out of 10 when using co-poly/fluoro. Just a guess though…
The Tarpon guys call it playing the fish “down and dirty”.
Tarpon fisherman also “bow” when a fish jumps–think lessening the tension on the line when the fish jumps and shakes. This was one of the first things the guide we fished with told us. Unfortunately, we still lost our fair share when they’d jump. That’s just what happens.
Now, I have never tried this with bass. They’re not nearly as big or violent of jumpers/headshakers, so your mileage may vary.
Ralph I think the difference is that you’re hauling in a 5 pound Bass on 30 pound test line, as opposed to a 100 pound Tarpon on 20 pound test line. If the Tarpon falls on a tight leader they’ll pop it. Same with Atlantic Salmon, you are taught to “bow to the fish”. I never give Bass an inch of slack, ever.
SR
Rod tip down, even underwater as soon as they jump. Keep tension on the line. They jump and shake for a reason. They get momentum on the lure from shaking and can “throw the lure”. Im not saying this is a plan a bass makes, it is an instinct.
I hear this from a lot of people. I don’t seem to lose many fish jumping though. And I don’t bury my rod in the water when I see a jump coming. Some things I’ve noticed.
– The heavier the lure/weight the easier it is for the fish to use inertia to pop the hook.
-Bigger bass is in the same category as the weight. Bigger bass, more weight to throw around and stronger fish in general.
-When I see a fish coming up to jump I make a conscious effort to keep as much pressure on the fish (and hook) as I can. Reeling during the jump also. Tight light less amount of movement the fish can put on the hook.
Was river fishing for smallmouth today and I would say I had 5 or 6 of them get unhooked when they went airborne, including what looked like the biggest of the day, a 20+ incher. Not a whole lot you can do, and I had treble hooks in their mouths too. Sometimes the fish wins. It happens to all of us. I did land 22 of them so only losing 6 doesn’t bother me too much, even if it was probably the biggest one of the outing.
I encountered the tarpon “bow” multiple times when I was in the Keys a couple years ago. I almost always forgot to bow the rod too because I was too stunned watching a tarpon go airborne.
This is my hook. Offset but no bend.
If you hold that hook to a flat surface I’ll bet you could slide it along that surface without the point touching the surface. Or, if the point does touch the surface how far could you poke it into the flat surface.
Most hooks work great when hooked on the lips. Many hooks fail when hooking on harder flatter surfaces of fish mouths. Something to think about anywho
I never give Bass an inch of slack, ever.
You’re probably right. I’ve never given a bass an inch, either, which is why it was such a foreign concept to me. Something about a leaping tarpon makes you forget everything.
Freakin newbs on this site I tell ya!
Ya see hear, what ya gotta do is when you see that line heading up and out you crank on that biatch hard as ya can, and right as it jumps out you gotta double bounce that fish like a trampoline with another hookset. Overhead set is crucial and then drop rod, sit back, count to 5 then reach out and catch that bass like a gold glover out the air as it precisely descends on your location.
That’s at least how I do things in my world 
Mr Beads – Actually I saw a guy do something like that. Once the fish came to the surface, he reeled like mad, skimming the fish along the surface of the water until he got it to shore. It worked but didn’t look like fun. For me, the fight is much of the fun.
I’d estimate that I lose about 1 out of 3 of the fish that jump when I’m using braid, and about 1 out of 10 when using co-poly/fluoro. Just a guess though…
I think there is a lot of truth to this, as I’ve experienced the same. Braid is great for sensitivity and many people say they like the no-stretch property of braid, but I’m a strong believer in needing the stretch of mono/fluoro/co-poly line to aid in landing fish.
That’s an interesting point. I do all of my Bass fishing with a fly rod, which basically is a 9 foot long spring. It can soak up a lot of head shaking and running around while keeping the line tight.
SR
Actually I saw a guy do something like that. Once the fish came to the surface, he reeled like mad, skimming the fish along the surface of the water until he got it to shore. It worked but didn’t look like fun. For me, the fight is much of the fun.
Tournament anglers do this a lot when they are frog fishing, and it works. Using a heavy setup with strong braided line in a jungle of weeds and lily pads, they horse the fish to the surface immediately and attempt to drag it on the surface back to the boat as soon as possible. Allowing the fish to dive into the cover reduces the chance of landing it. I use this tactic too, although I don’t do very much frog fishing anymore. It may not be entertaining but its effective and they can’t risk losing a fish.
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