Reeling in your BASS?

[Fx20 2011]

I know everyone does it a little different. I always keep my rod up out of the water after the hook set. I can describe it close to 45 degree angle from the water. It could be a sharper angle but you get my point. I was watching a you tube video of a couple of guys that have been just crushing everyone this year at local club tournaments. You never really see them hookingthe bass. But on every bass they reel in the have over half their rod deep into the water. Honestly I don't know how the bass stays on. Then they dip the net down to net the bass. I really never see the bass until they have it out of the net. I noticed they where using soft swim baits and flukes. Anyways I just don't get why you would do this. So am I missing something?

[krindgen]

I'll do the tip in the water on things like crankbaits, but nothing else. Amazing how a fish can throw a bait with six big hook points.

[johnnybass]

I lose fewer fish on jumps when I keep the rod in the water because as they jump, the are moving further from the rod tip which maintains tension.

[DrewFlu33]

I feel like I'm constantly tinkering with ways to keep fish pinned, usually after I go through a run of bad luck. I've been so all over the place I can't say what I normally due in different situations, but the main thing I keep coming back to is this: Does anyone else ever notice that you rarely lose fish when you're out fishing for fun vs. fishing in a tournament? To me, that says something about how we're fighting fish in a pressure situation vs. a non-pressure situation, and how it relates to lost fish. I try to keep that in mind, as best I can at least, when fishing tournaments.

At the risk of going too far down the rabbit hole, there was a recent Hidden Brain podcast I listened to that I think gets at this. They motivate the episode by discussing "choking" in sports, but it's generally really applicable. Essentially the idea is that when we're under stress, we start thinking about things we normally do without thinking, and that causes problems, both in messing up the things we normally due automatically, and taking our focus from the places where it's really needed during that high pressure situation. It's fascinating. You can check it out here, if so inclined: https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/stage-fright/

Another thing that relates to tinkering that I've heard lots of pros mention recently: Sometimes when you're losing fish, it really is just bad luck. It might be a little bit of me just noticing it when I'm having that run of bad luck, but the times I've heard it have almost always been when I'm right in the middle of puzzling over what caused me to lose some key fish. Almost feels like it was by design in that I hear it exactly when I need to hear it, though I digress. To me, this kind of relates to the old saying, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." The difference here is that I think sometimes a string of bad luck can convince us something is broken when it's really not. If you've been doing something for years and it's worked, if you haven't changed anything else, you probably don't need to go searching for a solution to a problem you've had only recently. Easier said than done though...

I didn't mean for that to get nearly as philosophical as it did. Hopefully something in there is helpful to someone!

[reason162]

Over the years I've reached a few conclusions about the "correct" way to deal with jumping fish (usually smallmouth) - Don't stick your rod into the water, rather when a fish comes up your rod should be parallel to the water's surface, and you sweep the rod tip low across the water pulling the fish laterally during the jump. You're forcing the fish towards one direction, limiting its air time and jump height. When the fish lands you are completely tight w/o any slack and you can deal with another jump or a surge to the bottom w/e.

Unless you're fishing with heavy gear and can physically prevent a fish from jumping - sticking the rod halfway into the water is folly imo. Your rod is now pushing against water and you lose contact with the fish, you can't move the rod nearly as fast due to water resistance against your rod blank, and at some point between the fish jumping and landing you are likely to introduce slack, simply bc you can't clear your rod tip from the water quickly enough or with perfect timing.

I fish from a kayak, so I'm low to the water already, but hopefully this clip explains what I'm trying to say a little better than words -

[DaveBrabec]

I personally wont let someone stab the net at a fish.Better to hold net in water still and swim the fish into it.

[Solitario Lupo]

I’ve learned sticking your rod tip in the water doesn’t get floating weeds on it. Also for jumping fish I’ve learned to bow for the fish. I don’t stick the rod tip in the water just point it down.

As for reeling in theres different techniques just like playing them with side pressure.