So I've been fishing a good bit and there's a learning opportunity for me that I'm hoping you more experienced anglers can shed some light on.

On my last outing I caught two nice bass. That's nice, but I missed what I'm sure was my best fish so far like this: I jerked the popper and watched it disappear in a thrashing, green-backed explosion. As I stripped in hard and jerked the rod tip up to try to play this fish, it dove straight into the weeds and buried itself where it easily broke me off.

Since this seems to be a pretty common thing, I thought I'd ask the folks on the board for a little advice on setting the hook on these beasts and turning their heads out of the weedbeds or other structure. As usual, all thoughts appreciated. Hey, I'm only a rookie once.

Setting the hook sounds like is under control. Horsing them out of the weeds, get heavier tackle.

Big bass and thick cover require heavy equipment because the bass is going dive into cover every time....

Well, I've been fishing an 8-wt with 12# tippet, which to me is heavy artillery. Is this really just a matter of ripping these beasts out of the weeds, or is there some kind of finesse that lies in a realm beyond my current ability? It would seem that the first thing on setting the hook has to be to turn that fish's head out of the weeds, so maybe my question is really, "is this just a speed & power thing, or is there some technique besides strip, rip & jerk?"

Wow, well, an eight weight. I'd go on up to 24 lb. mono or so, just be quick on the draw and keep their head turned. There can most definitely be some horsing involved once they get embedded.

Yes, no lighter than 17 pound mono if the fish is that big...up to 20...if that breaks go for 30 pound! (that would be way too big on a smaller rod and fish though of course.

Jackmack,

Your post brought up a couple of thoughts.

1. 8 wt is plenty of rod if your rod has a fast action
2. It sounds like you strip set for setting the hook. Good
3. One question I have is what size bass are we talking about?
On Fork I actually use 30lb Spiderwire for my leader and if
they are over 5 lbs and in timber, which they usually are,
it's no different than using conventional tackle. I know it
seems strange to use Spiderwire but it works.

Hope this helps,

Pulp Fisher

Pulp Fisher

I'm just curious, do you ever run into that Spider Wire cutting the fly line? I've never used it all and hear it's tough stuff; hence my question. I bet that it does take at lest 30# test alright!

One thing you must remember is if you are fishing where good size bass live is check your leader/tippet often for fraying. I have pulled bass out of grass beds with 12lb. line many times. I have also lost numerous bass in grass beds with 12lb line. The so called trick is once they get in there is a steady pull on your part taking your leader to the edge of breaking. The bass (for some reason) once buried in the thick stuff will stop fighting. If the grass breaks free and is still wrapped around the fish it feels like a 5 gal. bucket on the end of your line. Like I said in my opening statement your line can not have any nicks or scratches. The steady pull tactic will not always work, but it is the best option left without going to the fish or upgrading line size. Sounds like you have found a good place to fish

If they get in the weeds before you can turn their heads, don't horse em unless you are sure that your tippit can handle it. If the fish is wrapped in there good, (and you are sure you got a good hook set), try relaxing the line and giving him some slack. This gives the fish room to turn and often this will free him up from the obstruction.

I had a bucket yesterday. I thought I was caught between rocks, but a few roll strokes wouldn't free the fly. I started pulling to break off the fly and here comes a turtle from behind the rocks. I pulled him a few feet before the knot broke.

I hate catching turtles. Seems like Lake Fork is the worst on catching turtles...man they just wait for you if they see you fishing...because of all the bait fisherman out there.

... agree with everybody on heavier mono (hard to get a good knot with flouro) up to 25 lb test, as soon as you set the hook you gotta get 'em moving away from cover, sounds easy yea, well pull hard 180 degrees from where you want 'em to go, they generally run from danger, make open water look safer.

I doubt the fish in question was any bigger than 3.5 lbs if that. I think he rolled himself in the weeds and worked the popper out rather than actually breaking me off the line (sorry, I was typing faster than I was thinking so I misled y'all). I did have the experience a few days earlier of hooking up, having a fish dive in the weeds and stop fighting. I thought that fish had spat out the fly and I was just snagged. When I finally pulled out this weed mat, lo and behold there was a bass in it, with my dang popper in his mouth! This is not the kind of fishing I remember (told you I was a rookie).

It sounds like what I am really needing is experience. Love the advice about leading him the wrong way, by the way - sometimes I have found that effective with trout. Also, I will try giving a little slack if I know I have a good set and the fish took me into the weeds. It's certainly going to be interesting to fish in the stumps and other structure - do you guys bust a lot of rods doing this?

I will try some heavier mono - I'm going to go to straight mono I think instead of a tapered leader. When I go out looking for larger fish I may try that spiderwire. I've used Maxima tippet in the past when fishing for larger browns and was thinking about getting some of that to try with these bass as well, but perhaps not.

I'm leaving for Wyoming in the morning to spend a couple days trout fishing with my dad, which oughta be easy after this education over the last couple weeks. Hoping to get into some nice cutthroats, rainbows, and maybe a brown or two if we're lucky.

I appreciate everyone's advice and I must tell you I'm pretty well hooked on fly fishing for bass right now. It's a real test of my (admittedly lousy) skills, and it's a kick to see them slam a popper.

If I recall correctly, break strength for fly lines under 8 wt run about 25#s- 8 wt and above about 30#’s.

Better to break a leader/tippet than a fly line..

WYOMING!!!!! Oh my I am soooo jealous. I plan to go there one of these days...NW mountains...that is a dream of mine, I have said this before though...LOL...you lucky dog you...hehehe.

Jonathan, you're using an 8-wt which is plenty stout enough for bass, I use a 9', 6/7-wt. Sometimes no matter how hard you try to set the hook, the bass get off. It's just part of fishing, the same way that trout come unhooked or throw the fly.

As for getting the fish out of grass and weeds, just keep steady pressure on the bass and many times they will work their way up through the weeds. That very same thing has happened to me many times, sometimes they stay on, sometimes they get off. The 9# bass I caught at Lake Fork several years ago was hooked 3' from shore and she immediately took off for the weeds. There was no way of stopping her, so I just kept steady pressure on her. At some point I thought that she had wrapped the line around a stump and that I had lost her. But I kept steady pressure on the line and eventually was rewarded with a big, beautiful mama coming up through the heavy weeds.

DO NOT USE SPIDERWIRE AS A LEADER I use 14-17# test Trilene or Stren. It comes in 100 yd spools that are small and handy.

Have fun in Wyoming!

If you let a fish run around in little circles at the end of your rod when you can just bring them in, you are needlessly tiring them out and lessening their chances of survival.

When a bass grabs your fly, strip strike, and PULL on him. Don't put your rod tip up over your head and pray for mercy, the line is already in your left hand, PULL on that fish.

Now, take a picture and throw it back. That shouldn't take more than about 2 minutes.

If your knot breaks, use a stronger line and/or knot. 12 pound test is a lot harder to break with fly line in your hand than you think... if the knot is good.

The problem is not your technique. It is the fish. Loudmouth Bass talk a big game, but they are wimps. Soon as they are hooked they run and hide in the weeds. Notice when you pull them out they no longer fight. Try other species of fish that are willing to come out and fight you fin to fist. I recommend you try going after Striper. They will fight you all the way in and continue to fight while you remove the hook. Leave the Loudmouths for those guys in shiny boats that use sticks and winches.

Scott, when folks tire of LMB, they turn to Striped Bass.
When they become bored with SB they fish for Hybrid Stripers.
They fight like Stripers on steroids and take you into the baacking in a heartbeat .....

Oh wow...NICE FISH GEORGE!!!

Yeah. There you go! I've caught plenty of those too. I heard you lost a some of them in your lake last summer. Too bad.

of sourse the fact that nuthin' attacks a lure with such viscousness, and they take a pretty fair degree of skill to consistently catch doesn't mean anything...hell, i wish everyone would go troll a pet spoon behind a hellbender and catch some big sand bass.

My true love are stripers - you are doing a good job...

Yeah, it broke my heart to lose my pets.
I'm restocking our main pond the next couple of weeks with Copper Nose Blue Gill and Hybrid Stripers and some "wimpy" LMB the next couple of weeks.
Lost all my big fish but little pond saved me - transfered 15 2-5# HSB to main pond last week.

I'm having a ball on our ponds but still miss chasing Texoma stripers.
George

Seriously. I'm just messing with everyone. I'm getting ready for my battle with the B.A.S.S. Pro's. They are coming up to Texoma at the end of October.

Last year we drank beer around the campfire and I had to defend Fly Fishing against all those arrogant son of a guns. (Just kidding again.) I was out numbered 7 to 1. I did get two boxes of spices from Tony Chachere Jr. Yummmmm


George,
What are Copper Nose Blue Gill? Are those the Hybrid Bluegill out of Florida? A friend claims to have Hybrid Blue Gill in his private pond. He keeps telling me how big they are and how much fun they would be on a fly rod. But I never get an invite.