Eric,

I love to see them jump, too!

Just hate to lose them.

Dropping the rod down in the water makes so much sense: One has a fish on the other end of the line at, say a 45 deg. angle and if the fish is swimming away from the pressure, that is, out and or deeper, it feels more pressure since the fisherman and fish are both pulling in opposite directions. If it swims up, it feels less pressure and I suppose that reinforces the idea that it is going in the right direction.

Next thing you know, boom, the fish is flying.

Why didn't I think of this? I appreciate the advice!

I'll see if I can learn the technique.

Brad

When they jump, I shoot'em from the hip with my six gun.

Hey Brad,

Lots of great opinions on this subject. Just an FYI..... Arguably the hottest crank bait fisherman on the planet right now advises not to stick your rod into the water as this changes the dynamics of the rod which was designed to be used in air, not water. His theory is to reel as fast as you can when you see the breach about to happen to keep as much pressure on the hook as you can. As has been said..... Sometimes they throw the bait no matter what you do.

Tight lines,
J

.... I have never had any negative dynamic impact on my rod behavior in water vs. air cost me a fish.....

Rod In water... And start praying.....

That is really an interesting take on the matter... I'd love to see some science backing up claims either direction, but regardless, I will still bunk my drop to keep them down. I have never had any negative dynamic impact on my rod behavior in water vs. air cost me a fish. Really? Prove it. You'd like to see science backing up the claim that materials behave differently in different mediums (air vs. water which is very basic physics) yet you state definitively that you've NEVER lost a fish because of sticking your rod in the water? See the comedy in this? I have had jumping fish throw hooks. As much as everyone here likes to pretend, we can't choose exactly how a fish takes the bait, and there are times you can land a 5lb fish with one single treble barb punched through only the cartilage of the corner of the mouth, not even really inside the lip but through it, from swiping at it. A fish like that jumping and headshaking is coming unbuttoned period. If you keep it down you have a chance. And once it's closer to the boat you can possible swing the bait back across it to get another hook it while playing the fish.

Keeping the fish down is important because once you are hooked up that is about the only way the fish can come off short of breaking off on structure. Again.... Very interesting. Fish come off of hooks all of the time under water. It happens. Anyone that fishes enough knows that fish come off for a variety of reasons many of which we don't get to find out about. The only drawback form the water I imagine would be increasing the action of the rod, or making it act like a higher power, faster taper rod because of the resistance...if it did that in some significant way, you could lose a big fish on a hard run perhaps that you'd otherwise have kept pinned.. but I just can't see that being remotely as significant as keeping a fish from jumping. You realize though that just because you don't understand the principle, though you've done a good job working through the logic, it still remains the same. I used to do the same..... stick my rod tip down in the water and unfortunately fish still jump no matter how badly you don't want them to. I'll keep kneeling on the deck with my rod tip 5ft under water like I'm praying when they surge upwards haha! Certainly one more fun mystery of fishing someone could do some scientific testing and show effects both ways and still be entirely up to personal preference

Yeah... one professional angler... what if 100 other pro anglers say the opposite? Do you still have the huge chip on your shoulder? My point was his opinion was still that, an opinion. And yes, I can prove to myself I don't have fish come off form my rod being in the water... are you challenged in some way? It was an anecdote based on my personal experience. I haven't had any fish come off from my shoving my rod deep in the water. I have had fish come off from jumping. I have had shoving my rod in the water stop fish from jumping. Are you still keeping up with the logic and deductive reasoning here? Excellent, onward then!

This applies directly towards a situation where a fish makes a run upwards and you need to keep it down, not any situation where a fish normally breaks off underwater, so your argument is 100% invalid as it has nothing to do with what we are discussing. Yes, lots of fish break off underwater. IF my rod isn't in the water in an attempt to keep them form jumping, obviously it is 100% impossible that my rod being in the water aided the fish in breaking off.

I am not saying you can keep 100% of fish from jumping, but the simple mathematics of it is if your rod tip is above the water line and you are pulling against the fish, you are pulling that fish above the water line. So if the fish stops fighting you and swimming away and runs up, the only thing you can physically do to apply any vector of force on the direction of travel of that fish is to move the anchor point to below the water line, putting pressure to keep him beneath it.

You are wrong on every level as far as the "simple physics" that back the potential "opinions" being expressed by any parties. The physics 100% fully back everything I have said and practice, which is mirrors by every other angler I have had experience with.

I'm far from a pro though and would love to see how many of them share the opinion you did. I am glad you are very proud and trusting of the experience and info you got form 1 single source, but given hundreds of equally reputable and qualified experts, I'd rather take the info from everyone than one random person. You're welcome to handle it however you want though, as am I or anyone else for that matter.

Even if one opted not to dip their rod, I don't reckon it's because it'd cost you a fish but because you'd rather simply ski the fish in as mentioned by others. The reason you listed is previously, to me at least, unheard of.