well if you are using a lure with trebles it always helps to upgrade the hooks, when she comes up i usually keep my rod to the water and keep alot of pressure to keep her from getting alot of leverage and spittin it out.

I trust my drag. (And I check it a few times a day) over my thumb that might get used twice a year

Set your drag for your line weight and rod action and let it work

You don't see the real line stippers (offshore guys) thumb barring a tuna or marlin

Use your equipment right and it will work for you! The drag isnt always made to be locked down

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'll go back this weekend and try to catch another one. Haha

Kicking the trolling motor on high helps too if you got a net man

This ^ is definitely good advice... most of the biggest fish I have netted have been with the trolling motor set to warp speed. it works alot easier than tryin to stab down in the water and scoop your fish up

+1

Buy good equipment and trust that it will work. There is also a great deal of luck involved too. Lol

My first double did-get bass was 11 pounds. I caught it with spinning gear on 6 lb. Trilene xt. It took 20 minutes to land it. I caught it in 17 feet of water in a snowstorm. It made several runs from the top to the bottom. Since then, I began concentrating on big fish only and have caught many 10 pounders. nothing over 11 lbs. yet. I'm like Mr. Harper now, Heavy stuff and crank em in. If you like to play with them, you can do that in the boat. I rarely lose one now.

No different than losing a 2lber, you just remember the good ones. If you tend to lose fish often, you are going to lose some big ones too. I don't lose too many fish regardless of size so the big ones tend to come in the boat. Just be prepared to freespool when she is close to the boat. I've used that many times.

20 minutes to land a bass? I've never seen a bass that wasn't tired after 1-2 minutes

What Red Skeeter said , "Everything has to go your way " and
it has to be everything .

I agree but I lost a DD 3 feet in front me because I did this and it bent my war eagle spinnerbait into an inline spinner.

Try landing that 13 pounder on 6 lb test in deep water Jaret. I'll admit I was probably psyched out. as that line was stretched tight. I surely didn't horse her. At one point I had to raise my trolling motor and pass the pole under it. When I lipped her, the hook fell out.

Lots of LUCK & as stated above, learn to use your thumbar when you have a fish close to the boat.

Ok I'll ask a stupid question... we don't get any 10's in our part of the country... can you describe exactly what you do with the thumb bar by the side of the boat? (obviously I imagine you engage the spool and use your thumb for tension against the spool but that would seem to be a pretty inexact science and open you up to a slip and be too loose)

I'm with the camp that just sets their drag correctly... no sense in using the thumb bar when you got your drag set -- that seems like a recipe for disaster!

But to answer the original ops question -- I figured it out the other day when I got a good one... you have got to pray continuously until the fish is actually in your hands... I am not a big holy roller or anything, but the other day, when I got one one I definitely felt the pucker factor when I realized it was a nice one, and started prayin, and next thing I knew, there she was!