Getting strikes but not landing fish

[Richf7]

I’ve been white bass fishing several times this week using different inline spinners, jigs, and lures but losing more fish than I’m landing. The ones I’ve landed are barely hooked. Other times I’ll get a solid strike, start retrieving the fish, and lose them within a few feet of the shore. Something tells me I should be using larger hooks and lures. Getting lots of bites on the 4” Rapala jointed Silver Shad minnow. What am I doing wrong?

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Double hook em if your barely hooking them. Bend that rod.

 

[GreenPig]

Using too stiff of a rod? Dull hooks? They might just be trying to kill and not actually eat it. That 4" Rapala should be fine. Good luck.

 

[watermedic]

Maybe working the bait too fast?

 

[Coenen]

Try a different color, something in the same vein as what's working for you, but just a little variation. That might get them to commit a bit more.

 

[Teh Wicked]

Don't be so eager to get them to the boat...Hook them, give it 4-5 cranks and let the rod load up, and let the fish fight and get a little tired. Keep steady bend in the rod and once you have them on the surface keep cranking and making them "ski" into the net. This doesn't allow them to get their tails in the water and generate momentum.

 

[MikeyD6]

If they're hitting it, you don't need a larger lure. The hooks that come with lures are usually garbage, swap them out with a slightly larger treble hook of a reputable brand. I'm partial to Gamakatsu hooks, other brands will work. A treble hook needs to be very sharp, because the force is spread out over several points instead of one.

 

[Coenen]

If they're hitting it, you don't need a larger lure. The hooks that come with lures are usually garbage, swap them out with a slightly larger treble hook of a reputable brand.

Gamas and Mustads for me. I flirted with VMC for a while as well with good results.

 

[Dub]

I always have a rod at the ready with a rattle trap tied on. If I miss a fish I'll drop the rod and grab the one with the rattle trap and run it through the same spots for a couple casts.



As said by others.....nice new hooks make a world of difference, too.


Good luck. Have fun.

 

[Teh Wicked]

Gamas and Mustads for me. I flirted with VMC for a while as well with good results.

Replaced some worn treble hooks on my favorite Yo-Zuri and it actually incrased the hook ratio on that bait. Even the little nips at the tails were getting trout lips. Mustad Treble hooks just got the nod in my book. Going to grab a couple packages of them and replace a bunch of hooks now.

 

[BeerThirty]

They are kinda like crappie. Easy to rip their lips off if you set the hook too hard. Would suggest using mono line if you're not already, since it will be more forgiving, i.e. more stretch.

 

[j_seph]

Contaminated water=fish mutation=lips growing harder. Won't be long till they will be hitting lures and breaking the lures in half, I'd say another 10 years till we see that.

 

[Richf7]

Contaminated water=fish mutation=lips growing harder. Won't be long till they will be hitting lures and breaking the lures in half, I'd say another 10 years till we see that.

I thought acid rain was going to do that.

 

[Richf7]

All good advice - thanks to everyone.