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I know this term is very often used when someone strikes and feels a bump or bump and wriggle and the fish is lost. The anglers usually conclude that the rod is to stiff/powerful and has simply pulled the hook out of the fish's mouth on the strike.
I may well be on my own here but for the biggest part I don't believe that's the case.
The reason I say that is because I have used all manner of rods for trotting and still water float fishing (even legering) and no matter how powerful a rod i've used I don't bump fish because of it's power or stiffness. If using a powerful rod and fish are hooked properly on the strike they are more likely to be pulled through the water rather than the hook be pulled free. Manys the time i've struck and had smaller fish literally pulled clear out of the water but the hook has held fast!
Obviously the fish were hooked properly and not just nicked under the skin. If a fish is just nicked very lightly, no matter how soft or light actioned the rod being used then the chances are the hook will simply pull out on the strike, or seconds after striking which gives the bump effect or the bump wriggle effect. Sometimes lightly hooked fish can be played back and landed but more often than not the hook comes free at some point as the fish is being retrieved.
What i'm trying to say is, I think most of the fish that are "bumped off" have been "bumped off" because they just weren't hooked properly and it has next to nothing to do with the power of the rod being used.
In my experience the majority of fish that I have lost to hook pulls or "bumping off" have been grayling and whilst i've been using a lighter actioned or soft actioned rod. In order to stop loosing the fish with the soft rod I struck harder and played the fish harder. Striking harder drove the hook home and by playing them harder I stopped them having any loose line which was allowing them to throw the hook.
The above is my own opinions on bumping fish....
I may well be on my own here but for the biggest part I don't believe that's the case.
The reason I say that is because I have used all manner of rods for trotting and still water float fishing (even legering) and no matter how powerful a rod i've used I don't bump fish because of it's power or stiffness. If using a powerful rod and fish are hooked properly on the strike they are more likely to be pulled through the water rather than the hook be pulled free. Manys the time i've struck and had smaller fish literally pulled clear out of the water but the hook has held fast!
Obviously the fish were hooked properly and not just nicked under the skin. If a fish is just nicked very lightly, no matter how soft or light actioned the rod being used then the chances are the hook will simply pull out on the strike, or seconds after striking which gives the bump effect or the bump wriggle effect. Sometimes lightly hooked fish can be played back and landed but more often than not the hook comes free at some point as the fish is being retrieved.
What i'm trying to say is, I think most of the fish that are "bumped off" have been "bumped off" because they just weren't hooked properly and it has next to nothing to do with the power of the rod being used.
In my experience the majority of fish that I have lost to hook pulls or "bumping off" have been grayling and whilst i've been using a lighter actioned or soft actioned rod. In order to stop loosing the fish with the soft rod I struck harder and played the fish harder. Striking harder drove the hook home and by playing them harder I stopped them having any loose line which was allowing them to throw the hook.
The above is my own opinions on bumping fish....
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