Hook pulls at the net

Hi guys

Just wondering, I read someone's fishing report where he mentioned that he had a number of fish lost at the net.

What's the main reason for loosing fish at the net.

Are fish hooked in the top lip more likely to be able to get the hook out when close in and the rod held high or is it just bad luck. Has this been resourched in the past or doesn't it matter if they are hooked in the top rather than the bottom.

Paul

To my mind and in my experience, modern, ultra-stiff, casting-tool snooker-cue carp (and many barbel) rods have a lot to do with it: fine for flinging lead across a pit, not so fine for fellas with a heavy hand and possessed by a natural eagerness to bank a fish. Some of the carp rods I have handled in recent years are fearful things - pure lead-slingers and not fishing rods at all, for freshwater use at least, far better suited to some areas of the sea....

something to do with co-ordination possibly, playing fish in is a two handed job as in rod and reel.
Pick up a landing net and attention is lost on one or the other...

As Pauls says, the fashionable stiff rods don't help - and when coupled with non-stretch braid it's a poor combination for close-in work. If you use this gear it's best to slacken the clutch off when the fish is ready for the net and turn off the anti-reverse too - anything to give the fish a chance to take line with a last minute dash.

Paul Boote said:

To my mind and in my experience, modern, ultra-stiff, casting-tool snooker-cue carp (and many barbel) rods have a lot to do with it: fine for flinging lead across a pit, not so fine for fellas with a heavy hand and possessed by a natural eagerness to bank a fish. Some of the carp rods I have handled in recent years are fearful things - pure lead-slingers and not fishing rods at all, for freshwater use at least, far better suited to some areas of the sea....

Click to expand...

as paul says best for beach casting

I'd agree with stiff rods. I wonder how often carp are 'unhooked' by heavy semi-fixed leads swinging inchs from the hook hold, particularly at netting time when the lead will be out of the water.

As a little aside I think smaller hooks, size 8 and downwards, are prone to pulling with big powerful fish making last minute lunges on short lines. Bigger hooks seem to 'grip' more flesh and don't pull as often, at least in my experience.

An overly stiff rod coupled with poorly balanced terminal tackle, moreover a small hook. Also it could be a poorly set up hook rig, setting the hook in edge of the fish's mouth.

Yep, broomstick rods, braid and heavy leads are all contributory factors. If you are using two or even three of these, then as per a previous poster, make a point of loosening the clutch as the fish comes close to the net, I tend to use my finger on the spool - a bit like a centrepin - to give me the best feedback and control in these circumstances.

Using a rig where the lead is dumped on the take is in vogue and may help, personally I have not yet felt the need to folow this fashion.

There are four things that cushion the hook hold whilst playing a fish.
1) The test curve and action of the rod, this is a constant force until the rod is fully locked up in its maximum curve.
2) The strength and stretch of the line, now although the strength is constant the stretch varies depending upon how much line is out in the lake. The more line the more stretch the less line the less stretch. This is when we are using mono braid has no stretch.
3) The clutch on the reel this as we are all aware is infinitely adjustable between non drag and fully locked up.
4) Finally is how hard we pull again this is infinitely variable.

With these factors in mind my preferred method to reduce hook pulls and fish mouth damage if carp fishing is as follows. Upon getting a take and the fish is running lift the rod gently and start to slow the initial run down by using my fingers on the side of the spool in an adaptive brake style. The rod will now be bent into the carp. I now set the clutch but not to stiff with 60 or even 80 meters of line out I can expect to have about 8 meters of stretch in the line depending upon the size of the fish and any flow if fishing rivers. I take my time and battle the fish closer to the waiting net. As the fish get closer I start to back the clutch off and use my fingers to assist with adaptive braking on the spool, I do this to compensate for the loss of line stretch due to the fish now being very close. At this point the hook hold will have grown as the hook hold stretches the skin so I need to ensure I am as gentle as possible to minimize more damage as well as loosing the fish.
Fixed rigs like Lead eject, side clip and helicopter when used in conjunction with teflon coated barb less hooks are always problematic due to the lead bouncing the super slippy hooks in and out of the fishes mouth. I found good old fashioned bronzed hooks a lot more effective when you have to use barbless hooks and fixed lead system.
Tight lines all.