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Went to big blue yesterday with Pizzaman and finally met BearLakeFishGuy, nice to say hello Scott. Was texting Lavaman most of the day and wish we would have known that he was there so we could have fished together.
I had a fun day and got some nice sized whitefish for a change. Biggest accomplishment is I actually caught a limit of whitefish for my first time although 5 were small and I returned them to grow up.
But my question is why is it when you finally get a good fish on they end up being on the lightest line pole and on a setup you're least familiar with? I thought I had snagged a rock when I jerked to jig and it just didn't move, then the beast awoke and the drag started screaming as it peeled line off that reel and try as I might I couldn't slow or stop it. The reel is new and I really like it, but it doesn't have a brake so I couldn't let the fish freewheel, it had to pull drag, which worked fine until it pulled my splice out, where I had attached the 150' of flouro to my mono. The knot held but it must have weakened the line when I pulled it tight so shortly after it cleared my pole tip the line snapped and I'm not sure but I think an expletive might have been uttered. I had caught a 7 lber earlier with no issues at turning or fighting the fish and this thing was a total beast, it had to be big. Oh btw my light line was 8 lb test and new. Pretty fun anyway. Later J
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maybe tighten that drag up a bit more so it doesn't get to that point? We've had zero issues on those fish with 8lb fluoro. The lakers will go on some good runs but we still have complete control of those fish. You definitely don't want to crank the drag down all the way but that 8lb flouro is strong enough stuff that you can make those fish work for any line they want to take.
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oh and nice fish!
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Most of the fish there I totally agree, but not this one. If I would have had the drag tighter it only would have snapped sooner. I think the line was holding ok at that drag setting until I hit the weakened line around my knot and I guess the drag should have been looser there so the tension force didn't exceed the weakened line strength, but I didn't know it was weaker, that knot type has always been fine in the past for splicing leaders into main lines, I must have pulled too tight when I was tying it and put a pre-stress into the line. Anyway I've caught big fish before but this one was a step up from any I've caught. My best on light tackle is around 18 lbs and this one pulled harder. Don't know if it was bigger or just a better fighter, but it beat me. Later J
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Thanks it was a good day, I really had fun. J
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I don't think I would ever use two different lines? You said you had 150yards of fluoro and then backed it with mono.... I just don't see this practice being worth any advantages it might bring. The downsides outweigh the good in my opinion and this case kind of proves it. It might work fine for fishing most species of fish, but very large fish like lake trout will test your attachment knot. Theoretically it shouldn't make a difference but it is another potential failure point you are adding to your system. There is a chance, however small it may be, that you do not tie as good a knot there or the knot loosens up over time...
Another thing, I think 8lb test is on the small side for fishing a lake with big lakers. I know some people might disagree with me but my philosophy is be prepared for the biggest fish I might run into, even if I am fishing line maybe a little bigger than would be optimal for 99% of the fish I'll catch... I like to be ready for the 1% and not have them take advantage of me. I think if you upped your line to 10lb or even 12lb at Big blue it will increase your odds.
Then again you can do everything right and be prepared and fish a few extra rods that are not "optimal" for big fish, and sure enough the big fish will slam your dinky rod. That is fishing... [  ][ ][ ]
Just some thoughts...
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[quote SkunkedAgain]Most of the fish there I totally agree, but not this one. If I would have had the drag tighter it only would have snapped sooner. I think the line was holding ok at that drag setting until I hit the weakened line around my knot and I guess the drag should have been looser there so the tension force didn't exceed the weakened line strength, but I didn't know it was weaker, that knot type has always been fine in the past for splicing leaders into main lines, I must have pulled too tight when I was tying it and put a pre-stress into the line. Anyway I've caught big fish before but this one was a step up from any I've caught. My best on light tackle is around 18 lbs and this one pulled harder. Don't know if it was bigger or just a better fighter, but it beat me. Later J[/quote]
I suspect what happened, is the knot physically got rammed into one of your guides while the fish was taking drag... I dunno what kind of attachment knot you used but most of the ones I've seen will rub on the guides... it can be just enough force in the wrong spot to undo the knot.
Is there any worse feeling in fishing than hooking into something with obvious weight and shoulders and losing them? It will make you second guess everything you did!!!
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[quote utahgolf]maybe tighten that drag up a bit more so it doesn't get to that point? We've had zero issues on those fish with 8lb fluoro. The lakers will go on some good runs but we still have complete control of those fish. You definitely don't want to crank the drag down all the way but that 8lb flouro is strong enough stuff that you can make those fish work for any line they want to take.[/quote]
What is the biggest laker you've caught out there? I know from talking to a few of the guides/guys who target big lakers at the gorge that they prefer 12-14lb test. 8lb seems kind of small when you have the chance to hook into a 30-40lb laker.
Not all lines are created equal either.
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Biggest lakers I've caught at bear lake has only been 14-15 pounds for me. I have had a buddy catch some 18 pounders there but at the gorge we definitely beef it up. I use 30 pound power pro braid with a 20 lb flouro leader there..
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Your last line hit the nail on the head, this was my whitefish rigged pole, the silly trout aren't supposed to hit that rod, they were supposed to hit my other pole with the braid on it, but as luck goes the big one hit my lightest combo. I think if I wouldn't have had a bad spot, I might have been okay, but then again this thing was running like that king salmon I had in Alaska and I don't know if I could have turned it even if I didn't have a weak spot. Funny some fish just fight different, this was one of those that was very unusual and took me beyond my current skill level. Hope I learn how to do better for my next chance. Later J
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Might have been a little catch, but I didn't notice it, and the knot was about 8' out of the pole when the line broke. And yes I am second guessing everything, ya know I don't think I was expecting a real fish to bite my line, I figured maybe 8-10 lbers, but I didn't expect that one of the big boys would be where I was fishing. I was after white fish mostly so I had my expectations low so I guess I was surprised and unprepared. Next time I'll bet I don't show up to a gun fight with a pea shooter. At least I hope I learn better. Later J
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That is a terrible feeling. Makes you wish you could redo it and have that chance again with the right gear. But it happens a lot and that's why we keep going out.
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That is true for sure, I'd love a rewind button to try that again. I guess I need to get a dedicated set of gear for big fish ponds, instead of using the same stuff where ever I go. I do have some big fish stuff, but I don't catch that many big ones and I hate catching the smaller fish on over gunned rods, but maybe it's better than getting beaten. But you're right that is why we go it makes great stories anyway. Later J
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sounds to me like it was a giant cut. The cutthroat out there will out pull the lakers pound for pound.
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Do you really believe that or did I miss the sarcastic font? Seems like those Cutts fight like walleye to me. The lakers fight like they mean it, but that's just my take. Later J
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That would have been an awesome fish to see!!! The truth is, if the knot wouldn't have failed then you likely would have been able to play the fish out. Then you would've had an awesome story about landing the Bear Lake Behemoth on light gear. Folks would buy you drinks just to hear the tale.
I think at times I use a little too heavy of line on my rods. This is true especially for stream fishing when line can get nicked and pinched by rocks and deadfall on the stream bed. I've just lost too many good fish when my 2 or 4lb test became 1/2 test because of some nicks on it. Even on my ultralight ice rod I have 10lb Nanofil with 24" of 8lb flouro leader. It seems to be sensitive enough for little perch, etc., but has some extra strength for some of the bigger specimens.
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[quote SkunkedAgain]Might have been a little catch, but I didn't notice it, and the knot was about 8' out of the pole when the line broke. And yes I am second guessing everything, ya know I don't think I was expecting a real fish to bite my line, I figured maybe 8-10 lbers, but I didn't expect that one of the big boys would be where I was fishing. I was after white fish mostly so I had my expectations low so I guess I was surprised and unprepared. Next time I'll bet I don't show up to a gun fight with a pea shooter. At least I hope I learn better. Later J[/quote]
When I read your story I instantly was taken back to a big fish I lost 3-4 years ago... felt like a submarine and just took drag for what seemed like an eternity... was using 20lb test line and even had the drag set pretty darn tight... anyhow after taking almost all my line the fish ran me into some trees and snagged me up....I still don't understand how a fish could pull like that.... maybe it was the lockness monster? haha... (was fishing a huge chunk of cutbait, I'm sure it was a channel cat in the 20lb range)
Like I said it is always easy to second guess yourself I was only offering my thoughts wasn't trying to attack your skill level... truth is, you can do absolutely everything right and sometimes the fish will still win... Get out there and get some revenge!!!
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I might have been able to have caught it, however if it would have kept going like that for another 150' he might have spooled me.
Couple years back I was fishing in the Wind rivers and was up on a 12-15' cliff when I hooked a hog. I had a small reel with a 5.5' rod, however it had braid on with 8 lb leader. I was prepared for the usual 14" brookies and all of a sudden I had a 36" Mac on. That fish ran like this one did and I let it free wheel backwards until I was down to my last 3 wraps of line on the spool. I fought it back until I had a little safety margin and it took off again, this time it took me to my final wrap of line before I turned it. Fought it in again to where I could see it and started too panic, and it took another run to where I only had a couple wraps left and this time I could tell it was getting tired. So I fought it out to where it was just exhausted, then I had one of my young men come over and help me. He held my rod while I shimmied down a crack in the cliff to a small rock platform at water level. It was so small I was verily able to squat down and grab the fish. I tossed the fish up on top and yes I kept that fish and we ate it, but I think I had worn it out so bad it wouldn't have survived, plus it was hooked deep and bleeding badly. Anyway I'll attach a picture so you know the story isn't complete bull.
I like your heavy line deal and typically do that on everything, but I geared lighter for ice season because I don't like the braid freezing on my reel spool when I ice fish this was the fishes lucky day, it picked the pole I couldn't muscle it with. Sure a lot of what ifs, but it is what it is and I lost. Anyway thank you for the post. Later J
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You took me right back to last summer, I wanted to win that catfish contest something bad, so I was out night fishing and it was the best night of the year, I had caught two fish already that bounced my scores up into the 26-27" range, which was good for me. Anyway just then I tied into a real cat, this one schooled me just like you mentioned, it ran so hard I could not turn it and I had heavy braid on so I wasn't afraid to muscle it, but it ran into the cattails and wrapped around a clump and broke off before I could even head it. No idea of its size, but it sure fought better than anything else I had wrestled that night. Some fish just beat me and others are logs that are boring to drag in. Don't know about you, but I love the challenging ones and losing some every once in awhile make the sport that much more fun. Thanks for all the memories your comments stir up. They were great times. Thanks. J
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Yes the "one that got away", or for that matter "almost got away"... what would fishing be without those fish?[ ]
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