was in a fun tourney last wknd with some friends and i lost 3 or 4 nice largemouths when they jumped and threw the hook. is there any way to prevent this? either prevent them jumping or preventing them from throwin the hook? thanks alot, theres another tourney in a couple weekends and i need some help.

~Schobs~

I fish for smallies all the time and they always jump. Sometimes when you see the line start to move up you lower the rod to the side and it turns them. They do get unbuttoned often when they jump and aren't hooked well.

when they go to jump just reel reeeeal fast to keep the pressure

Thanks, i was out on the lake again tonight w/ my buddy from about 8:30-10:45 and we caught about 5 each, the biggest being a 19.5" and a 17" along with about a 20" northern. i think we only lost 1 or 2 max tonight when they jumped, and one was my fault, i had my drag way too tight when she went up and came back down then madea run for the weeds and snapped me off. i guess u could say that im hooked on bass fishin now

~Schobs~

everything mentioned above and keep your rod positioned oppisite the direction the fish is traveling, if he is headed up, point you rod down, into the water even, to your left, rod to the right, vice versa, green fish are not nearly as bad as the brown ones, when you've got 100+ ft of line out and a smallie surfaces, its like watching the space shuttle take off, my biggest smallie ever (a little over 6), caught on a c-rig with a smoke colored fat albert grub, was just the story, i looked out to my left and the fish came out off the water higher than my head, seemed like it anyway, no line left in the water, i just knew the fish was gone, but i still landed him, another time on lake fork, i had a fish on and my line was going /pointing down and a fish about 25 yards out bust the water, my line had gone under a snag of some sorts, there was a camera boat there and all, the guy just says is that your fish over there[:@], that one got away[:@], went from 3rd place day one to 7th on day two[&o], oh well theres always next time

When you see line move Up - Keep Line Taught - (No Slack or He's Gone) stick that rod deep in water while holding tension on fish.This tends to keep fish down preventing him from clearing surface and throwing lure.

Bingo - You got Em Dood

Yes.keep the line tight...I use barbless hooks when fishing Bass and very seldom lose any at all...It's about keeping pressure on the line...