What am I doing wrong?

[Alan Stubbs]

A rod with a spliced tip can often cause small fish to drop off.

 

Hi Ayjay, thanks for the input. I do suspect Andy Burgess has got the answer, and in some respects, you confirm it.....

 

I use a Ron Thompson C14 13 / 15' match rod - so it's carbon for the canal and lake. I have a 12' Daiwa Harrier (out of the ark!!!!!!!!) or a TFG 13' Powermatch on the river. These are also carbon.

 

The only spliced tip rods I use are feeder rods and the problem hasn't arisen there.

[DavyR]

I've had the same problem on the canal recently. If they're really small, I don't mind if they drop off - I'm not match fishing, after all. Otherwise, I just net everything! Might look a bit silly, but I usually haven't got an audience.

 

I've noticed a lot of the roach I hook immediately shoot to the surface, where there's more chance of them shedding the (barbless) hook if they swirl.

 

I have to make a conscious effort not to raise the rod point and try to keep it low until I can net the fish.

[Alan Stubbs]

I've had the same problem on the canal recently. If they're really small, I don't mind if they drop off - I'm not match fishing, after all. Otherwise, I just net everything! Might look a bit silly, but I usually haven't got an audience.

 

I've noticed a lot of the roach I hook immediately shoot to the surface, where there's more chance of them shedding the (barbless) hook if they swirl.

 

I have to make a conscious effort not to raise the rod point and try to keep it low until I can net the fish.

 

 

Thank God for that! I was getting phobic about it!

 

I don't know whether it's because much of my fishing is 'on the drop' which is affecting the way fish are hooked or that they seem to be far more energetic than years gone by, but it was really getting through to me! Fortunately, all bar one fish threw the hook whilst over water, the other landed in my lap - more by luck than judgement - and that's what prompted the question.

[Worms]

Hi Alan, I've put this on here before, so apologies if anyone remembers. It's just my own experience, and why I stopped using barbless along time ago.

 

Way back in the 70s I got converted to barbless. I was so confident in them that (to show disbelievers) I used to hook a fish, put down my rod, light a cig, and pick up the rod with fish still attached. I should add that these were dace and roach.

I used them exclusively for 3 or so seasons no problem. Then during the first match of the next season I started to lose fish off. I was using the same rod, line, pattern of hook, etc, and couldn't see a reason. I lost enough fish in that match to at least get a top 3 place, maybe even a win. I took it as just 'one of thse days'.

The problem continued though, in matches and pleasure fishing trips.

I lost all confidence in them and started using micro or crushed barbs, and the problem disappeared.

Despite trying everything I could think of. I never did find the reason it happened.

 

If it keeps happening to you and you find a solution, I'd be glad to hear of it, though I'm quite happy with barbed hooks I use.

 

John.

I tend to use barbed or crushed barb hooks most of the time. One reason for this is the amount of small fish that I have landed on barbless hooks that have a torn lip. If I swap the barbless for a barbed hook and carry on catching the damage is not evident. I believe that the barb or the 'hump' of a crushed barb hook prevents the hook from swivelling in the lip as the fish struggles.

[ColinW]

Proper keepnet positioning solves this problem. Place it so that any fish that fall off will fall into it instead of onto the ground.

[Alan Stubbs]

Proper keepnet positioning solves this problem. Place it so that any fish that fall off will fall into it instead of onto the ground.

 

 

Hi Colin, that's just the point, I'm talking about preventing them coming off in the first instance.

[Andy Macfarlane]

While maintaining a tension on the line will help prevent fish shedding the hook, I also think a line that is too tight will also help fish, especially smaller, splashy, fish, in shedding the hook.

[Vagabond]

Fortunately, all bar one fish threw the hook whilst over water, the other landed in my lap - more by luck than judgement.

What it is to be born lucky and have things land in your lap!

 

 

When it happens to me,

1. The fish will be a skimmer bream

2. It will land full toss into my maggot box

 

Bream are inert in the water, but go beserk on dry land........

[Alan Stubbs]

What it is to be born lucky and have things land in your lap!

 

 

When it happens to me,

1. The fish will be a skimmer bream

2. It will land full toss into my maggot box

 

Bream are inert in the water, but go beserk on dry land........

 

 

Oh Dave, how right you are!!!!!

 

My most recent fish to 'oblige' was a tench...less that 2" long and exquisite in it's features. It's the second time in a year I've caught such a tiny tench, the sweetcorn was larger thatn the fish's mouth. I'd have been mortified if it hadn't made a 'lap landing'.

 

I bow to your experience when it comes to landing skimmers... I usually end up with bronze bream and roach rather than skimmers.