# Why is it...



## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

...that the occurances which make us want to break stuff are the same ones that keep us coming back for more??

Earlier in the season I set a goal. I set out to catch my personal best river smallie this year...preferably a Fish Ohio.


Last nite I was wading the Scioto in a spot where I've caught some VERY nice fish lately...most recently a 18.5in SM on Saturday morning. I was wading in chest high water and had caught about 3 dinks and a few rock bass when I look upstream about 50 yards and see a family coming down to the river with inflatable rafts, a kayak, chest waders, fishing rods and everything else that they could possibly bring down to the river to make a lot of racket! So, at this point I'm thinking that my spot...is shot. 


I make my way over to an area almost directly across from where this family is now splashing around. Theres a drop off the runs just a few feet off the bank that I wanted to fish before they invaded the entire area. I toss my lure upstream and bring it back parallel to the drop of and WHAMO! What first felt SOLID like a big catfish or carp instantly runs about 15 yards of line off of my 6lb outfit. I turn the fish back in my direction and pick up some line. The fish heads back towards me and breaks the surface...tailwalks directly towards me...I see a dink smallmouth swimming just below what is undoubtedly my personal best river smallie, possibly the biggest river smallie I've ever seen. I can see that I only have one treble hook in the corner of the big smallies mouth just before it re-enters the water and heads away from me once again. By now...the family across the way has stopped splashing to see what all the commotion is. As the fish heads away I lighten up the drag a couple clicks to keep from pulling the hook. As my reel begins to sing once again, I feel heavy tailbeats digging for deeper water then a thrashing headshake then I feel mush. I begin reeling quickly to take up the slack...thinking the the fish must have turned towards me again. I then feel another strike and quickly reel up an 8in dink SM. The big fish had spit the hook and the dink swimming with him picked it up almost instantly. The people across the river look at me like I'm nuts. They'd watched me standing there, rod doubled over for no less than 2 minutes only to bring in an 8 inch fish....mildly embarrasing. 

After that, I fished for anoth 30 minutes or so. My nerves were shot. I was completely frustrated by the loss of that big fish. The sun was beginning to set...those kids had now splashed about 3/4 of the way across the river from where they began. Time to admit defeat and head for the couch. 

Nevertheless...today is a new day and I'll be back with bigger, sharper trebles!!


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

Man that stinks, and I know that feeling. I lost my PB fish ohio SM at darby a few weeks back, 2 solid runs, 2 jumps then 3rd jump he throws the crank back at me, I just stopped fishing, got a cigar out and stared awhile, I know it was over 20 easy, maybe a couple more, a true hog SM of a lifetime for creeks. OH well, we both have that goal still to beat, and we know they are out there(UFO's?). Gotta go, pills making me loopy again.
Mike the sissy snake dude


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

id love to hit some of those spots in the scioto with you sometime...im not really familiar with alot of places on it to go..i put my boat in at confluence yesterday with not much luck...alot of the water if you go north in the scioto is really shallow. if you know a stretch of water a couple miles long that can be boated without plowing into rocks maybe we can hit it sometime.


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## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

Danshady said:


> id love to hit some of those spots in the scioto with you sometime...im not really familiar with alot of places on it to go..i put my boat in at confluence yesterday with not much luck...alot of the water if you go north in the scioto is really shallow. if you know a stretch of water a couple miles long that can be boated without plowing into rocks maybe we can hit it sometime.



Appreciate that offer but with the water as low as it's been lately there's no such place...it's wade or yak only. However, if you have an open seat sometime, or if you'd like to join me wading one evening, let me know.


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

i was wondering if everywhere was low....there were some spots at sonfluence in the channel on the west side of the water taht was plenty deep enough..but i couldnt get anything over there...prob could have got some cats if i tried. i was thinking of tryin to go south of columbus a little...i think there are some deeper holes down there. ever been there wading..


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## Danshady (Dec 14, 2006)

i got a 14ft flat bottom...if i pull up the big motro on the back it will float in 1ft of water..i dont really like to though..i got into some nasty spots yesterday i had to push my self off the rocks with a paddle i dont really like that... about wading..im ok in water up to my knees..but anymore that that i really dont like either..but i do like the creek fishing though


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

Good story. I am glad you informed us all that you own the river. j/king.

 

CG


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## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

Danshady said:


> i was wondering if everywhere was low....there were some spots at sonfluence in the channel on the west side of the water taht was plenty deep enough..but i couldnt get anything over there...prob could have got some cats if i tried. i was thinking of tryin to go south of columbus a little...i think there are some deeper holes down there. ever been there wading..


Check pm's.


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## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

crittergitter said:


> Good story. I am glad you informed us all that you own the river. j/king.
> 
> CG


LOL...I wish! 

Nah...I have no probs with others using the river for anything as long as they clean up after themselves and put their fish back in. It's funny though...I was in the same spot for 3 hours on Saturday morning and didn't see a soul. I go back on Monday night at 7pm and it's SPLASH-a-THON 2007!


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## SmallieNut (May 27, 2007)

I hate it when you lose a big fish. The good news is you know where he lives  Give it a couple of days and pound that spot with different baits to see if you can get a strike. 

I hope you catch him and share some pics with us.


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

Heading out to a short vacation with the travel trailer with the 10yr boy and 8yr girl, mom and 1yr sick can't go, hate to see little one in pain. Loading up the SOT yak, campground has 25 acre lake(Long's retreat and campground by Waverly), anyways when I get back this weekend if anyone wants to float with me (no snakes please) that would be great! Your officially StuckAtHome post free for a few days, enjoy.
Mike


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## spidey (Mar 19, 2007)

Enjoy your trip. I'm sure you'll have more adventures to report when you return.


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## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

StuckAtHome said:


> Heading out to a short vacation with the travel trailer with the 10yr boy and 8yr girl, mom and 1yr sick can't go, hate to see little one in pain. Loading up the SOT yak, campground has 25 acre lake(Long's retreat and campground by Waverly), anyways when I get back this weekend if anyone wants to float with me (no snakes please) that would be great! Your officially StuckAtHome post free for a few days, enjoy.
> Mike



...and you, sir, are no longer stuck at home.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

Dan,
Makes me feel worse for not meeting up with you that morning.
Maybe i could have fought that hog for ya 

No doubt that you'll get that big fish SOON!:B


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## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

NewbreedFishing said:


> Dan,
> Makes me feel worse for not meeting up with you that morning.
> Maybe i could have fought that hog for ya
> 
> No doubt that you'll get that big fish SOON!:B




This all happened last nite.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

when you going out again...i am def. in!!



dKilla said:


> This all happened last nite.


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

earlier this spring i was fishing alum spill and brought in a 12 in saugeye and when going down to grab it saw a 12 pound or better saugeye right behind it the one that got away is the one that brings you back again and again


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

dKilla said:


> What first felt SOLID like a big catfish or carp instantly runs about 15 yards of line off of my 6lb outfit. I turn the fish back in my direction and pick up some line. The fish heads back towards me......I see what is undoubtedly my personal best river smallie, possibly the biggest river smallie I've ever seen. As the fish heads away I lighten up the drag a couple clicks to keep from pulling the hook. As my reel begins to sing once again, I feel heavy tailbeats digging for deeper water then a thrashing headshake then I feel mush....


That's what happened to me tonight...Lost an easy 5lb+ Smallie, absolutely manhandled me. Set the hook and he bolted upstream (man did the drag sing..) I then realized he had the potential to break me off, so I went to loosen the drag, he made another run, and I went to loosen the drag again: what a fatal mistake. He must have sensed that I stopped reeling, cause he shot straight towards me and spit the hook in seconds flat..This marks the second time this year a monster smallie has pulled that move on me. Man I wish those hog SOB's were dumb! Unfortunately any Smallmouth of that size has likely been caught at least a dozen times: they know all the tricks...

EDIT: If you are ever in this situation again do the following (if you have enough time): Loosen the drag to the point that the fish can literally strip yard after yard of line from your spool (with ease). As he is stripping drag CONSTANTLY reel as fast as you can, while keeping pressure on the hook (your drag will REALLY be singing now). The objective of this "maneuver" is not to bring the fish in, nore tire him out, it is soley used to avoid a "180' spit": If you are constantly reeling, and constantly keeping pressure on the line, it is nearly impossible for a Smallie to bolt towards you and spit the hook (remember that your drag has to be insanely loose..or you will get broken off)..After a few minutes he will tire out and you can slowly apply more resistance to the drag in order to bring him in...This tactic works WONDERS when fighting big Smallies..IF you have enough time to loosen the drag 360+ degrees. Once a monster is hooked you literally have seconds to A. make the decision to loosen the drag, and B. Loosen it to the correct setting (loose enough that you can constantly reel and not risk getting broken off). I made the decision tonight, but didn't set the drag lose enough..I loosened it quite a bit, but still had the feeling I was dancing on ice, so I went to loosen it some more, and that was all she wrote!


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

Man thats a great story(rough ending though ) been there with the kids and racket thing, kinda surprised the parents didnt give you a little more respect(then again maybe Im not) Im going to try and make it back out tonight.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

i would never suggest having a drag that loose fighting a big fish unless your using 4lb. line. big fish need steady moderate tension.


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## spidey (Mar 19, 2007)

NewbreedFishing said:


> i would never suggest having a drag that loose fighting a big fish unless your using 4lb. line. big fish need steady moderate tension.


Yeah, I'm kinda with you on this. A loose drag unnerves me a bit. I use 8 lb. mono and try to keep my drag set to about 1/2 to 3/4 the weight of my line. Not sure where I got this from. Only been broken off once when I was racing to get to cover before a storm blew through. It takes at least a 2-2.5 lb. fish to start stripping my line. I've tangled with catfish up to 8.5 lbs. with no issues. Once this year I did think my drag was too stiff and loosened it a bit when something really big hit a grub. And off he went and out came my hook. Might have been a skill thing too. I'll never rule out fisherman's error.


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## Hooch (Apr 14, 2004)

I've heard that if you reel while a fish is pulling out drag, you are adding twists to the line. (Spinning reels only) I haven't tried this to see if it's true, but I thought I'd pass it along.
-Hooch-


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## jray (Jan 20, 2006)

the only problem with a tight drag is the fish could make a fast turn and before your line can stretch and your drag allows line of the spool SNAP so i start with a light drag then tighten not the other way around 14 lb spiderwire braid that is the size of 4 lb test helps also


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## leckig (May 11, 2005)

hahaha, thats a funny story, are you sure this fish was not 8 inch to start with?


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## SmallieNut (May 27, 2007)

I have found that a drag set appropriately won't need adjusting. It should allow for slip if the pressure on the line exceeds what your pole can absorb. 

I always keep my rod tip up and let the fish fight the pole not the line. A fish can still strip line if the pole is not able to flex enough for the pressure applied. I have not had a break off in several years. The other key thing is before you make your first cast is to un-freeze your drag. Make sure th eline will slip with pressure. Drags can freeze up over time and non-use. 

If a fish rushes me I drop the rod tip and reel, then raise back up. This will take out any slack very quickly.


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## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

NewbreedFishing said:


> i would never suggest having a drag that loose fighting a big fish unless your using 4lb. line. big fish need steady moderate tension.



Agreed...additionally...any time the spool and the bail are spinning together you are putting twist in the line. This does two bad things....1 weakens the line, 2 causes the dreaded "birds nest" later in the day.


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## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

SmallieNut said:


> I have found that a drag set appropriately won't need adjusting. It should allow for slip if the pressure on the line exceeds what your pole can absorb.
> 
> I always keep my rod tip up and let the fish fight the pole not the line. A fish can still strip line if the pole is not able to flex enough for the pressure applied. I have not had a break off in several years. The other key thing is before you make your first cast is to un-freeze your drag. Make sure th eline will slip with pressure. Drags can freeze up over time and non-use.
> 
> If a fish rushes me I drop the rod tip and reel, then raise back up. This will take out any slack very quickly.


I agree...I set my drag and fight fish the same way. I'm no stranger to fighting big fish on light tackle. The rig I use for smallmouth I also use for snook, redfish and baby tarpon on the flats where fish frequently run off 80 yards of line within 10 seconds of being hooked. One other thing that you should know is this....at a 3/4 line strength drag setting you always have to be ready to back off if a big fish makes a long run. As the circumfrence of the spool decreases the drag pressure applied on the line increases substantially. So...what began as a 3/4 drag setting on a full spool can easily become a 100&#37; drag setting af a big fish runs off half your spool. SNAP! Because of this...serious saltwater guides and fisherman will tell you that a 20-30% drag setting is the way to go...but you should still know your drag well enough to back off appropriately in the event that a fish makes a really long run. --- Does this apply to smallmouth fishing on the river...no, not really. Just a tidbit of knowledge for ya.


The reason that I loosened the drag in my case was not to prevent the fish from breaking me off. I could see that he was not hooked particularly well and I was trying to prevent pulling the hook. This is always gamble....Horse the fish in and hope you get him to the bank b4 it pulls or loosen up and hope he doesn't run towards you and shake it loose. I lost...and that my friends, is why it's called fishing instead of catching.


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## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

great answer smallienut...shouldnt have any problems if you follow this post.

then there is just plain bad luck



SmallieNut said:


> I have found that a drag set appropriately won't need adjusting. It should allow for slip if the pressure on the line exceeds what your pole can absorb.
> 
> I always keep my rod tip up and let the fish fight the pole not the line. A fish can still strip line if the pole is not able to flex enough for the pressure applied. I have not had a break off in several years. The other key thing is before you make your first cast is to un-freeze your drag. Make sure th eline will slip with pressure. Drags can freeze up over time and non-use.
> 
> If a fish rushes me I drop the rod tip and reel, then raise back up. This will take out any slack very quickly.


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

I have lost 3 PIG SM this year due to either smart fish or stupid fishermen. I use bait casting gear exclusively, I can pinpoint cast, fling it low under overhangs where spinning gear would have to skip or shoot it there. Bait casting also lets you throw heavy plugs with so much more control, thats why almost all LM pro fishermen use it most of the time. One of the nicest things is no line twist if you crank while drag is going, spool doesn't move, and it just feels like you have more power over the fish. Now saying all that I still lose fish, The big guys know how to get free. 2 bull rushed me from only 10 feet out when I was trying to position the yak, only had one hand on rod, bye bye!! Third didn't jump until close and almost had a StuckInLeg deal again. I keep my drag set conservative, maybe 50&#37; line strength unless cover dictates different, and I like a rod that has its flex point in the middle of the rod, for what I fish for backbone need not be as important as flex as shock absorber. I didn't lose this much when wading compared to yakking, I think I'll get a small landing net because with fish dragging you around, paddle in your lap, and SNAKES!!!! I need some help.
Mike


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## crittergitter (Jun 9, 2005)

StuckAtHome said:


> I didn't lose this much when wading compared to yakking, I think I'll get a small landing net because with fish dragging you around, paddle in your lap, and SNAKES!!!! I need some help.
> Mike


Yeah, snakes affect my drag too! lol 

 

CG


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## spidey (Mar 19, 2007)

StuckAtHome said:


> I have lost 3 PIG SM this year due to either smart fish or stupid fishermen.


I've been bedeviled by and afflicted with both conditions the past 2 weeks. The last few bass I've hooked into that have been over 12" have rocketed to the surface as soon as they feel like they're hooked. I mean hauling bass. They break the surface like missiles, my hook flying free. I can't keep any tension on the line. Saturday I was so disgusted, I had to stop fishing. That's a rare occurrence for me. Not sure of an easy fix sense I'm fishing with 1/16 or 1/8 jigs. I seem to get more bites going small.


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## dKilla (May 1, 2007)

dynamite, pehaps?


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## spidey (Mar 19, 2007)

dKilla said:


> dynamite, pehaps?


I'm thinking car battery and copper wire. Not as loud and fish can't scream... well, maybe some mutant fish out of the Tangy, but they're far and in between. I kid, I kid. Really. Most Tangy mutants only bark.


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## StuckAtHome (Apr 29, 2004)

My experience is the smaller SM under a pound or so, seem to jump right away and often. The pigs might jump once off the bat, then some long runs, then BAM, they run like a freight train right back at ya, if that didn't work, they jump a few times on a short line and that does the trick a lot of the time. Man I'm ready to do battle now!


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