Never Miss a Bass Again

Learn how to ask the question "why"

(Editor’s Note: The writer's opinions and observations expressed here are his own, and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views, policies or positions of FLW.)

Do you ever listen at the weigh-in at how many guys talk about all the fish they missed? I can’t accept that it’s part of the job at hand. It’s one of my pet peeves. Most of us would do much better if we would just ask the simple question “why?” In prefishing we have already done most of the hard work. During the tournament, a missed fish can’t be accepted. I consider it a good tournament when I come back to the ramp with no missed fish, regardless of my finish. How does that happen? It starts way before the tournament.

The first thing I look at is my equipment. I look at each one of my Ardent Apex reels to make sure the drag is working correctly, the worm gear is free of gunk, and it is oiled properly. Next up are my Duckett rods. I take a Q-tip and go over each line guide to make sure there are no rough spots or missing parts. Then it’s on to my Vicious fishing line. I do change it after every day of tournament use and retie when I feel anything that might make it weak. I always check the lures that I will be using. Do I have good hooks on them? I look close at each point to be sure they are sharp and sticky to the touch. If not, then I change them.  Equipment failure is something we can fix. If you are missing fish because of loose drags or line breaking, you need to change something.

There is always an answer. For example, one of my close friends that loves to punch grass would come two feet off the deck of the boat with that massive hook set. It is impressive but he often lost fish just as he was about to land it. He changed one thing that helped his strike catch ratio tremendously he went from a 7-foot, 6-inch extra heavy rod to a 7-6 medium action. He was setting the hook so hard he was ripping a 1/2-inch hole in their mouth. Sometimes it’s just that simple.  If you can have the mindset of missing no fish, then your tournament finishes will improve greatly.

If you do miss some then ask yourself “why,” and correct the problem if possible. Some of the many things that I believe help me are habits that are done in the boat. For instance, when you get to where you are fishing, get the net out ahead of time and have the handle up so it can be easily grabbed. Have as little clutter as possible in the boat so you or your partner don’t trip over everything. Boat position is another major factor. Don’t cast at that “sweet spot” until the landing strip is clear. Don’t make that long cast over 40 feet of grass with a treble hook, use a single hooked bait that fits the situation.

When I hang a fish, the first thing I want to do is ask how is he hooked. Where is the hook in his mouth? Is it on the side or in the roof or in the corner? All of these require different landing techniques. Most of the time you can tell how the bass is hooked by the pull of the fish and the direction it’s going. Time on the water will help you with this. Another thing to keep in mind is how you fight the fish. As the fish gets closer to the boat changing your rod from one angle to another is a big no-no and never ever let him have slack. Most of the time the reason for losing them at the boat is slack. We panic when we see the fish as he makes that last jump. You are much better off keeping him down in the water where you are in control. 

Please don’t misunderstand me. I miss fish but I always ask the question “why” and try to come up with an answer for the next time.

For example, at Eufaula I missed a large fish at the net. It was one of those half-in, half-out deals. My co-angler took all of the blame, but the truth is that I pulled the fish up to the surface too quick because of the net. If I would have just played him a little rather than panic, he wouldn’t have jumped and I would have made the top 20. The other big miss for me was at the Potomac. I had a big one on a wacky rig and 8-pound line in the grass. Need I say more?

The bottom line is that we all miss fish. Think about your year and ask yourself if you would have caught every fish that you had on how many more checks would you have gotten? Could you have been fishing in the Forrest Wood Cup?

See you out there,

Pete Ponds