Practice for Big Ones

"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..
Bob La Londe wrote:
I was wondering about ways to practice landing bigger bass. Its not
always
possible to go out and find big fish to practice on. Would it be worth
it
from a tournament anglers perspective to take trip to some place like El
Salto to get the practice fighting and landing big fish so that when
they do
hook into one in a tournament there hands would have the skills to put
the
fish in the boat.

I know I have lost several bigger fish in the last year in tournaments.
Fish that would definitely made a difference in my final standings.

I posted this idea last night on my forums, and one suggestions was to
practice on carp. That isn't a bad idea, but carp definitely fight
differently than bass.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com


Bob,

I guess it depends on what you mean by big. Up here 5lbs is big, down
by you 10lbs is probably big, with a shot at a 12 or 13lb fish. Maybe I
take it for granted, but I have caught and landed so many steelhead and
salmon on 4lb test, that when I hook a 4lb smallie or largemouth on 8lb
test it isn't a big deal. Usually when I am using that light of line, I
use backreel through the whole fight. Smallies get close to the
scorching runs of a steelhead, but they do not compare. I wish I could
give you some insight into landing a 10lb + fish (Bass), but I wouldn't
know where to begin. Maybe drop your tackle a bit, and let the 3 to 5lb
fish kick your butt around.

Great question, I can only imagine instincts kick in when you hook a
fish that is big enough to make you change your landing strategy?

Chris

Well, for me personally anything over 4 pounds is big. My personal best
tournament bag was several fish over 4 pounds and a couple twos. 5s and
sixes are fairly common with usually a couple in that range weighed in every
tournament. Occasional 7s and moderately rare 8s with the rare 9+ coming in
a few times a year. There is definitely the chance of a 10+. I have seen a
few in the water, and seen a couple caught and weighed in.

I have tied into a couple in that larger class, but failed each time to put
them in the boat. About half from over horsing them, and half from getting
into or around cover. The half I lost from over horsing were to keep them
out of trees or other heavy cover.

I did managed to work a smaller fish out of a big pile of brush this last
weekend, but I lost a bigger fish on topwater when she headed back in the
tulies I had just pulled her out of. Medium light rod with 10lb mono, and
letting the rod take the abuse. I was trying to slowly sweep her to one
side so she would just miss the stand of tulies she was trying to go around,
when she pulled loose. In open water I would have just chased her with the
boat like I do with crankbait fish.

With single poles or a tree trunk I let them go ahead and go behind it if I
don't think I can hold them, and I never pull them up against it. (if I
remember) then I reposition the boat so I can try and work them off of it.
In brush or heavy weeds like pencil tulies, woody brush and trees, or thick
cat tails its tough. I don't break off many at all anymore, but they still
come loose sometimes when trying to keep them out of the trash.

Basically I figure if I can learn to put three out of four of my unbuttons
in the boat I can become a decent angler atleast on my home water. I have
improved some, but I just don't get the practice on the bigger fish often
enough to get really good at it.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com