Dropping bait

[OnAFly]

I was on the Croix last Saturday night and I had a pretty good spot going...except I never caught a fish out of it.

I had a 45min time when I had one fish break off 25lb mono leader, then nothing but hard hits on my bait but no hookups. I was using cut mooneye at first and got the breakoff and the hits. I switched it up to frogs and got nothing then switched back to mooneye and again got hard hits, but no hookups.

Any ideas on what was going on there? Advice for turning those hits into fish?

[Scott K]

Gar, turtles?

[aanderud]

If they're channel catfish and they're hitting it hard, you're going to catch at least SOME of them. If you have a statistically relevant number of hits/misses (say 10?), and no fish to show for it, I'd guess it's some other species. One other thing to try is to use circle hooks and just lock it down tight (no bait clicker), so that they hook themselves. Again, at least 1 out of 10 ought to hook himself (and usually a much higher ratio than that).

Last time we got into that situation where we couldn't hook up ANY fish, it was gar. Ended up lassoing one accidentally and reeled him in.

[Mr Special]

If they're channel catfish and they're hitting it hard, you're going to catch at least SOME of them. If you have a statistically relevant number of hits/misses (say 10?), and no fish to show for it, I'd guess it's some other species. One other thing to try is to use circle hooks and just lock it down tight (no bait clicker), so that they hook themselves. Again, at least 1 out of 10 ought to hook himself (and usually a much higher ratio than that).

Last time we got into that situation where we couldn't hook up ANY fish, it was gar. Ended up lassoing one accidentally and reeled him in.

+1

another thing to consider is hook size to bait size ratio. when i started i was using to small of hooks and packing on to much bait. which would result in the hook going back into the bait or not having enough room left on the hook to hit home on the fish.

then there is the old saying "thats why is call fishing not catching"

its frustrating but sum days the fish just win

most of my days are that way. lol

[OnAFly]

I was using either a 2/0 or a 3/0 hook with a chunk of cutbait about 1"X2" double threaded on at first and by the end just barely hanging off so that most of the hook was exposed. I'm running a spinning reel with no clicker, so usually I'm letting the fish hook themselves. I did try opening the bail and holding the line lightly to see if I could get the fish to run with the bait, but it was the same thing. Hard hit, then nothing.

Usually I'm up around 70-80% hookup on fish that I believe to be cats. The ones that don't hook up at first usually come back around within a minute and have another go at it. I'm running a 2/0-3/0 circle hook 95% of the time.

The gar idea is interesting. That would explain the hard hits but no hookups. Or, maybe the fish just won that night

[CANOPY SAM]

Are there saugers in there? Those little buggers can get really feisty at this time of year, and will hammer a bait then drop it.

I'd bet the farm it's some little pesky sumpthin or other!

[OnAFly]

I've caught walleyes there, but no saugers. I imagine there's a few. The more I think a out it, the more I think it had to be gar. I've seen them near that spot when paddling at night with my headlamp on. Makes me a bit temped to make up a rope lure and see what happens.

[DTro]

This issue comes up quite a bit from year to year. Some theorize it’s the wrong species, or perhaps spawning fish guarding a nest or maybe another reason. I’ve come to the conclusion that it really doesn’t matter. Either you catch em or you don’t and if you do sometimes you find out it’s a turtle or gar or sheephead and you can make a safe assumption based on that and other times, whamo a nice fish.

I must be getting old, but I seem to care more about what I AM catching vs what I’m NOT.

Find a likely spot, put out a tempting bait, and cross your fingers

[FshBloodRiverMud]

SHeephead love cutbait too, but i rarely hook one unless i'm ready and i reel fast when they nail it. Annoying little buggers./

Same with dogfish. Rarely will they hook themselves without me reeling in when they either tap it or hammer it.