The final move

[BobT]

One area that I can't seem to quite put a handle on (oh it would be nice if I could) is when you've finally got a fish to turn its nose up into the hole and just as it is coming out of the water the line gives. Yesterday this happened for me with about a 10 pound northern. Just as its nose came up out of the water the line snapped (6# test mono) and it was gone. I would have released it anyway but it sure would be nice to feel confident I would get it all the way into the house if I was going to take photos.

It just seems I am never fully prepared to be able to get those larger fish up on the surface. In this case, the fish's own weight was enough the break the line so lifting it out was out of the question. Reaching into the hole is a dangerous prospect as there are a lot of teeth in there not to mention that it had my jigging rap in there too.

How do you handle this?

[Matt Johnson]

You could have had slack line, that can cause the hook to come out. Or the line could have rubbed up against the side of the hole as you were in the process of landing the fish. It could also be that the pressure of the rod bend and the line coming out of the water could have been too great for the line to withstand. Water willl help decrease some of the pressure and once the entire column of line reaches the air you will see an increase in pressure, especially if your rod is loaded up. That would make sense as to why you lost a ten pound pike on six pound test once the lure/fish came out of the water. You're putting a lot more than six pounds of pressure onto the line.

One last possibility could be your knot strength. A weak knot can break at anytime. Also makes a difference with which line you're using as to how strong the knot strength is.

Landing a big fish at the hole is never an easy process unless you have a lot of ice and you get its head up the hole, then the fish is trapped

Once you get the fishes head up the hole I would let some of the tension off your rod and be ready to grab that big boy on top of its head...

[Deitz Dittrich]

The fish in the water isn't enough to break your line.. but any part of the fish out, plus the weight of it under the water is. You mention the teeth, and the hooks. And a lost fish is better than a trip to the emergency room. My suggestion.. get a glove. Lindy makes a very nice one that will keep you from getting cut. I use one all year round. Helps a ton for landing fish in the summer as well.

[BobT]

The thought of getting a glove, especially for winter, has already crossed my mind. Thanks.

Bob

[Nate McVey]

Have you ever used a BocaGrip (or something similar)? They don't hurt the fish and as long as you have the head out of the water and get the "jaws" on the lip, you can lift them right out of the hole. If it is a real pig, once the "grips" are on, you can set your rod down and grab it, get gills or use a second hand to pull up the "grip". It also doubles as a scale, so it is one less thing you have to look for when you are practicing CPR.

[Pleasant]

I know one thing that I have really had to learn is to pull off 7-10 yards of line off my reel and re tie at least every trip out if not a couple of times during a day fishing. I have found that it has really helped me land some of the bigger fish with out my line snapping before I get that picture. And a glove yes is a must especially with them toothy critters, I have the thumb to prove it.