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every year it seems like I loose a fish that felt really big


robert1965

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I know it happens to every body. it just drives me crazy not knowing what it was, last year I had a friend grab my line trying to help out that split second of lost tension was all it took, I wanted to kill him. is there any tricks or techniques that help keep the big ones one.

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just make sure you always are using a rod with enough back bone to get a good hook set and to have lots of power left in the rod, and a good drag is key also, you can pull in big fish using light line as long as the hook set is good and your drag works smooth then you got nothing to worry about

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Just make sure to always keep that rod up and over the hole. Good rods and reels with good drag will always help turn the avantage in your favor. Sometimes fish just get off and thats part of fishing, all the more reason to keep chasing on that lake for the big one! Or just say it felt like an eel pout always makes me feel better!!

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I have gotten really good at self-convincing. "It fought just like a carp". Keep those lines away from the edges. I've seen that and guys horse 'em all too often.

Just remember the fish always seem to magnify themselves through the hole. In the event that you lose another big one and get to see it first.

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Ever since I've lost the big ones down the hole...I remeber the first few times I tangled with URL crappies and was totally ill-prepared. I've been deciding how to change my ways. For the past few years, I've been using my Sustains 1000's and Thorne outside perch and panfish rods. The difference in URL crappies fight was so effortless compared to my old setups.

This year, I'm planning on using upgraded baitcasters for ice fishin. I've got two Citica's 200E's spooled with 6# line. I just need to find two Thorne Bros rods that'll do it for me.

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Great advice so far... KEeping the rod above the hole is a good idea. Learning how to back reel is key I feel. I have caught some very big fish on light line, and would not trust the drag to do its job in cold temps. Be patient and often time you will get the fish.. Will you get them all... no, but take your time and dont rush it.

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When I landed a 8# eye on 2lb mono, I figured I did something right. Knowing I had something other than a gill on, I got right down by the whole, opened the spool and strictly played the fish as if it was on a tip up. This generally isn't a good tactic with snow on the ice as your line will get snagged at the worst time. But, I didn't have any snow at this time. So, it worked, took me about 15 minutes, and was the best fight I had on 2lb test and was happy I was able to not let that one get away. Anythings possible when you combine patience and common sense.

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I'm no expert, but last year I was fishing for crappies with small minnows and found myself in the middle of a good northern bite. It took a couple fish to get the hang of it, but after a while, I was landing them. I hit the same spot about a half-dozen times that month, and got the same action. They didn't want big minnows or jigs... just those little crappie minnows.

My drag cost me a fish or two, so I disengaged my auto-reverse. When the pike started running, I just let go of the crank. When it slowed down or stopped, I started reeling in as much line as I could. If it ran, or I heard my drag start to slip, I let go. These pike took a while to wear out, but after four or five runs, I was able to steer them up the hole. It's fun landing pike on panfish equipment.

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For ice fishing a investment in better reels can make a huge difference. Some of the ice combo reels out there are very cheap with just terrible drag that should not be trusted. There is nothing better to have in your hands with a big fish on than a well oiled reel with good drag it makes a huge difference!

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two key things is a rod with a stiff backbone and a reel with back reel, forget drag, it is nice but all to often it fails or the fish will have a tremendous run the drag cannot keep up with, back reeling you can play the fish however the fish is fighting, drag is set were it is and if you don't have it perfect well your sol my friend,

i am a firm believer in somewhat stiff rods now because last winter i was fishing our new favorite walleye spot for the first time ever, i had a nice stiff genz stick for my jigging rod and a cheap rod for my dead stick, in comes a huge mark right on the bottom, it checks out my spoon but no dice, then i see my bobber slowly move down, i waited a good 7-10 seconds cause i had a sucker minnow down there, set the hook, fish was solid and half way up lost him. biggest walleye i ever felt under the ice, the rod didn't have a very good back bone and i didn't get a good hook set, if my bobber rig was on the genz stick he would have gotten the hook and i may have landed my biggest ice walleye.

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