Losing Fish

[LLBEAN]

Hi,
Today I fished Island Ford and hooked into 7 trout....but only landed one!
Each time, I felt the fish take my spinner...I set the hook (or so I thought)....had him fight for about 2-3 seconds...and they were off.
Can anyone help me out here with some advice?
Thanks!

p.s.
"Use a fly rod" isn't what I need to hear :)

[us_a1a]

i am a stocker myself,this is what i have to offer,trying to learn to use a flyrod myself.i still use mostly spinning gear to,not familar with fords island,i fish below buford dam.when i find i am missing strikes sounds crazy but i let him have it a little longer u can do this against swift waterjust keep line tight .i lose most of my fish 2 feet from tube,touch them and gone!!!!!! maybey this will help some.

[The Ole Man]

BEAN
You may need to sharpen your hooks. Many of those spinner lures come with hooks that are not honed to a a good sharp point. Other than that-trout are often notorius for being "nippers". Instead of the grab and run strike we like, they often fall in with the drift of the lure and facing it as they drift back in the current, they just nip, nip away at it. Instead of taking it in, they are just nipping on it with the very front edge of their mouth. Hard to get a solid hookup when they do that. I have often caught this kind of biter in the snout rather than in the mouth. Trying giving them a few extra nips before striking is all I can recommend.

[LLBEAN]

Thanks guys!
I appreciate the help....the whole patience thing is easier said than done.
But I'll be back at the drawing board Friday/Saturday`AND Sunday.....
PS
Any float trips planned this weekend?

[pschlemm]

One thing that I've actully seen work on those nippers is to just stop reeling and drop your rod tip into the water. Something about that spinner just falling to the bottom seems to trigger a strike.

[LLBEAN]

These fish all felt HOOKED......I saw several others "following" without striking....but the ones I'm talking about that got away felt like they were on....
Thanks

[Sic Puppy]

I don't know your experience level wih trout so don't take this the wrong way, but trout have much softer mouths that warm water fish and if you "set" the hook as you would a bass it is fairly easy to rip it loose. I have had the best results by using very sharp hooks and letting the fish set the hook themselves.

[zug bugged]

sic's could be on to something, just tighten the line without the "snatch" when setting the hook should hook them up nicely also everyone is right check those hooks.

------------------
bugged

[Hooker]

I hate to burst your bubble on this one, but trout don't have soft mouths. Thier mouths are gristle, bone, and teeth top and bottom. The problem with trout is getting the hook to penetrate. Trout tend to nip the fins off thier prey and eat it at thier leisure, and that's why you'll get so many short strkes on some days. Sharp hooks like T.O.M. said is critical to increasing your hookup ratio. With sharp hooks you'll catch as many out- side the mouth as you will in the mouth.
Also, don't use a wimpy rod and four pound test mono. Use at least a medium to medium heavy 6 foot rod with eight pound test mono, and "set" the hook. I prefer 8lb test Fireline. Trout are not spooked by the line, they are focused on the bait.

Dave

[The Owl]

What Ole Man and Dave said.


Owl