I lost a fish this morning, about 40", knot gave way at the barrel swivel. I was trying to get it up on the rocks :smash: :mad:

thats too bad Bill:smash: ...........Get em next time;)

Specialist, sorry I didn't get back to you Sat about going out... I've got alot going on right now and I've been pretty spacey.

You know, early this season I was really good about checking my line, sharpening hooks, re-tying connections. I've slacked off on it and started having a few lost fish and lost terminal tackle.

Mostly due to knot failure... knots I hadn't re-tied in a while.

Its a good lesson... better a 40" fish, than a 40lb. fish, right?

same damn thing happened to me thursday night lost fish plus $15 plug live and learn :mad: :mad:

Use a Polymar knot.....This knot will never, ever come undone...

Hey KEN, how have you been?Been up north lately for the mile and a half walk?:D

Thats all I use for those connections is a palomar. It was fireline, I should have removed about 10' or so before I started fishing today. It seems as though evryone gets a little lazy about the critical stuff, as the season goes on.

Greg thats ok, I ended up going with my brother, and father sunday am.

Hey Milo how have you been? I haven't taken that walk in about two weeks or so but I have been fishing Rhody 2,3 nights a week. The Fishing in August was the best for me in years. September is here, will be concentrating more on the Cape this month 3,4 nights a week. Hope we have a great fall!
Specialist, That is the only knot I use, also when I fish Rhody I don't use less than 65lb Whiplash along with 60-80lb Florocarbon. After all we are fishing rocks. I inspect my line and cut off a few feet if I have too, I re-rig everytime before I start fishing, new hook / leader. Got to be ontop of you're equiptment cause you never know!

Important not just when starting for a night but as you keep fishing. Check often while fishing by running the line between your thumb and forefinger. Any feeling of roughness , stop , cut off the worn section and retie. Its well worth it.

Also remember that most fish are lost in the last few feet when there is little line left out. Plan your startegy to land the fish without putting excessive stress on the line when close in. Plan before you hook up. You are too busy to figure it out with a fish on.

Whenever you feel any type of rubbing on the other end you ALWAYS check you're line....

Hey Cowhunter, how does a guy from NJ fish the cape 3-4 nights per week? Work a 5 and 3 schedule?

Even Better....How about a 4 days on 4 days off schedule!

Even better - when you moving to Rhody?

Just think Me, Myself, & Irene :smash:

John if it was up to me I would have moved there a LONG time ago!

Bummer.......
I don't know how many fish of this size or larger you have caught. You may be a very experienced angler with several trophies to your credit that had some bad luck. It happens. My comments are based on my own experiences.

Saltheart's comments (about how most big fish are lost at the end of the fight) are right on.

I have found with larger fish, there is usually a period of time at the end of the fight where they simply hold their ground; not taking drag and not giving line. Some call this behavior "bulldogging,” and the smart angler simply lets the fish hold her ground for as long as necessary. It takes discipline and a high degree of emotional control to do this.

Most modern surfcasters have had only marginal experience with a 40 inch fish or larger. Some have lost all their big fish to one problem or another. Since I started shore guiding this year, I've been reminded of all the mistakes I'd forgotten I made, years ago.

What I have seen is that when a novice angler (big fish novice) hooks up with a large, the adrenaline gets the better of them, and mistakes are made. When they see the big fish in close, their excitement grows, and more mistakes are made.

What is the most common mistake, you ask?
They tend to start muscling the fish during bulldog time. Big mistake. I have had to almost scream at clients to get them to stop reeling, and wait.

With a big fish on and only the leader, twenty-fifty feet of the business end of the main line out, and three knots - all being stressed simultaneously, any mistake = lost fish.

Early on, I lost my share of good fish. If it was not a bad knot, it was too much drag, or too little drag, or too much horsing during bulldog time, or a rusty hook, or letting the fish get around a rock, or grabbing the line above the barrel swivel when landing - the list went on and on.

Everyone has lost a big fish for one reason or another – they learn from their mistakes and move on. This is where surfcasting teaches us life lessons about preparation, self-control, and host of other more important things than fishing. We’re not battling fish. The struggle is actually internal.
Joe

That was a nice reply joe, although i don't fish from shore i have fished quite a bit for big fish and there are so many things that can happen on a boat as well. when fishing and trying to land large fish from a boat one thing that i had to worry about was the people that chartered the boat and keeping them safe and then worry about landing the fish second. we once had a guy that was really sea sick and started hallucinating and jumped off the boat while we had 6 lines out trolling for blue marlin. we looked back and the guy was 100 yards of the stern 38 miles off shore in 2000 ft of water. Not the live bait we intended on using that day.