I am new to trout fishing. Is it the nature of trout fishing to have trout pull off or to loose a good many? I am using a med light rod, 10lb braid with 10lb floro carbon leader with very light drag. Anyone have any suggestions on how to get more fish to the boat?
Pulling off a lot of trout
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Probably spikes (small specks) but that's just from my own experience. The spikes don't feel like big fish so if you are feeling weight like a fish that is big enough to eat then you are pulling the hook. These fish are said to have very fragile jaws/lips but the larger ones I've caught, which don't amount to many this year, were hooked inside the mouth. I guess it would also depend on the Lure you are using. How big are the ones you are boating?
The fish I am catching are not spikes. These are keeper plus sized fish
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It happens, sometimes more than I want. This time of year you are getting a lot of short and/or "soft" strikes. I tend to make sure I feel pressure before setting the hook. I almost treat the bite like a flounder bite on a live minnow in the summer, I give them a little extra time when I am pulling hooks and or just missing them all together. It has worked for me, doesn't make it the gospel lol. Other than that, make sure you are using a premium jig head/hook. Keep your rod tip up tension on the line and their heads pointed up. Good luck.
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You'll pull fish off with treble hooks. Best way to prevent it is to loosen the drag some and not have a stiff rod. If it's in his mouth you won't pull it off, it's the ones that get hooked in the side of the head (trout have a tendency to swipe at a bait first) that you'll lose.
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I don't put bigger hooks on mine but try to put better hooks the same size. The standard mirrolure hooks ain't the greatest.
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I always fish with my rod tip up. just works better for me. and it is hard for me to hold it down due to some tennis elbow type thing i have going on. i am very trigger happy and whenever i feel that heavenly tap, i drop the rod tip and set the hook. however i try not to set the hook too hard because if i miss the fish, i will keep the bait in the strike zone. when i DO miss the fish i let the bait set sit for a couple of seconds and then give it a couple of quick twitches. about 50% of the time i can get that trout to come back. sometimes even the third time. and a lot of times they are bigger fish. I truly think they explore the bait sometimes by just nosing it before they make their move. love those finicky trout!!
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I went thru a stretch of pulling hooks earlier in the year. My solution was to loosen the drag and making a conscious effort not to "pump" the rod like I was fighting a redfish.
But pulling hooks on trout is definitely gonna happen like trigger said. Don't be surprised to bring up just an eyeball every once in a blue moon.
But pulling hooks on trout is definitely gonna happen like trigger said. Don't be surprised to bring up just an eyeball every once in a blue moon.
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Well I'm the odd ball in the crowd. I give em ****! I set the hook like I'm pulling a chub out from behind a log..LOL The fish I want to get in the boat have a lot tougher mouth than most think they do. I'll give a 4lber the water ski treatment in a heartbeat then sling em over the side if I plan on keeping any for dinner. I will adjust my drag if I see something that might be over 5lbs. Missing lots of fish and having fish pull off is just part of speck fishing. I also change out to larger hooks on just about all my lures. I like to fish fast so the extra weight keeps the lures down for my style of fishing. I refer to myself as a "power fisherman". It ain't everyone's style but it works for me. You have to find what works for you.
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Well I don't think many can argue with your results as of late.
Joe do you power fish in the winter as well or do you slow down when the water get into the 40's.
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I ain't got a lot of patience so I tend to fish faster than most folks all the time. I add a lot of weight to my lures when it's this cold to keep the lures down deep so I can keep em moving without them coming up to far in the water column. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. If I half to make those terrible 9 minute cast I'll usually load up and go home. Also you need to have a lure retriever if you're gonna add 4 suspend dots to a $10 jerkbait in 18+ feet of water. It can get expensive. Some days or nights 
you'll have more luck with a reaction bite versus trying to get them to eat one sitting still. This works on some days when nothing else will and some days nothing works. Trout are just like women..... When you think you got em figured out. ...WRONG!!! HAHAHAHA
you'll have more luck with a reaction bite versus trying to get them to eat one sitting still. This works on some days when nothing else will and some days nothing works. Trout are just like women..... When you think you got em figured out. ...WRONG!!! HAHAHAHAThats funny. Thanks for the helpI ain't got a lot of patience so I tend to fish faster than most folks all the time. I add a lot of weight to my lures when it's this cold to keep the lures down deep so I can keep em moving without them coming up to far in the water column. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. If I half to make those terrible 9 minute cast I'll usually load up and go home. Also you need to have a lure retriever if you're gonna add 4 suspend dots to a $10 jerkbait in 18+ feet of water. It can get expensive. Some days or nights
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not that it matters, well maybe e it does, but i don't go any heavier than 6 lb test. mono. old school. just my nature. yup, tied straight on with palomar. man, now i am jonesing to be on the water...
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