fishing advice Archives

Why Fish Keep Breaking Your Line (And How to Stop It)

Having a large fish break your line is almost a rite of passage in fishing. As much as it pains us, it’s that kind of experience that keeps us coming back for more and compels us to better understand our sport and how to prevent the frustrating experience from happening again. So why do fish keep breaking your line, anyway?

Your fishing line will break when a force is applied to the line that exceeds the line’s pound test capacity. This is usually caused by one of several reasons:

Your drag is set too tight;
The fish gained leverage;
You were too overeager during the fight (this is a big problem for kids and newer anglers);
There is a defect in your line or knot;
You ran into a fish with sharp teeth, and weren’t using a leader.

Let’s explore this a little further and go into all the reasons fish might break you off so that you can figure out what to do about it.

Define the Problem

To prevent fish from breaking your line, you need to understand which one of these issues is causing the problem, as each has a specific correction. As mentioned above, most of the time when a fish breaks your line, it’s for one of the following reasons:

You have your drag set too tight;
You’re using too light of line for your abilities;
The fish gained leverage;
You were too overeager in the fight;
There is a defect in your line;
Your knot is poorly tied;
The fish cut the line with their teeth.

Your Fishing Reel’s Drag Is Set Too Tight

Contrary to popular belief, the pound test of your fishing line is not the be all, end all. What I mean by that is that it is perfectly possible to successfully land fish that weigh significantly more than the pound test your fishing line is rated for. One reason for this is because of the reel’s drag system.

When a fish bites your lure, it tugs on the line and generally tries to swim away from resistance. Thus, a fish will typically try to swim away from you while you are trying to pull it closer towards your boat or shore. Because you and the fish are both pulling in opposite directions, force is applied to the fishing line.

How the Drag Works:

Let’s say you were tightly holding onto a stick that had some fishing line tied to it. Let’s say you only had 10′ of fishing line attached to the end of your stick. If a fish bit your lure and swam away, it would impart force onto the line. The moment you pulled the stick back at the same time to try and stop the fish, you too would be imparting force. If the sum of both of your actions exceeds the pound test rating of the line, it would snap and the fish would swim away with some new jewelry.

The drag system allows the fish to pull off some line without snapping it. It works by applying a certain tension to the spool in pounds. To strip line, the fish must exert more force than the drag’s tension setting.

Thus, if you were using 6 lb test line, and set your drag to 3 lbs, a fish would need to exceed 3 lbs of pressure to strip line from the reel. If they could only muster 2 lbs of force, they would not strip line (but it would not break, either).

Finally, if the fish exerted 10 lbs of pressure on the 6 lb test line, having your drag set at 3 lbs would mean that only 3 lbs of force was imparted on the line (and the fish), so it would not snap.

Accordingly, you should not set your drag setting higher than the pound test your fishing line is rated for.

How To Tell If Your Drag Is Set Right

An easy way to check this is just to pull some line with your hand. If it comes off too easily, your drag is set too loose. If you can’t feel any pressure, neither will the fish. This means you’ll never tire them out or make any gains. Tighten it until you find a good balance where line pulls off fairly easily but it still takes some effort. This will allow your drag to wear down larger fish effectively and eventually land them.

You’re Using Too Light of Line for Your Ability

Although a drag will help a skilled fisherman land a large fish, landing a monster is still a challenging experience. Much can (and will!) go wrong. Many experienced anglers purposefully use lighter line because it increases the challenge for them. If you’re new to this, you might want to avoid that. Just concentrate on getting the fish into the boat in the first place.

Use a line that is strong enough that you can get away with a mistake or two while you’re learning. You don’t know when the next fish is going to bite, and perhaps only one will strike all day. I would not recommend going below 6 lb test line while you are starting off. This is a good balance in that most freshwater fish you’re likely to encounter will be below this size, but the line is also strong enough to give you a fighting chance of landing the occasional larger fish.

You also might consider using braid as it is significantly stronger than other types of line of the same diameter. I’m not crazy about using it with kids as it can cut you badly if you’re not careful. Assuming you’re a grown adult, you should go for it, as it is a great product. I’m personally a fan of PowerPro as it is easy to use, doesn’t ruin my line guides, and has served me well for years.

The Fish Gained Leverage Which Allowed It to Break Your Line

Another common reason that a fish will break your line is that they gain some leverage. This is usually occurs when they wrap the line around a stick or other object that prevents the drag system from working. Once the line wraps around a stick, the stick is essentially the new spool. If the fish can impart more force than the line can withstand, it will break.

Fish can also gain leverage by swimming into your trolling motor, outboard, or even another fisherman’s line. Anything that gets between the drag and the hook is going to be a problem. Play your fish carefully and ask your fishing buddies to reel in their lines if a particularly big one hits.

Heavy weeds are another common way that fish can gain leverage. The second the fish senses that something is wrong, they’ll bolt for the thickest cover they can find. You want to do what you can to prevent this from happening (usually, by fishing with heavy enough line that you can turn them in before they can get to cover).

It’s certainly a balancing act as you don’t want to put too much pressure on the line yourself by trying to keep the fish away from heavy cover, so do what seems to make sense. Your best bet is to be aware of your surroundings and have a plan for how you’re going to play a fish if and when it strikes on your next cast. You don’t want to be caught daydreaming around laydowns.

You Were Too Overeager or Played the Fish Wrong

Many lines snap and many fish are lost at the last second because of an overeager angler. Remember that water is more buoyant than air. If you try and lift a large fish from the water into the boat, its full weight will test the line. Take care with how you land your fish. I’ve written articles to explain how to net a fish properly and how to land fish without a net to prevent your trophy from getting away.

It’s also possible to be too overeager while playing your fish. Take care and avoid trying to horse them in until they’re ready. Only rush things if you absolutely must keep them away from some sharp rocks or a gnarly laydown.

Let your rod help you land the fish. Always make sure that you maintain a bend in your rod. NEVER allow the line to point directly at the fish. The rod’s bend will absorb much of the shock of a running fish. If you point the line directly at the fish, you lose this benefit.

There is a Defect in Your Line or Gear

Check your line often, especially if you are fishing near rocks, wood, bridge pilings, or anything else that is likely to fray your line. The instant that the line has a cut or dent, it will no longer retain its pound test rating. Just consider what would happen to a rope if you unraveled part of it. The same concept applies.

Some lines don’t do well in the sun, or after having been submerged for a long time. Others age poorly and become brittle over time. You’ll find that most professional anglers are paranoid about their line and change it often. They are afraid that if they don’t put on fresh line, a fish will break it soon. While that isn’t a cost-effective option for most of us, you do want to do what you can to take care of your gear. Put it away when you’re done with it and don’t leave it outside exposed to the elements longer than necessary.

As you go through your day, it’s usually a good idea to strip off 6′ to 7′ of line and retie every so often. This ensures that the business end near the fish is fresh, and will help avoid situations where you just didn’t notice the line was frayed.

Finally, it should go without saying that anytime you notice your line was wrapped around or near a sharp part of the fish (be it a pike’s teeth, or even just a bluegill’s gill plate), you’ll want to closely inspect your line and see if it has any damage. When in doubt, change it out.

Defective Line Guides

It’s also worth pointing out that the issue might not be with your line, but the line guides. If you’ve made a habit of hooking your lure to the line guides to keep it in place, you may have cut or damaged them with the hooks. These cuts can have sharp edges that might be damaging your line as it passes through it.

If you don’t have the coin to send it in a rod for repairs, you can try to fix it. One way is to place an epoxy into the cut and then sand it down flush so it no longer is something that can catch the line and fray it. Another is to replace it outright. Here is a video that shows you how to replace your line guides.

Your Knot is Poorly Tied

Even the best fishing knots won’t retain their complete line strength (source). Regardless, if you err in tying one the chances are you’ve made it weaker than usual. A poorly tied knot will not withstand the same force as a well-tied one, will make your line more susceptible to breaking if the fish takes a sudden plunge.

The next time that you tie a knot that doesn’t come out very well, take a closer look at it. You’ll probably see that it is pinching against itself at a weird angle. This is not ideal. If you make a mistake and your knot doesn’t come out right, invest the extra few seconds to try again. This is one place where you don’t want to cut corners.

A well-tied knot is a thing of beauty that we all should aspire to. The last thing you want to worry about when a fish is on the line is if your knot will hold.

Some Fish Break Your Line With Their Teeth

The simplest explanation for why a fish broke your fishing line is that they had sharp teeth. Many freshwater fish such as northern pike, chain pickerel, muskellunge, bowfin, and walleye have the kind of smile any dentist would fear and if you encounter them without a leader, it could be a very short fight.

Even fish that we don’t normally think of as having “teeth” like bass can damage line to the point where they can break off. Most predatory fish that lack what one might consider “true” teeth at least have a very rough, sandpaper-like texture to their mouths to prevent their prey from getting away. The same teeth that cause “bass thumb” after a great day of fishing are equally capable of fraying line if given the chance. Check your line often to make sure it still looks good!

You'll never get a good dose of "bass thumb" like this if fish keep breaking your line! — YouAny fish that can do this to your thumb can do this to your fishing line. Retie often!

I wrote an article that discusses leaders in more detail. I discuss when and where you should use them and what type of leader you want depending on the situation. You can read it here as it will help you overcome these toothy lake monsters.

The bottom line is if you’re fishing in a lake that has apex predators with teeth, you’re going to need to either use a strong leader, use a technique that’s unlikely to allow them to reach the line with their teeth, or prepare to lose a few fish.

Let’s Hope Fish Never Break Your Line Again!

The sinking feeling of losing a fish is not fun, but you can’t let it demotivate you. You never know if that fish had a buddy right next to it, so go ahead and shake it off, retie, and cast again. If you just lost a giant, doing this is easier said than done. At least if you know that you did everything you could to prevent the fish from breaking off, it will help you move on.

Before you cast your line out, make sure that it is in good condition and your knot is tied well. You wouldn’t want your fishing line to break on your cast! If you think there are pike lurking nearby, consider a leader. Test your drag and make sure it’s where you want it. Expect that a fish will bite on each cast and have a plan for how you’re going to steer them away from heavy cover where they can break you off. When you get them close to the boat, make sure their weight is properly supported so you don’t lose them at the last second.

There’s a lot to go wrong and even more to forget in the heat of the moment. At least if you take care of the maintenance before the fish bites, you’ll have a fighting chance.

I hope this article helped you understand why fish keep breaking your line and gave you some pointers on how to prevent it. If you have any additional questions please leave a comment below or send me an email and I’ll do my best to help you.

As always, if you found this article helpful please share it so it can help others. You can also check out my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide for more information on the gear and skills you’ll need to successfully take your kids fishing.

Thanks,

John Paxton

Should You Use a Leader with Braided Line?

Braided fishing line can be a great product, but it stands out. It’s usually dark green, black, brown, or even bright yellow—none of which are exactly subtle. Given that, it’s only normal to wonder if fish can see it, or if you should use a leader with braided line.

As with most questions about fishing, “it depends.” You don’t need to use a leader with braided line if you’re fishing in murky water or with fast moving baits such as spinnerbaits. You should consider using a leader with braid if fish are likely to have a long look at your lure or if you’re in very clear water. There is also some benefit to using a fluorocarbon leader with braided line if you’re fishing around sharp obstructions like barnacle-encrusted piers or rocks that are likely to cause abrasions.

Let’s spend a little time discussing the pros and cons of using a leader so you can make an educated decision and optimize your time on the water.

The Benefits of Using a Leader with Braided Line

If you’re going to tie on a leader to any fishing line, it needs to serve the purpose of minimizing the main line’s drawbacks and flaws. With braid, the four biggest issues are visibility, abrasion resistance, and (ironically) its strength and rigidity.

A Leader Is Less Likely to be Seen Than Braid

As mentioned earlier, braided line is exceptionally visible in the water. It is basically colored rope, and unless you’re in very murky water or fishing around similarly-colored vegetation, it’s going to stand out.

This doesn’t really matter much if you’re using a fast technique where the fish aren’t going to get a good look at the lure. I’ve never found the need to tie on a leader when using a spinnerbait, for example, as the fish have such little time to make a decision and react that they aren’t going to notice the line.

It can, however, make a huge difference if you have a slower presentation such as a drop shot or plastic worm where you expect the fish to size up your offering and consider its options, especially if you’re in clear what were the braid is going to stick out.

Fluorocarbon is a great leader material because it is practically invisible underwater. This eliminates one of braid’s main drawbacks, which might be the difference between catching fish or going home empty handed.

Some Leader Materials are More Abrasion-Resistant Than Braid

Given how braided line is renowned for its strength, this might seem a bit counter-intuitive, but braided line isn’t very abrasion-resistant. In fact, it’s actually very easy to cut with scissors or even the sharp edge of a rock.

If you’re fishing for toothy predators or around rocks or barnacles, you might consider adding a fluorocarbon leader. While it won’t be as foolproof as a wire leader, it is less likely to be sliced through than braid and also is much less visible than wire.

A Leader is a Handy Breaking Point

While braid isn’t that abrasion-resistant, it is exceptionally strong, especially if it is pulled straight back. This makes it very difficult to break off if you lure happens to snag on an obstacle. In fact, trying to break it off can damage your equipment or even hurt you if you aren’t careful as the braid will tend to dig into whatever is pulling it, be that the spool, or your hand.

The point where the leader and braid attach is a weak spot. As we’ll see in the drawbacks section, that isn’t always a good thing, but in this case we can use it to our advantage. If you happen to get snagged, it is substantially easier to break off if you’re using some sort of leader than if you were fishing with straight braid.

A Leader Reduces Braid’s Stretch

While a major selling point for braided line is how it has very little stretch, that’s not always a good thing. If you are using lures with treble hooks such as crankbaits or top water poppers, you really want a little bit of stretch in your hook set or else you run the risk of ripping the thin hooks out of the fish’s mouth.

Sometimes, adding a leader allows you to get certain benefits of braid (such as how it can be used season after season) with certain presentations that are really better off with monofilament.

The Drawbacks of Using a Leader with Braided Line

As we’ve seen, there are plenty of good reasons to use a leader in the right situations, but it’s important to remember that like everything else, it has its time and place. There are several drawbacks that you need to be aware of. Specifically, it is one more thing to do, one more thing to fail, it can reduce your casting distance, it nullifies some of braids advantages, and it is often an unnecessary placebo.

It’s One More Thing to Do

I’m not trying to come across as lazy here but I will point out that fishing is a major multi-tasking event in the first place, especially if the wind is blowing or you have kids in the boat. I often bring my children out with me so I favor simplicity whenever possible. Using a leader is one more knot to tie which is not always the easiest thing to do with a full boat.

I am a huge believer in efficiency, especially when I have kids on the boat, so I usually prefer to just use a straight line without a leader. The more complicated your rig, the more frustrating fishing can be come in situations where you can’t devote 100% concentration to the task at hand.

It’s One More Thing to Fail

As mentioned earlier, this can be a double-edged sword. The connection point of your leader is going to be the weak spot in your rig. Sometimes you want this, such as when you’re stuck in the rocks. Other times, this is terrifying (such as when you have a huge fish on the line).

This also goes hand in hand with “it’s one more thing to do” discussed above. Any time that you add another knot, you have another knot that you need to keep an eye on and check as it can weaken over time.

Casting Distance Can Be Reduced

Regardless of the type of knot you choose to connect your leader to your main line, it’s going to create a little bump that is going to rub against your line guides while casting. If you’re using larger diameter lines, this bump can be substantial and can reduce your casting distance.

This probably won’t be a deal breaker or even that noticeable, but it is something to be aware of. When you’re power fishing you’re trying to cover as much water as possible over the course of the day and a foot off of each cast adds up over time.

Using a Leader Nullifies Braided Line’s Advantages

Two of braided line’s main strengths are that it can saw through vegetation with ease, and that it has virtually no stretch. Adding a leader will nullify both of these advantages.

Braid Cuts Through Vegetation – Leaders Don’t

A major advantage of braid is that it is sharp and will cut through aquatic vegetation easily. This will often enable you to work a lure through some gunk without fouling it, which means that fish will have a better chance of being deceived by the lure and biting.

This also makes braid great for shallow water trolling for species such as chain pickerel as you can often cut weeds off the line with a quick snap of the rod, rather than needing to reel the entire set up in and start over.

If you add a leader, you forgo this advantage and might find yourself picking more weeds off of your lure and fishing line. At the very least, this will be a time waster, but it’s also likely you’re missing fish because of it.

Braid Has Very Little Stretch – Leaders Do

The second major advantage of braid is that it has virtually no stretch. This is very important in situations where you require a rock solid hook set, or if you need to turn a fish immediately away from cover. Depending on the type of leader you use, significant stretch could be imparted which would make your hook set weaker and a break off more likely.

It’s Not Always Necessary

I suppose the main drawback to using a leader with braided fishing line is it simply isn’t necessary much of the time. If you’re fishing in stained water, it’s unlikely that a leader is going to make much difference to the line’s visibility, and if you’re fishing in open water, or with lures like spinnerbaits that are rarely broken off, there isn’t much use for a more abrasion-resistant line.

If you’re going to do something while fishing there ought to be a useful purpose. The sport is expensive enough as is and if you add on extras that aren’t totally necessary the costs are only going to increase.

Common Questions About Fishing Line Leaders

Now that we’ve discussed the pros and cons of using a leader, let’s dive into some of the more common questions associated with them.

What Type of Leader Should I Use?

You have three basic options when considering a leader for your braided fishing line: monofilament, fluorocarbon, and wire. Each has their advantages and drawbacks. The chart below will help you decide:

Use a Monofilament Leader If…	Use a Fluorocarbon Leader If…	Use a Wire Leader If…
You want your line to float. A monofilament leader is best if you are using top water lures.	You want your line to sink. A fluorocarbon leader would be better for	You’re targeting toothy predators like northern pike.
You want your line to stretch. A monofilament leader is a better option for lures with thin treble hooks that can easily pull out from the fish.	You don’t want your line to stretch much. A fluorocarbon leader would be a better choice if you wanted a solid hook set with little stretch.	The lure or bait you’re using is likely to be taken whole. Pike are unlikely to bite a spinnerbait off, but very likely to bite off a crankbait.
You are in open water, away from obstructions.	You are fishing near obstructions and want a line that is abrasion resistant.	Your presentation is fast enough or the water murky enough that the fish won’t notice the leader.

What Size Line Should I Use for My Leader?

An important consideration is the size (in pound test) of the leader material that you will use. In general, there are a few things to keep in mind when making this decision:

What type of fish are you targeting? If you’re trying to catch a fish with sharp teeth like a northern pike or musky, you’re going to want a heavier leader like 20 to 30 lb test that is less likely to be cut.
What type of presentation are you using? If you’re using a finesse presentation such as a drop shot, using too heavy of a leader could kill your lure’s action and you might want to scale down to a 6-12 lb test leader. On the other hand, if you intend to use a monster hook set like you’d need with a plastic worm, you’re going to want a stronger leader.
What size diameter is your main line? It can make life easier by using lines of similar diameters as the Double Uni Knot is very easy to tie and works especially well with lines of the same size. Most manufacturers will share their lines diameter right on the box so pick up a few and see which ones match up well.

How Do I Tie On a Leader?

If you decide to use a leader with your braided line, your next question is going to be how to go about tying one. I prefer the Double Uni Knot, especially when tying two lines of roughly the same diameter. Basically, you’re tying two Uni Knots against each other.

To tie it, follow these steps (bear in mind that steps 1-3 should be done one at a time for each knot, I just did them simultaneously for illustrative purposes):

Lay your leader and main line down parallel to each other, and then take the tag end of each and form a loop over both lines (Figure 1).
Spiral the tag end through the loop you created 3-4 times (Figure 2).
Pull the tag end to draw the single Uni Knots tight (Figure 3).
Pull each main line (at the same time) to pull the two Uni Knots together (Figure 4).

The double uni knot is a great way to attach a leader to braided fishing line. It's also handy for attaching monofilament backing to that same line and saving some money! — *The Double Uni Knot is a great way to attach braid to a leader.*

How Long Should My Leader Be?

This is situational but I prefer to keep my leaders short (within about 2′ to 4′) simply because I find that the longer a leader is, the harder it gets to use. Really, you want your leader to be as long as it needs to be and not an inch more.

If you’re using the type of wire leader that comes with a swivel, you’ll usually want it to be longer than the lure it is attached to, because if it is shorter, you run the risk of the lure’s hooks becoming caught by the swivel itself.

If you’re using a monofilament leader, the longer it is, the more stretch you’ll have. Sometimes it makes sense to have a longer one if you are concerned about pulling the lure from the fish’s mouth. Other times, you might find this counterproductive.

How Long of a Fluorocarbon Leader to Braid?

You’re typically going to want at least 12″ of fluorocarbon leader to braid, though more can be used if necessary. Chances are if you have a fluorocarbon leader on, you’re using it because you want some abrasion resistance. To determine how long it should be, you need to ask yourself how far up the line you expect these abrasions to happen. If you’re only worried about fish teeth, the leader can be much shorter than if you’re planning on dragging your lure through a rocky shoal.

Just remember that if your leader is too long, you’re going to have to cast the knot through your line guides, which can reduce casting distance.

What Type of Leader Should I Buy?

There are several purpose-built leaders on the market, but it may not be necessary to splurge for one depending on your application. If you’re just looking to cut down on braid’s visibility, for example, you can simply use a leader of fluorocarbon from a spool you already own. I tend to use Seaguar fluorcarbon fishing line. While they make some some dedicated leaders, their Abrazx line works fine for bass fishing. I’ve used their types of line for leaders as well when fishing in clear water. Abrazx is just designed to be more abrasion resistant than some of their other offerings, so it makes sense as a leader as it will give you a bit more strength around hazards.

If you really wanted a dedicated fluorocarbon leader, Seaguar also makes dedicated leaders such as the Seaguar Blue Label 100-Yards Fluorocarbon Leader 20-Pounds which would work well for most applications discussed on this site.

If you’re primarily fishing for pickerel, northern pike, or muskie, consider a wire leader made of titanium, like the Terminator Braided Titanium Leader (50-Pounds, 12-Inch). I’ve found that if you go much below 12-inch you can run into trouble with the leader fouling on hooks (especially on jerkbaits).

Conclusions

Determining when and where to use a leader with braided fishing line isn’t always the most straightforward process, but I hope this article helped. Generally speaking, use a leader when it makes sense and will help you minimize some trait of braid that is undesirable for your specific need, but don’t feel as though you need to use one just for the sake of it.

As always, if you found this article helpful, please consider sharing it so it can help others. You can also feel free to leave a message below or to send me an email with any additional questions. You can also pick up a copy of my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide, which includes other helpful advice.

Thanks,

John Paxton

Are Bobbers Good for Fishing With Your Kids?

I have a theory that most of the people who think fishing is boring went fishing as a kid with an adult who used a bobber. In this article, I’ll discuss if bobbers are good for fishing, if they really work, and if you should fish with or without a bobber, especially when you take your kids along.

My Controversial Theory: Fishing with Bobbers and Kids Is A Risky Idea

Some people are going to call me absolutely crazy for even daring to write an article that argues that bobbers aren’t the best way to go fishing with your kids, but hear me out.

While bobbers do work, nothing much to do besides twiddle their thumbs while they waited for something to bite. Sure, when something did bite, the kids probably ran over giddy and screaming, but until then, they were bored or off playing catch or doing something else.

If you ask me, the kids who stuck with fishing and became enamored by it quickly probably started using more proactive techniques that caught them more fish and gave them something to actively do (cast and retrieve) while they were waiting for a bite.

I know I’ll get some comments from people hollering about how they’ve been fishing with bobbers and their kids for years and they love them and pull in crappie after crappie all day. I don’t doubt you, but I’ll bet you’re a halfway decent angler who could make most anything work.

I’m just saying that I’ve seen so many families fishing from shore with bored kids, and there’s usually a bobber floating nearby. I’ve also personally had many days where I started off fishing with a bobber, struggled to get bit, and swapped over to a bare hook or drop shot and started lighting them up in the same area. I think some people rely on the bobber too much and don’t know what to try when it doesn’t work.

These observations and experiences have convinced me that there are often better ways to put my young ones on fish.

Now before we go any further, let me get something out of the way:

I can understand why people ask themselves if they should fish with or without a bobber, and decide to go with one. Bobbers do work well at times for several reasons:

Bobbers work well for keeping fishing hooks out of cover and at a precise depth;
They allow for a gentler pace to fishing as well as multitasking when using many rods;
If something ever bites, kids get a huge kick out of seeing the bobber go under.

So you see, I’m not “anti-bobber.” I’m just “anti-using-bobbers-as-the-way-to-introduce-your-kids-to-fishing-if-you-want-them-to-actually-like-the-sport-and-buy-you-nice-rods-for-father’s-day.”

There’s a difference!

More Detail: Why Bobbers Work

Again, I’m not “anti-bobber” (I feel like I’ll need to keep saying that here). I really don’t want to put you off of them. They can be great, and your kids can catch a ton of fish when them. You should have them in your tackle box, because as you’ll see, there are some times when they’re the ticket to a bite. Here are a few of the benefits, lest I’m labelled a philistine:

They Allow for Some Unique Presentations

There have been plenty of professional fishermen (usually walleye guys) who have cashed checks with the help of a bobber. Often, working a bobber is the only way to apply some unique presentations.

Mike Klein over at Midwest Outdoors wrote a great article about how bobbers allow for a precise presentation for walleye a few years ago. One of the things he discussed was a technique called “power corking.” Basically, you drive your boat around looking for fish on your fish finder and when you see one you immediately let out your bobber right next to your transducer.

I’ve never heard of this before but it might make a believer out of me as it seems like a more active way of using bobbers. It seems to be a deeper water technique as you’d likely spook the fish if you tried to do this too shallow, but it’s almost akin to trolling. In fact, you might just drag a lure behind the boat on your port side while waiting to drop a bobber on your starboard.

I could see this being a really fun way to fish with kids because it would almost turn fishing into a video game for them. As they see a fish appear on the screen, they can release their bail and send a bobber down and wait for a bite.

OK, Mike, you convinced me. Now I’m just an “anti-using-bobbers-as-the-way-to-introduce-your-kids-to-fishing-if-you-want-them-to-actually-like-the-sport-and-buy-you-nice-rods-for-father’s-day-unless-you’re-power-corking” kind of guy.

They Keep Hooks Out of Cover

This is a legitimate strength. Bobbers work well for keeping bait out of cover. For example, it can be very hard to fish a laydown effectively without a bobber, because if you let the bait sink into the tree limbs there’s a good chance it will snag. Even if a fish were to take your offering, there’s a great chance it would wrap your line along the limbs and break you off.

Using bobbers around rocky points would also make sense. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to retie a drop shot rig because it was snagged in some rip-rap.

A bobber allows you to keep your bait up and away from these hazards, while still close enough to entice fish to come out and take a bite. So long as you keep your rod in your hands or very nearby, you should be able to start the battle outside of the cover, which enormously increases your chance of actually landing the fish.

Bobbers are also admittedly useful for fishing for panfish over grass flats with your kids. Drop shots don’t do very well in the weeds, as they get dragged down and buried in the gunk. A bobber is an appropriate way to keep your bait above the canopy and allow you to keep your bait clean and edible.

They Allow Precise Depth Control

Bobbers work great for controlling how deep your bait will sink, as it can only go as deep as your bobber lets it. Slip bobbers are particularly well suited for this role as they are designed to allow an angler to change their depth at will.

Once again, I’ll tip my hat to the experts, this time, pro catfish guide Chad Ferguson. He wrote an informative article about slip bobber rigging for catfish that shows you exactly how to rig one for your preferred depth and included a very easy-to-read graphic showing this off.

I would note that you can also control your depth with a drop shot (you’d just use a longer tag line towards your sinker), but the drop shot is going to rapidly bring the bait to the desired depth. The bobber will allow it to slowly sink to that depth. Sometimes the fish favor one presentation over the other.

They Allow You to Take a Nap!

Ok, so I’m back to jesting about bobbers, but it’s true! You can have a laid back fishing experience if you trust your bobber with all the work and attach a little bell ringer to warn you that a fish in on the other line.

This probably isn’t the best idea with kids–it’s usually a good idea to stay awake and active while they’re playing near the water–but if you could also apply the theory to allowing you to walk away and play catch, or look for frogs, or have a sandwich, etc.

They Allow For Multiple Lines

It’s challenging to fish multiple lines unless you’re using some technique that doesn’t require your constant, active involvement. Bobbers allow you to cover more water in the sense in that you can throw a few out along a wide arc to try and locate fish sooner.

If you’re going to do this, make sure you check your local regulations first as not every state allows anglers to use multiple lines, and most have a cap as to how many angler can use. You “might” be able to use more if you’re with your kids, but then again the game warden might also conclude that they are unlicensed and don’t count towards the rod count.

I’m not a lawyer and can’t give you legal advice, but it would seem prudent to use the most conservative figure available to ensure you don’t have issues.

Kids Enjoy Using Bobbers (When Bobbers Work)

There is definitely something fun and satisfying about seeing a bobber disappear under the waves, and kids will especially get a kick out of this. The problem is that it actually needs to happen.

If you’re in an area where there are bluegills and sunfish, they’ll tend to eat just about anything and you might get to see the bobber disappear often. This is a good recipe for a fun day with your kids. Just make sure that you’ve done your scouting and pinpointed the fish ahead of time as bobbers aren’t usually very effective for covering water quickly (power corking notwithstanding).

If you need help on learning how to scout for fish, check out an article I wrote about preparing for a fishing trip with kids that deals with the topic.

This fish was caught with a bobber, which do work well at times, but I still think you're better off using other techniques. — *This fish was caught with a bobber, and we didn’t even turn to stone.*

Reasons You Should Fish Without a Bobber

I’d argue that the main drawbacks to using a bobber (at least while fishing with kids) is that they can damage your line if they’re not carefully attached, they can spook the fish in a variety of ways, you can be less likely to hook the fish, and you might turn your children off of fishing forever and doom them to the void and meaningless life of a landlubber.

They Can Damage Your Fishing Line

Frankly, a bobber shouldn’t damage your fishing line at all. Ball bobbers are designed to clip on harmlessly and slip bobbers just slide back and forth without issue. On a normal day of fishing, you’d be just fine.

But we’re talking about fishing with kids here. Your kids. The same kids who stuck all your stamps to the wall and hid a wet sponge on elderly Uncle Donald’s chair. All bets are off.

Kids want to do everything themselves and if that includes attaching a ball bobber then that probably includes kinking or fraying the line in the process. If you attach it wrong, it does risk damaging the line because you are trying to guide it past a metal hook that can knick or cut it.

You can solve this by simply arriving at the lake with the bobber already attached rather than letting your kids do this. If they don’t know it’s a task to complete, they’ll never ask to try it.

Bobbers Can Spook the Fish

A good reason to consider fishing without a bobber is that they can spook fish in many ways:

The fish can get scared by the sound of the splash;
The fish can be wary from the sight; and
The fish can be alerted to danger by the bobber’s weight

The Sound

A bobber (especially a large one) makes a splash when it touches down. This can be much more significant than the splash the bait would have made on its own, and certainly alerts fish in the area that something touched down. This can be good or bad, depending on what mood the fish is in.

You should try your best to let the bobber land softly at the end of your cast. If you have a large splash down, the most likely outcome is that nearby fish will dart away. Though they will likely return, it may take them awhile, and this dead period can really kill your kid’s interest.

The Sight

A bobber is a large, visual indicator to fish that there is something strange going on. If they’ve been caught by these recently, and still remember the experience, they will be more cautious.

The bait itself is also presented in a very unnatural way. Most worms don’t just suspend in a neutral buoyancy. A very hungry, desperate, or inexperienced fish might not notice or care, but I have observed larger bass and bowfin eyeing the target and deciding it’s not worth the risk.

The Weight

When a fish tugs on the bait, the bobber provides resistance that alerts the fish that something is tugging back. If there are a half dozen bluegills all fighting over the scraps, it’s unlikely any will notice, but if that fish is the only one attempting to feed, it stands to reason they might wonder what is going on.

This is minimized by using smaller ball bobbers and can reduced even further with slip bobbers. Always try to use the lightest bobber that you can for the conditions.

You’re Less Likely to Hook Fish

I back this statement up with no scientific studies whatsoever but I will observe that I have caught many fish throughout my life because I was holding the rod and could detect a light bite, which allowed me to immediately set the hook.

If you are simply using a bobber to alert you to the presence of fish, rather than holding the rod and feeling them for yourself, you’re missing several bites. Even if you notice the little twitches of the bobber, you still need to run over, pick the rod up, and then attempt to set the hook. This can take several seconds depending on where you were when you noticed it. These are several seconds for something to go wrong.

Granted, if you’re actually holding the rod while fishing with a bobber, this isn’t going to be an issue, but I rarely see people doing that.

You Will Bore Your Children Right Out of This Sport

I really do believe this, even though I know I’m going to get flak for it. Let’s be clear (again): I am sure that there are plenty of people out there who have successfully taught their kids how to fish by using bobbers and had their kids go on to live long and happy angling lives! I believe you! I really do!

It’s just that I also think that a huge percentage of parents who don’t really know how to fish, but want to try it with their kids, rig up a bobber, kind of throw it out there, and just hope for the best–but the best never comes. I think that’s a recipe for disaster.

Most beginners fishing with a bobber are hedging their bets that a fish will be in the area, or swim by, rather than going out and actively finding them. Again, if you are actually in a good spot, then this doesn’t matter. But if you aren’t, you’re inhibiting your ability to go out and find where the fish are holding so they can be caught more frequently.

Bobbers seem to go hand in hand with lawn chairs, but I’d urge you–if you’re going to use a bobber to try and fish with your kids, leave the lawn chair at home and walk around the pond with them. Make many casts. Try to locate active fish. Keep your kids engaged and enthused.

Bobbers definitely aren’t bad tackle choices, but they aren’t always conducive to keeping your children’s attention. People might say that fishing teaches kids patience, but that’s a relative term. It might gain you about twelve seconds lead time with a four-year-old.

If you brought the lawn chair, I hope you picked a good spot!

Conclusions

Please allow me to briefly sum up the entire article:

I am a bobber snob;
I fear for your children’s sea legs;
Bobbers do work and are actually a great choice in many situations;
All the same, bobbers do tend to be an “all in bet” for beginners;
When the house wins, the kids lose.

Again, I’m biased, but I’ve done a lot of fishing in my day both as a kid, and as an adult with children by my side. Bobbers were never the source of my most memorable moments, though perhaps they were for you.

If you want to try other techniques that don’t rely on bobbers, consider doing a little homework on other posts in my website. I do my best to fill them with tips to help you develop your skillset as a parent, and also to develop the fishing skills of your children. You can also check out my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide, which has advice on fishing with your kids.

I hope you found this article helpful, or at least somewhat amusing. If you did, please consider sharing it so it can help (or amuse) others.

Thanks,

John Paxton

How Do You Land a Fish Without a Net? 6 Ways That Work

There’s going to come a day when you don’t have your net. Maybe you efigured you didn’t need it and left it at home. Perhaps your kid dropped it in the water. Given Murphy’s Law, that will probably be the same day that someone in the boat hooks the largest fish of their life. So, how do you land a fish without a net?

There are six good ways to land a fish without a net: (1) Grab the fish by its mouth. (2) Cradle the fish by its belly. (3) Lift the fish by the back. (4) Grab the fish by its gill plate. (5) Swing them in the boat. (6) Fashion a lasso of sorts and loop it around the fish.

Let’s take a closer look at these options so you are ready when the time comes to land a fish by hand.

Assess the Situation to Choose the Best Response

Before you decide on one of those five options, you need to assess the situation. You have three main concerns:

The type of fish on the line, and if it has teeth or other sharp defenses;
What type of lure you’re using, and where the fish is hooked;
What is best for the fish.

You’re not going to want to lip a northern pike as you’ll end up losing your finger. Likewise, you’d need to be careful about going for the back of a neck of a bullhead, as you could be painfully finned.

You also need to consider where the hook is attached before you stick your hand near the fish. For example, it would make little sense to approach the left gill plate if there was a hook dangling right next to it.

Finally, you need to consider the fish itself. If you intend to release the fish after a photo, then you need to do your best to ensure its well-being. A very large fish shouldn’t be lifted from its mouth of gill plate without also supporting its body.

I’d also like to make it clear that you should never attempt to drag a fish onto shore. This will rub off their protective slime and could push rocks, twigs, and other debris into their gills. This would be disastrous for their health and they might perish soon after.

As exciting as the whole situation is, you need to remember to look before you act. Try to make the safest decision possible for you and the fish. In another post I mentioned several species-specific safety tips for fishing with kids.

1. Land a Fish by Its Mouth

Certain fish, like bass, can be held by the mouth. This is a common way to land fish without a net, and the method often employed in B.A.S.S. Elite tournaments that don’t allow their anglers to use a net.

The most common place to grab is their lower lip. For smaller fish, this is usually done by placing your thumb inside the mouth and pinching it tightly against your pointer and middle finger, which remain on the outside.

I’ll sometimes reverse the hold for larger fish, and place my four main fingers into its mouth and press against my thumb which is on the outside. This might not look as great for photos, but it gives me a better hold.

Whatever you choose, it puts you in a predicament. After all, didn’t the fish just eat the lure with their mouth? You want to be very careful and understand if you truly have room to reach in and grab the mouth. If you misjudge, you could be hooked yourself.

When you do latch on, you’d better latch on HARD. Ensure that the fish can’t shake off and immediately jab you. There are few situations worse than finding yourself connected to the thrashing head of a powerful fish by the same treble hook.

If you’re not careful, you can also hurt the fish by doing this. When lifting a bass by the mouth it is very important that you try to lift as vertically as possible. If you lift it at a 3/4 angle, you’ll put undue stress on its jaw and run the risk of breaking the only method it has to eat.

If you need to hold it this way, you want to support its body by the belly at the same time. Failing to do this will mean that most of the weight of the fish is pulling down on the jaw, stretching and stressing it.

*When grabbing a bass by the mouth, ensure that you hold it vertically to minimize chance of injury to the fish.*

2. Land a Fish by Its Belly

You’ll often see professional fishermen fight a fish over to the side of their bass boat, sit down in the drivers seat, and then lean over their boat to cradle the fish in their arm and lift the fish out by its belly.

While this is a good way to get wet, it’s also much safer for you than trying to fit your fingers perfectly into a mouth that’s full of hooks. Thus, it can be an ideal way to land fish if you forget your net.

It also is ideal if you’re using very light line or the fish isn’t hooked very well. This is because when you try to grab a fish by the mouth, you have a tendency to pull the fish’s head up out of the water to get a better angle. If you try and do this with light line or a fish that’s barely hooked, the lack of water supporting the weight of either could spell disaster.

This technique also seems to calm bass down–especially smallmouth. This is good because smallmouth tend to fight like crazy all the way to the boat. If you can cradle them under their belly, they lose a lot of this fight and start cooperating better. This makes it more likely that you can manage to get them in the boat.

*Larger fish should be supported by their belly. It’s also a much more practical way of getting some into the boat, like gar.*

3. Grabbing a Fish by the Back

Some fish, like bullhead and smaller catfish, are best held by their back. This is because these fish have sharp spines on their dorsal and pectoral fins that can leave quite the welt.

To accomplish this, brace the webbing between your pointer finger and thumb against the dorsal spine so the tip of it can’t harm you as seen in the photo below.

Ensure you're careful about spiny dorsal fins on catfish and bullhead lest you get spined while trying to land or handle these fish without a net! — *Catfish aren’t the easiest fish to land without a net, but it is possible.*

4. Land the Fish by Its Gill Plate

Northern pike and other toothy critters can be safely lifted by grabbing their gill plate. Note that I said gill plate and not gills. You should never lift a fish by its gills as that will severely injure it (imagine being carried around by your lungs).

This is a full-hand technique where you want to curl your four fingers so your hand resembles a “C” (backwards in the case of your right hand). Your four fingers go into the space between the last gill and the gill plate. The pads of your fingers will press against the gill plate and the back of your fingers would face towards (but do not touch) the last gill.

Because you’re placing your hand awfully close to a mouth full of teeth, this hold can be somewhat intimidating, but it’s important to use this grip with authority so that you can control the fish and prevent it from thrashing.

*Note how my fingers are curled inside the gill plate, allowing a strong grip of this fish.*

It should be noted that this isn’t actually the best way to hold a larger pike. The pressure of hanging vertically can damage their internal organs. A fish much larger than the one above would be better off being held by the gill plate in a more horizontal fashion, while supporting the rest of its body weight further down along its belly.

5. Swing the Fish Into the Boat

You’ll notice that many professional bass fishermen swing their fish into their boats. While this is clearly a favorite method of landing fish for professionals who aren’t allowed to use a net, if you try this yourself under the wrong conditions you’ll quickly find that it doesn’t work for every situation!

The basic theory of this technique is that you use the fish’s own momentum to swing it up in into the boat. This makes this is a split-decision type of thing. As the fish is approaching the boat, try to get a look at how well it is hooked. If you think it is hooked well enough, proceed forward.

Once the fish is on its way to the boat, “choke up” on the rod a bit. Place one hand slightly above the reel seat and the other on the but of the rod to give yourself some more leverage.

As the fish’s head is within range, swing it in with one fluid motion. Do your best to grab the fish while it is in the air and without letting it touch the deck so as to minimize injury to your prize.

Swinging fish into the boat is risky for many reasons:

The hook can tear out from the fish when you start your swing. This is especially likely if the fish is barely hooked or you’re using a thin hook.
The fish’s weight can cause your line to snap.
If you’re attempting this with too large of a fish on too weak of a rod, your rod can break.
You could seriously injure the fish. This is not a gentle way to land them, especially if you let them slam into your boat at the end of the swing.

If you’re going to try this on all but the smallest fish, make sure you have are fishing with a strong hook, strong line, and a strong rod.

6. Who Needs a Net? Land the Fish Using a Lasso

I have never used this technique but apparently it is easy enough for kids to use.

I was recently watching a video of a group of kids using this technique on a giant sturgeon they found while tubing in a local river.

Basically, they tied a noose and managed to loop it around the fish. They then pulled it tight, and dragged the fish to shore as seen in their YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kywVyn-NUAE

I would caution you to check your local regulations before attempting this with any sturgeon that you see. There are many areas in the country where this species is endangered and you aren’t allowed to fish for them, period.

These kids didn’t do anything wrong – they caught it during the open “catch and release” season for the fish in their state. As you can see, did just that. I’m just saying, different states have different rules, so know yours.

Conclusions

There are few things more exciting about having a huge fish on the end of your line. Unfortunately, there are few things more dejecting than realizing that you don’t have a net to land it! Even so, with these six tips, you should have a decent chance to successfully land even large fish without a net so you can take a quick photo.

If this all seems a bit much for you, by all means purchase a net. In general, it will be safer for you and for the fish if you use one, but bear in mind that there are also things that can go wrong there. I wrote another post that discusses how to net a fish that you can check out once you own one.

As always, if you found this article helpful, please consider sharing it so it can help others. If you enjoyed these tips, consider purchasing my book for many more.

Thanks,

John Paxton