When I go fishing, I use the right gear: 8lb leader, 3-6 ft long, 12 lb main line, one small corkie, I have no problem hooking the fish, they stay on for good amount of time, I don;t horse the fish in I let it do what it wants but I still end up losing it and it drives me crazy. My last 3 fishing trips I have lost 6 fish, they always break my leader or throw the hook. WHATS HAPPENING!?!?

Sharpen your hooks maybe?? Are you tying your own leaders? Maybe the knot isnt to good.

what kind of hooks you using? If you dont go to often, sometimes its best to just go out and buy the best you can. one guy i know buys only gami's for salmon unless hes constantly going. in that case he just buys the laser sharpened eagles. He told me not to use the eagles though untill i get better, mostly cause he can play the fish MUCH better, and could probably use a wood hook and land a 15 pound fish if he needed to.

The three main things Id check though are your line (for frays, knots, etc.), knots, and hooks.

curtis

Don't forget to keep your tip up and always never allow slack in the line as your bringing the fish in. A tight line is most important after you hook the fish. That will keep the hook in the mouth and keep it from working it's way loose when they fight. You can't help it much if you catch a silver and it rips through the mouth (they have soft mouths). Best you can hope for on a silver is that you hook it in the upper mouth area around the nose or the bottom jaw area. Anything on the sides is playing with disaster on silvers.

~SFJ

What SIZE hook are you using? If using very small cokies, try going with a smaller hook. The smaller hook will give you faster, deeper penetration, especially if you are hooking them in the bony parts, or if your rod is softer. If you are using big (2/0, 3/0) hooks, you need a rod and line you can drive the hook with.

if they are breaking the leader @ 8# go with 10, and specify what type of line, that may have alot to do with it, if you ever want a smaller diameter line that is extremely strong, try izorline..**berkley boy**

Hello, fellow fisherpersons...

I'm new to the board and wanted to take a minute to introduce myself. I live in the greater Seattle area and have been fishing the local rivers for a couple years. This spring, I bought a fishing rig and have spent most weekends this summer aboard. I've been reading and enjoying the posts on this board for a couple months and have found the information extremely valuable. Thanks to each of you who are willing to share!

I couldn't resist responding to this one... I fished Possession Friday and Sunday nights and lost 4 nice fish! One because my drag was set too tight, but all the others simply threw the hook. FRUSTRATION!! We were using different hooks (Eagle, Gami, and others) on different set-ups, with 20 or 25lb line.

I feel your pain, crazyfisher. I feel your pain.

The good news is that there's some fish out there...in fact, they are still there (at least 4).

We also CNR'd a couple small kings.

Thanks for your input, I will most definitly use it

1. 8lb leader is for after you know how to land em (& only if you HAVE to use it), 4 sure go to 10 lb & i would go to 12 & i know people will scream when i say this but, "unless you're fishing a smaller river & the water is shallow & real clear" 8 vs 10 vs 12 (ande or maxima grade line) is not going affect your bite all that much but will improve your catch ratio ... why hook a fish you stand a good chance of losing on light line? better to perhaps (& that's a big perhaps) miss a bite or two but get the ones you hook...
2. you have to believe you will land it
3. if you're hooking them in fast (more that 3,200 cfm) current, after you hook them, loosen your drag enough so that if they want to run they can & WALK THEM DOWNSTREAM, do not stop walking them downstream (keep rod tip pointed in the direction you're walking) until they are in the frog water (real calm stuff), trying to hold a fish in the current for even a few seconds is dangerous, trying to bring them upstream is suicide...
4. keep the line tight, loose line allows your weight to work the hook out
5. the size of your hook is determined by the size of your corky, the corky cannot be wider than the hook = the barb of your hook must always be just outside the diameter of the corky or you are not too likely to get good hook ups, if the barb is just wider than the corky (i.e. a # 2 hook for the smallest size corky & a # 1 (NOT 1/0) hook for the next size up corky you will be fine with 10 for 99 cent Mustad's (I have proven that for years)
6. don't use hooks you find on the river, don't use hooks you bent back into shape after pulling it out of a snag, every time u re-tie, use a new hook
7. check your entire leader when you get done tieing it & every 25 casts or so, pinch it with your fingers & slide down the full length, pay particular attention to just below the swivel, your weight, more often than not ends up hitting your leader during its travels down the river, denting it up, if you feel any thing at all suspicious, re-tie, constant leader vigilance (even when the bite isn't on) is a hassle but it is a necessary thing
finally, the biggest reason's i've lost fish & seen fish lost is drag too tight (holding the fish in the current)

relax and loosen the drag. If your snapping leaders, its too tight! Remember you can always use your thumb for that little extra pressure when you need it. Most fish I've seen lost has been because people have tried to bring them in before they're ready. Good luck

Thats right chaser, if that drag is doing it's job you should'nt have any troubles there. What types of hooks are u using? Maybe the line isn't tight enough? Theres alof of reasons, or maybe the "water god" has a big feesh in store for you and he doen'st want you to get greedy . (hey, it could happen)

Skeets

I also agree hook size makes a huge difference in keeping the fish on.

I fish from shore for salmon alot and at first i used 3/0 to 4/0 hooks. I lost alot of fish. An old man convinced me to use 0 and 1/0. He was so right.

I took this to the river and it worked well. I never go bigger than a size 2 and usually fish a 4 or 6 and rarely lose fish. I think it just doesn't tear them up as much.

As for the leader, like they say, probably the drag. It should be loose enough so the fish can tear off line easily when you first hook them. Then as they tire, gradually tighten it. Looseing fish can be very frustrating especially steelheading. Lots of time spent only to lose a fish really sucks the big one. Keep your tip up!

My opinion is smaller hooks and lighter rods.I switched from a 8-17lb lamiglass to a 6-12lb g.loomis my sucess rate doubled or trippled.when the fish get in close is when they start to head shake thats when I lost most of my fish. I like a fast action rod for better sensativity.I use trilene line and havent had any problems with line break.also the lighter rod will be a great shock absorber.I use size #2 or#4s most of the time. hope that helps!!!

Are you using Vanish?.....

I got the wet one day and was soaked. The next day I put everything in my vest on the table in the back yard to dry out....absentmindedly leaving my spool of leader out in the sun too. The next several fish I hooked I broke the leaders on....has your leader material been compromised? If not, then I would step up in leader size and change over to another brand.

10 lb leadres to hold them a little closer but buy all means let them run around a bit let the mechanics of the rod tire them change rod angle to keep them off balance some people use bearing before corky to increase bite area also check rod guides for nicks you are in a drift boat or on the bank?