There are some behaviors fish’s exhibit that we always fail to dig into. Sometimes the reason for this attitude is because you feel such an act is “normal.” So when it happens, you don’t give it much attention because you think it’s one of those things fishes do. For instance, have you ever thought of why a bass jump when hooked? I’m sure only a few of you have given that question a deep though, while the rest assume it to be “normal” or irrelevant; but it isn’t.
Bass jumps out of the water when being hooked to try and break loose. It is one of those impulsive acts that is attributed to this fish. This stunt is very effective because air is less dense than water, thus giving the fish the chance to shake its head vigorously in an attempt to break loose.
Have you caught a huge bass only for it to free itself using this common tactic? Ouch! That can be quite painful, especially if you have been out there in the scorching sun fishing for so long. Such a feeling can spoil your day; it can make you feel like something valuable was stolen from you. You see, if you do experience this a lot, after reading this article, you’ll know how to avoid such misfortune and fish like a pro. So stay focused!
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Why Do Bass Jump When Hooked?
When you catch a rat, for instance, or one of those household pests, the first thing they try to do is to escape. So, you often see them haphazardly poking their head in all four corners of whatever you caught them with, trying to find an outlet and escape. Sometimes, they run in circles like a hare on fire. It’s very normal for wild creatures, especially the pesky small ones.
Of course, none of these creatures loves being kidnapped from their glorious habitat, and taken to a weird-looking house where they are cooked (grilled, fried, roasted, or boiled) and served as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or what have you. So, it’s one reason why they struggle, and a bass is no exception.
You see, when you hook a bass, it wouldn’t just stay hooked, let you take it home to complement your stew or soup – no, it’ll put up a fight. And one way it does this is to leap; and that brings us to the common and one of the most ignored questions: why do they jump? Do they feel they can fly? Do they want to bite off your ear as an act of revenge for daring to capture them? What do they wish to achieve by jumping?
Yes! You got it right! They jump to escape from that annoying hook of yours that has found an abode in their mouth. They leap because they don’t want to end up in your pot, which is quite understandable. And as an angler, if you aren’t careful, you may watch in amazement as the fish you hooked lift itself from the water, backflips and escapes from your hook. Nah! It isn’t magic or one of those cooked up stories; it can happen, and the only way to prevent this is by reading further.
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How to Keep Bass From Jumping?
On one cool morning, you decided to hit the water, as usual, hoping to catch a giant bass that you could boast of. After two hours of fishing, you finally captured a bass, and to your amazement, it was a pretty big one. WOW! You get super-excited. However, while trying to reel in the hooked fish, it jumps out of the water, performs one of those Jackie Chan’s stunts, and lands back into the water free from your hook. You see, this painful incident can happen to anyone. And the best way to avoid this is to know how to stop these fishes from jumping. If they can’t leap, there is a huge chance that they wouldn’t be able to escape. So how do you stop them?
When you feel that a hooked bass is about to jump, lower your rod to the side and ensure that your line is firm. As the fish emanates from the water, drag your rod sideways and then down to force the fish back into the water. By doing this, the fish wouldn’t break loose from your hook.
Catching a giant fish and losing it afterwards can be disheartening; it can ruin a perfect day. So, to ensure that your morale remains high when you hit the water, you must learn the art of stopping this fish from jumping.
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Do Striped Bass Jump Out of Water?
Not all fishes jump out of the water. Some fishes don’t even come close to the surface while some enjoy coming to the surface to either take in air or catch their prey. Knowing the habit of a fish can complement your fishing strategy. If you are aware that a certain fish often comes to the surface by a particular time, you should be able to capture such fish easily if you properly utilize the information. With that said, you may want to know if a striped bass, which is one of the most caught basses out there, leaps out of water.
Striped bass jumps out of the water when hunting their prey. If their target is assembled in a specific location on the surface, they swim up and launch their self in an attempt to fill their tummy. Sometimes, they may leap above the water surface.
Now that you are aware that striped bass can project itself out of the water, how do you use this valuable information to your advantage? This information would come in handy when you are positioning your lure. Since you are aware that these fish do leap out of the water, you will want to place your lure on the water surface.
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What to Do When Fish Jumps?
When a fish is hooked, and it leaps, it’s clearly trying to escape. The outcome of this daring stunt is one of these two things. First off, the fish will flee if the deed is successful. On the flip side, the fish will remain hooked if the stunt is unsuccessful. As an angler who is eager not to be unfortunate, it is your job to ensure that the fish’s escape plan isn’t successful. And how do you do that? By simply knowing how to react when the fish jumps.
When a fish jumps out of the water, you will want to ensure that it doesn’t break loose from your hook. First, ensure that your line is firm and direct your rod tip downwards. This will ensure that you control the fish and not the other way round.
Ensure you aren’t among those anglers who simply fret or stare in amazement as a fish leaps out of the water and unhook itself. Once you perceive that it’s going to spring out of the water, ensure you are ready.
Why Are Fish Jumping but Not Biting?
Have you ever set a bait for a fish, only for it to see this attractive bait and ignore it? In fact, sometimes, you can see the fish swimming close to the bait, or even jumping. Yes, JUMPING! Wait a minute. Isn’t the fish supposed to be biting the bait? Well, true; but sometimes things get weird, and these fishes turn bait-phobic overnight or what is the reason behind this weird behavior?
Fishes jump and refuse to bite because of the below reasons:
- The location is crammed with several anglers
- You are not using the appropriate lure
- You are not using the right lure size
- The fish can perceive your scent
- Your retrieve speed is too fast or slow
- It’s nt your day and you should try fishing in shallower or deeper water
Seeing fishes jumping like a bunch of happy kangaroos without paying attention to your bait can be quite frustrating. All types of anglers go through this phase be it a novice or a professional angler. It’s one of those normal things that come with fishing. However, you can minimize its occurrence by doing the needful. Having known the reasons why fishes leap and choose not to bite, you can go ahead and create a strategy that takes these reasons into consideration.