Help Me Think About This. 2025
coots reply :
As you guys know from my introduction, I am legally blind. Please don't think I am after sympathy when I bring this up on the forums. I tell you guys that because I'm trying to figure some other techniques out for certain aspects of fishing that will make me as effective as a normal sighted person.
One lure I am fixing to try and work on is the Senko. Whacky Rig'n really intrigues me. I have developed ways to feel fish while I am texas rigging, top water fishing is easy, other baits where I can 'feel' the fish I have adapted ways to work past.
But looking at videos of Senko's and Whacky Rig'n... one of the biggest things is 'watching the line' as it is sinking. I can't see the line at the end of my pole so, do any of you guys have a suggestion as to how I can overcome this when fishing the Senko Whacky Rigged?
Texas Rigging I try to keep my line tight enough that I can still feel a bite, but slack enough to still sink down in a straight manner. Might be what I have to do w/ the Senko as well.
Any help or ideas is greatly appreciated.
Hyrule Bass reply :
i say just keep doing what you been doing the best you can. without good eyesight, your feeling of the fish is of utmost importance. if you can feel your bait stop falling but are sure its not on the bottom yet, you may have a fish that picked your bait off on the fall...
Crestliner2008 reply :
If you use braid as your main line - with a fluoro leader - you will probably get the "feel" of your Senko as it falls. And certainly any take by a fish. A quality graphite rod will assist your feel as well.
However, don't overlook drop shotting. My now deceased older brother - who was legally blind as well - use to slay them with that rig. His "feel" for the bottom and what was going on with his bait, was exceptional.
coots reply :
On 6/4/2013 at 11:10 PM, Crestliner2008 said:If you use braid as your main line - with a fluoro leader - you will probably get the "feel" of your Senko as it falls. And certainly any take by a fish. A quality graphite rod will assist your feel as well.
However, don't overlook drop shotting. My now deceased older brother - who was legally blind as well - use to slay them with that rig. His "feel" for the bottom and what was going on with his bait, was exceptional.
I will def. look into dropshotting. I love Texas Rig'n and this may be part of why I like it so much. I can relate to him feeling the bottom more. I just attribute it to having to pay more attention to it than maybe someone else would.
I also have excellent hearing. I always score a couple notches higher on hearing test than normal levels. If we can figure out a way to hear fish hitting underwater lures... IM GOLDEN! HAH!
lmbfisherman reply :
For wacky rigging I can't comment, cause I haven't caught a fish yet wacky rigging a senko/stick bait yet!
I would second dropshot, it definitely is a feel technique and you don't need a slack line for that rig. I would also guess Carolina Rig too? Classic all about feeling. I would also think reaction baits would be good too, like using a spinnerbait, swim jig or crankbaits. What you are feeling for there is a thump, vibration is no longer felt (Crankbait and Spinnerbait blades), or just about anything that doesn't feel right when your are reeling them in.
gobig reply :
I would get a good high end rod and use braid with the floro leader as suggested. The nice thing a bought senkos is that the fish tend to hold on to them.
gobig reply :
Another thing that may help is wacky rigging it with a flick shake weighted hook.
anonbassman reply :
Yeah, I think the best part of the senko is that they usually take it and start swimming off with it so you can feel them take the line. You can also keep your finger on the line and usually feel the "pop" of a big one sucking it in.
BuckMaxx reply :
I use a drop shot a lot on a heavy bell sinker (+/- 1/2 oz)The heavy weight enanbles me to put quite a bit of pressure on it. I shake the bait like crazy and never loose contact with the bottom. I pitch this on a spinning rig when fishing docks. Wherever I place the weight I know the bait will be right behind it. I am fishing a evening tourney tonight and our fish are spawning. This is the exact rig I will be using with a lizard about 6" above the weight.It might be a rig that will work well for you.
Ratherbfishing reply :
Don't know where you call home but I would love to take you one place I go. I've often commented to a friend that it is the ideal place for someone with a visual impairment. There are stands of cattails in about 5 feet of water where you can cast almost anywhere in a 360 degree radius (by boat) without getting too badly hung up. It is an ideal place to fish a jig, creature bait, or texas-rigged worm by feel and there are (usually) lots of bass there.
But to answer your questions (or contribute to the answer), using tungsten weights will help feel the bottom while keeping bulky weights to a minimum. Swim jigs are good for giving the impression of a jig but also covering more water. Yum makes a good soft-plastic called a Mighty Bug that has legs which undulate when it is swam along. Braided line will give you better feel with a slow falling bait such as a wacky rigged senko. Using a good graphite 7 or 7.5 foot rod will help keep the line vertical and help with detecting strikes. That's about all I have.
MDP4BASS reply :
I wouldnt throw a senko if you cant see your line on top of the water because you fish the senko with slack line (so you need to see the line for ticks)
Maybe try reaction baits or even top water so you can use your other senses (hearing bass strike on top water) (feeling the bight on a tight line)
Also try to lighten up your rod and reel set so you can feel strikes more, I caught my personal best bass of 5 pounds on a falcon ultra light rod with a shimano stradic 1000 reel on 6 lb monofilament
BUT if you love the senko like me and must keep fishing it i would maybe hold the line with my finger to feel ticks more and def. use lighter rod and reel and line. Or try a bigger senko with a slip sinker and tight line it.
I HOPE THIS HELPS
-MDP
Fishing Rhino reply :
Consider the shaky head type of bait. It is also a "feel" type of bait.
fstr385 reply :
Because senkos sometime take a bit of waiting, Ill always be looking around for fish or places to throw my next cast, not watching my line as it sits. Ill reel the slack and palm my reel and put my index finger under the line. You can feel it go slack, tighten, or thud. Palming it puts less leverage and grip on the rod to keep it "loose" so if my line begins to walk away, my rod will turn in my palm. I like using flouro too, and you get much more feedback to you hands.
Bassun reply :
Senko's are defintely a unique bait and fished most often on a slack line. BUT -- let's be honest... none of us ALWAYS fish them on pure slack or catch every pickup from the line moving. Realistically, your feel will likely be at LEAST as good as someone who has good sight, and probably better since you focus on it more. I think if you utilize a "feely" line, which I'm sure you already do coupled with a "feely" rod" (again, no doubt you have that set up for your worms already) if you fish is with the same droping presentation as your texas rig I figure you will be fine. If you keep a little pressure on the line, then it will cause the bait to "pendulum" in towards you a bit, vs just a strait drop. You may lose a touch of the strike zone, but I think the feel gained will well overshadow any zone lost. Besides, let's be realistic, being visually impared I don't expect you are looking at hitting tiny pockets and must have a perfect cast, and perfect drop to hit a miniscule zone. I would guess your fishing edges of brushpiles vs tiny pockets within (etc). The same wiggle waggle fluttering drop can be had with lite tension on the line as with a free fall. I feel confident if your using it in the right places, at the right times a little resistence will not hurt your production. Chances are, you fishing by feel will pick up more than most of us fishing by watching for a line twitch. I know I've actually closed my eyes at times finess fishing with worms when I'm having trouble figuring out whats on the bottom...
Good luck, and Tight Lines!
coots reply :
Thanks so much for the response here guys. It really does give me a lot to think about. Some really great suggestions. I also look forward to being part of this community for quite some time. Good stuff!
Hogsticker reply :
I'm gonna go against the grain here and suggest a high quality fluoro such as Tatsu or Shooter. These lines get the nod for slack line sensitivity vs. braid. That's about all they're good for IMO, so make sure you wanna invest the money and fish the wacky rig.
GeorgiaBassBros reply :
Its great that youre out fishing but just out of curiosity, no disrespect intended, how do you know where to cast and such? I am just genuinely curious as i have never heard of a blind man fishing.
coots reply :
On 6/5/2013 at 10:38 AM, GeorgiaBassBros said:Its great that youre out fishing but just out of curiosity, no disrespect intended, how do you know where to cast and such? I am just genuinely curious as i have never heard of a blind man fishing.
I would be delighted to answer your question, and none taken on the disrespect. I get the questions all the time in my day-to-day life. I hope you've got a second or two 
When I was 12 I was diagnosed with an eye condition known by the name Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). If you would like to read more about it and see a couple pictures of "How I see" you can visit this website here: http://www.blindness.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=67
Currently there are no cures for RP, however, there is some amazing research using some cutting edge technology along with some gene therapy and stem cell research to correct the problem.
So basically what happens is that my rods and cones don't get the proper things they need to survive in their normal scenarios that normal sighted people have and eventually die off. Photoreceptors end up dying and vision is lost. Right now my current vision is down to only 8 degrees of sight left. My peripheral vision has all but gone away as well as me being VERY night blind and slightly to moderately color blind. One of the best ways to describe it is like seeing through two straws. Along with the photoreceptors dying off, there are these 'flashing blobs' or what some people refer to as migraine aura. It's these neon flashing lights that are constantly in my vision, almost translucent that just sit there and flash... all day... everyday..... even with my eyes closed.
So the disease just gets progressively worse. As a teen I was able to drive, go on dates, live a 'fairly' normal life, which I am thankful for. As a young adult (30) things have progressed to be a serious issue in day to day operations of life, however, you learn to adapt and make the best out of what you do got. I have excellent heightened other senses. My hearing is outstanding. On hearing test I can hear a couple more of the lower 'beeps' than normal people can. The hearing Dr. was pretty amazed by that, although not to uncommon for people with vision problems. Also my instincts to be able to react without sight are incredible. Not bragging there but they just are. I've actually caught things out of the air that were dropped by myself and others before it hit the ground just out of instinct reactions. I'm able to navigate without a cane and do other things just by my hearing, instincts to feel with my feet and stuff. Although the cane does help in a lot of situations.
So how does this relate to fishing? How do you cast a lure? How do you know WHERE to cast? All valid questions. Here's the answers.
Fishing is actually one of the most popular hobbies for sight impaired people. Especially pan fishing. It's all about feeling the fish and not having to see anything really. Walk out on the dock or the edge of the bank... fish away. With the help of someone like my wife, or whatever family is with me, I know that I am in open waters with no trees or anything to mess with me and we'll have a blast.
Now bass fishing out of a boat on the Tennessee River has it's challenges. Givin' that most of the time we're fishing cover, banks with overhanging trees etc. My fishing partner in the club is my dad. They actually made a special rule to let me and him fish together permanently instead of me having to swap partners each trip out. So dad has throughout the years figured out how to position the boat to use the sight that I do have left. You may or may not believe me but I've learned to cast with the spinnerbait motion that you see in bassresources video for trying to lay a spinnerbait silently into the water, with about every lure.... a really low trajectory so that if I do sling it to far, it's not sitting in the top of a tree on the bank. Although I do still hit the bank or a tree or something time to time. Being able to use my instincts and judge the power of a throw or hit a certain area where I actually can still see something is one of the key's to my success.... I have to be accurate or it's going to be a miserable time digging lures out all day.
So I hope that answers some of your questions and I'll be glad to answer anymore y'all guys have. So to sum it all up, I am legally blind, not COMPLETELY blind. Only 8 degrees of vision left. I'll give some links below to some videos and some pictures of what it's like for me to see. Not all RP is the same, but these are the closest representations I have at the moment.
PIC 1
PIC 2
YouTube Video 2
You Tube 4 (This will give some sort of semi-idea of how the flashes work. Mine are much brighter than that and more pulsating)
Anyway, hope you can combine all of that into something that you can figure out what it's like.
Loop_Dad reply :
On 6/5/2013 at 8:02 AM, Hogsticker said:I'm gonna go against the grain here and suggest a high quality fluoro such as Tatsu or Shooter. These lines get the nod for slack line sensitivity vs. braid. That's about all they're good for IMO, so make sure you wanna invest the money and fish the wacky rig.
x2 about going flouro. Stren has hi-vis clear blue which makes it easier to see in low light situation, might help you for closer range.
Chuck D reply :
You have the potential to fish with your "eyes" in an entirely different way than most normal sighted people do. Visual distractions are a very real thing in all bottom bouncing applications and why so many people fail to detect bites; they are not paying attention... Feel is of the utmost importance and knowing what your bait is doing in any subsurface technique is one if not the main key to being very good at it.
I personally fish with my eyes closed often while trying to dial in a certain feel as my bait touches structure/cover. There are certain things like football head jigs, drop shots (unless I am watching my graphs for visual fish strikes too), shakey head fishing, and even as you mentioned open water senko fishing (which I do with a nail weight as that helps get the bait down deeper faster and also provides some "weight" to the line which creates better feel so that I can "see" with my hands) that can be of a real advantage to you. Leave boat position and fish location to your boater and you focus on execution. You'd be a phenomenal tournament partner to fish the depths while the other angler ran search baits around locating fish and you could clean up the tougher and often bigger fish who need to be coaxed often.
Rods and line type are going to be critical to you as they are to me as I fish heavily pressured waters and detecting the slightest "tick" or "bump" is critical so I use very sensitive rods and florocarbon line or braid to floro exclusively while I keep constant tension on my line for the best transmission to my hands. I personally am a Dobyns rod fan and Sunline floro fan for those reasons among others but there are lots of great rods/line to choose from. Those 2 work best for me.
That all said; try some of these as new techniques to learn and develop "feel" on:
- Drop shotting (casting and dragging as well as vertical drop shotting; think outside the box on ways to use this bait as it's deadly)
- Shakey head fishing (use different jig head weights to develop certain feel variations for water depths, cover types, structure, etc)
- Nail weighting senkos (keeps more tension on your line "tightlining" which will help you detect bits on the fall. Gets as many if not more bites because you can feel them!
- Football head jigs (dragging across structure)
- Biffle Head variations (senkos, flukes, creature baits, etc can all be used on this and it's a great bottom search bait)
- Jika Rigs (same as above and can be as versatile as a drop shot but with heavier tackle)
- Deep/heavy swim baits (1oz heads with 4-6" soft plastic bodies for bottom reaction strikes)
- Cranking structure (deep cranking points, humps, drops, shell beds, etc) Most people are very poor at this and don't take the time to really learn what their crank bait is telling them as it "dredges" the bottom vs just chunking and winding and hoping for a bite. Good crank bait fisherman can feel fish "pushing" their bait or swimming with it long before the rod loads up.
You actually have a distinct advantage in that your sense of "feel" is probably exponentially better than the average angler because your brain has adapted and that's a very real advantage in fishing. Keep experimenting and keep fishing!!!!
coots reply :
Again, thank you guys for your responses. It takes time out of y'alls day to respond to all my questions and time is pretty short for most these days.
Chuck D, that was an excellent post. I have read it over a couple times and it has given me a lot of insight.
Reading your last part kind of made me laugh. My current employer, actually the owner stopped me one day and actually said to me (after solving an issue we were having at the time with some logistics and internal issues) - "Brad, you know this is why I hired you and why you stay here, right?" It caught me off guard and I guess my facial expression implied such, he went on to say that while I am limited in my eye sight it gives me different perspectives and the ability to stop and think differently with a critical mindset. Anyway, thought that was funny you said that.
-Brad
GeorgiaBassBros reply :
On 6/5/2013 at 10:29 PM, coots said:I would be delighted to answer your question, and none taken on the disrespect. I get the questions all the time in my day-to-day life. I hope you've got a second or two
When I was 12 I was diagnosed with an eye condition known by the name Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). If you would like to read more about it and see a couple pictures of "How I see" you can visit this website here: http://www.blindness.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=67
Currently there are no cures for RP, however, there is some amazing research using some cutting edge technology along with some gene therapy and stem cell research to correct the problem.
So basically what happens is that my rods and cones don't get the proper things they need to survive in their normal scenarios that normal sighted people have and eventually die off. Photoreceptors end up dying and vision is lost. Right now my current vision is down to only 8 degrees of sight left. My peripheral vision has all but gone away as well as me being VERY night blind and slightly to moderately color blind. One of the best ways to describe it is like seeing through two straws. Along with the photoreceptors dying off, there are these 'flashing blobs' or what some people refer to as migraine aura. It's these neon flashing lights that are constantly in my vision, almost translucent that just sit there and flash... all day... everyday..... even with my eyes closed.
So the disease just gets progressively worse. As a teen I was able to drive, go on dates, live a 'fairly' normal life, which I am thankful for. As a young adult (30) things have progressed to be a serious issue in day to day operations of life, however, you learn to adapt and make the best out of what you do got. I have excellent heightened other senses. My hearing is outstanding. On hearing test I can hear a couple more of the lower 'beeps' than normal people can. The hearing Dr. was pretty amazed by that, although not to uncommon for people with vision problems. Also my instincts to be able to react without sight are incredible. Not bragging there but they just are. I've actually caught things out of the air that were dropped by myself and others before it hit the ground just out of instinct reactions. I'm able to navigate without a cane and do other things just by my hearing, instincts to feel with my feet and stuff. Although the cane does help in a lot of situations.
So how does this relate to fishing? How do you cast a lure? How do you know WHERE to cast? All valid questions. Here's the answers.
Fishing is actually one of the most popular hobbies for sight impaired people. Especially pan fishing. It's all about feeling the fish and not having to see anything really. Walk out on the dock or the edge of the bank... fish away. With the help of someone like my wife, or whatever family is with me, I know that I am in open waters with no trees or anything to mess with me and we'll have a blast.
Now bass fishing out of a boat on the Tennessee River has it's challenges. Givin' that most of the time we're fishing cover, banks with overhanging trees etc. My fishing partner in the club is my dad. They actually made a special rule to let me and him fish together permanently instead of me having to swap partners each trip out. So dad has throughout the years figured out how to position the boat to use the sight that I do have left. You may or may not believe me but I've learned to cast with the spinnerbait motion that you see in bassresources video for trying to lay a spinnerbait silently into the water, with about every lure.... a really low trajectory so that if I do sling it to far, it's not sitting in the top of a tree on the bank. Although I do still hit the bank or a tree or something time to time. Being able to use my instincts and judge the power of a throw or hit a certain area where I actually can still see something is one of the key's to my success.... I have to be accurate or it's going to be a miserable time digging lures out all day.
So I hope that answers some of your questions and I'll be glad to answer anymore y'all guys have. So to sum it all up, I am legally blind, not COMPLETELY blind. Only 8 degrees of vision left. I'll give some links below to some videos and some pictures of what it's like for me to see. Not all RP is the same, but these are the closest representations I have at the moment.
PIC 1
PIC 2
(Now this isn't EXACTLY what it looks like. The brain does an amazing job at tricking me into thinking I can see perfectly normal. That black field isn't there all the time, it's almost a translucent field of vision that my brain takes images of kind of fills in for me, even though I can't see)
YouTube Video 2
You Tube 4 (This will give some sort of semi-idea of how the flashes work. Mine are much brighter than that and more pulsating)
Anyway, hope you can combine all of that into something that you can figure out what it's like.
Thank you for such an informative and in depth response 
My grandfather may have had the same condition as you but he was too stubborn to go to a doctor and eventually just accepted not being able to see. I would imagine having fairly normal vision as a teen really helps a lot now. Sounds like youre doin alright at the moment, compared to what it could be. I wish you the best, they need to get on that research, theres more bass in need of lip piercings 
*Hootie reply :
Do you have difficulty reading and writing these posts?
Hootie
coots reply :
On 6/6/2013 at 11:05 PM, hootiebenji said:Do you have difficulty reading and writing these posts?
Hootie
There is a lot of great technology developed for computers, smart phones etc that allow me to stay connected fairly well. I have issues finding the mouse pointed quite often, so I only assume it takes me a bit longer to navigate than it does most people. As far as reading, I've got more vision in my right eye than my left. So my brain has tricked itself enough to be able to read with only one eye focused. So I can read OK, it just takes me longer to read than a normal person. Different browsers allow me to install custom themes that change colors and contrast automatically. So that helps.
I am an IT Analyst (Cisco CCNA Certified) and that is what my job mostly does. So the IT field is where i stay most of the time. I use command line more than I do GUI when I'm actually doing work because I can type a lot better and faster than I can navigate w/ a mouse and pointer.
I know that's a long response to a simple question. So basically, yeah it's harder for me than a normal person I would say, but not impossible.
Bassun reply :
This is probably already known, but google up "mouse locator". If you're not familiar it's a little tool to help track down the mouse, etc.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Would you be able to see a Hi Vis braided line? If so a bright yellow or green braided line with a fluoro leader could be a possibility. The part about the migraine aura about made me sick just thinking about it. I get aura migraines and the flashing lights in my left eye is the first signal that I'm getting one, it's all downhill from there.
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