Retrieval time 2025
Wizzlebiz reply :
Hello folks back again with questions people are ashamed to ask but not me! Id prefer to get better than be scared of what folks will say.
What do you consider a general retrieval time for each lure you throw? Lets assume you have casted 50 yards with each lure.
Here is a list please add the time you feel is appropriate for each situation.
1. Weightless senko dragged then paused. (Add time of pause please)
2. same with a hop back to you
3. Spinner
4. jig dragged
5. Jig hopped
6. Chatter bait
7. Swimbait
I am wildly aware that all of these can be done fast or slow. What I am looking for is the different answers so I have specific applications to try for each lure.
Edit: after numerous responses I would like to change the question. Give me something specific to try that is your go to if nothing else is working speed wise.
Thanks
GreenPig reply :
You must consult the fish for those answers.
Wizzlebiz reply :
On 9/19/2019 at 9:02 AM, GreenPig said:You must consult the fish for those answers.
About as helpful as a thorn in the butt.
Thanks
MN Fisher reply :
On 9/19/2019 at 8:57 AM, Wizzlebiz said:I am wildly aware that all of these can be done fast or slow. What I am looking for is the different answers so I have specific applications to try for each lure.
It depends on numerous factors
1) Weather that day
2) Time of year
3) Water conditions - temp, clarity, etc
4) Cover conditions - weeds, structure, etc
5) How hungry the fish are at the time you're out on the water/bank
Best you can do is try different retrieves. If I'm running a spinnerbait, I'll vary speed and running depth, If it's a crankbait - same thing. Jerkbait, I'll vary up the pauses or even sometimes just straight retrieve.
You can't know beforehand what type of retrieve is going to trigger a strike - so you have to be flexible.
Hammer 4 reply :
Hate to say it, but there are to many variables involved to give a iron clad answer. Spending time with each lure and varying your retrieves is the way most of us old timers learned, way before the interwebs could show you how. Watch some of the youtube stuff, there's a lot to be learned.
papajoe222 reply :
I vary retrieve type and times, sometimes on the same cast, until I find what, if anything, works. I'll start with a couple of turns of the reel handle per second and that equates to approximately 60in. or 5ft. 150ft=30 seconds. Dragging is a whole different ballgame as I'll often dead stick somewhere during the retrieve.
Joshua van Wyk reply :
On 9/19/2019 at 9:06 AM, Wizzlebiz said:About as helpful as a thorn in the butt.
Thanks
He’s not wrong, the best thing you can do is experiment and see what the fish like. If throwing it slow isn’t working then speed up and vice versa.
Glaucus reply :
Too many variables. There is no typical answer. It's different every time.
813basstard reply :
Bass fishing is mostly art.
Dont be afraid to get a little paint on the walls.
BassNJake reply :
I'm never dragging a weightless senko- the reason I throw a weightless anything is the slowness it has on the fall.
Wait for it to fall, give it a hop to pull it higher in the water column and let it fall back down
If I'm dragging something(jig, texas rig, shakey head) I almost always start with giving it some time to soak after hitting the bottom while I'm watching/feeling the line. As I drag it when I come to something that offers resistance I try to shake it al little and then give it a "pop'. a lot of times the popping will trigger the bass to strike.
Watching the last video by @James Niggemeyer you can see him running the line over his finger to feel the bite.
I was taught to do this when I was younger and has stuck with me today.
Don't see many people that do it anymore
bagofdonuts reply :
I'll try , but agree there are way too many variables to give complete answer.
On baits that are target specific (i.e. not search baits) like a jig, I rarely fish them all the way to the boat. I am targeting fish that are tight to cover. So, pitch, cast, skip, or flip it in there let it fall then shake it, hop it, drag it a little to try to determine how they want it while keeping it in the strike zone. Then I real it up and hit the next target. Once you get bit try to copy the action. If your getting bit while reeling up for the next target switch to a moving bait.
Spinnerbait - generally i fish it just fast enough so I can still see it beneath the water, try running it into something and then kill it, also give it a pop of the rod occasionally to flare the skirt. there are exceptions : in the early spring i pitch a single colorado blade like a jig and let it fall through the cover on semi-slack line, reel up and pitch again; and there are times (especially late fall) when a "slow rolled" spinnerbait is the way to go.
Chatterbait- my best results are to use these in weedy cover. Fish it slow enough to hit the top of the weeds and then rip it out. Bites come after you pop it off a weed and the bait pauses and falls.
That should get you started. Experiment and let the bass tell you how to retrieve. Sometimes the most subtle difference makes them bite.
I'll add - the biggest mistake i see people i take fishing make with jigs or texas rigs is being in too big of a hurry to start the retrieve. The number one reason your using a slow bait is because the bass aren't in the mode to chase your bait down. You've made the perfect cast, don't be in a hurry to get the bait out of there. Let it soak a bit, make sure you don't already have a bass on, then impart some action.
fishballer06 reply :
What's with all these mid-January questions this week?
Fishes in trees reply :
Son, lead off with one question at a time. Your posts has hundreds, if not thousands of questions in it. It is pretty easy to get off track - like I'm going to do now. First, to echo a prior post - I never drag a senko. I throw to an object ( what ever that might be in my mind at that moment ) and let it drop. That's it, no twitches, flips, anything like that, just let it drop. I liken it to throwing a knuckleball in that after you turn it lose you got to trust it. When it hits the bottom, I let it set for a short while, then pull it up quick. I might stop half way back for a second or two, might not. I have had days when the pause at the half way back retrieve was the ticket.
Other baits, I'm not very good at spinnerbaits, although I upgraded my gear quite a bit this year in an attempt to get better. All I can tell you about retrieve speeds is that if I can see the bait real well, I'm unlikely to get bit. If I can't see the bait at all, I don't get bit very often. My best retrieve speed with spinnerbaits (I generally throw half ounce) is when I can very occasionally see the flash of the blade. I generally fish in relatively clear water, with a secci disc reading of 3' to 5.5' most of the time.
Wizzlebiz reply :
On 9/19/2019 at 10:18 PM, BassNJake said:I'm never dragging a weightless senko- the reason I throw a weightless anything is the slowness it has on the fall.
Wait for it to fall, give it a hop to pull it higher in the water column and let it fall back down
If I'm dragging something(jig, texas rig, shakey head) I almost always start with giving it some time to soak after hitting the bottom while I'm watching/feeling the line. As I drag it when I come to something that offers resistance I try to shake it al little and then give it a "pop'. a lot of times the popping will trigger the bass to strike.
Watching the last video by @James Niggemeyer you can see him running the line over his finger to feel the bite.
I was taught to do this when I was younger and has stuck with me today.
Don't see many people that do it anymore
Thank you. This is helpful.
On 9/19/2019 at 11:14 PM, fishballer06 said:What's with all these mid-January questions this week?
New to fishing trying to figure some stuff out.
On 9/19/2019 at 11:55 PM, Fishes in trees said:Son, lead off with one question at a time. Your posts has hundreds, if not thousands of questions in it. It is pretty easy to get off track - like I'm doing to do now. First, to echo a prior post - I never drag a senko. I throw to object ( what ever that might be in my mind at that moment ) and let it drop. That's it, no twitches, flips, anything like that, just let it drop. I liken it to throwing a knuckleball in that after you turn it lose you got to trust it. When it hits the bottom, I let it set for a short while, then pull it up quick. I might stop half way back for a second or two, might not. I have had days when the pause at the half way back retrieve was the ticket.
Other baits, I'm not very good at spinnerbaits, although I upgraded my gear quite a bit this year in an attempt to get better. All I can tell you about retrieve speeds is that if I can see the bait real well, I'm unlikely to get bit. If I can't see the bait at all, I don't get bit very often. My best retrieve speed with spinnerbaits (I generally throw half ounce) is when I can very occasionally see the flash of the blade. I generally fish in relatively clear water, with a secci disc reading of 3' to 5.5' most of the time.
Thank you. I will give these a shot.
Choporoz reply :
On 9/19/2019 at 8:57 AM, Wizzlebiz said:What do you consider a general retrieval time for each lure you throw?
As you've already learned, this isn't easy to answer. But the fact that you are asking means you're a lot farther along than you let on.
My answer....for me....is almost always 'too fast'. I fish fast. Crazy to think that someone that can spend 12 hours at a time FISHING has so little patience....but that is me. I've gotten better, but I still need to make a conscious decision to slow down many days. Just recently I was out in kayaks with my wife. I was getting skunked. She was getting bit. I paddled over and found that she was (unlike some descriptions above) casting a senko and letting it sit. I wouldn't even say it was a slow retrieve. She would lift her rod tip up, set it down and then do absolutely nothing with it for up to a couple minutes at a time. I cannot do that. But I did manage to get bit by letting it sit for what seemed like minutes at a time, though in reality was probably rarely longer than 15 or 20 seconds.
If I'm targeting a small spot, such as a single branch in a laydown or a 2 foot diameter depression, I may let a jig or worm set for just a couple seconds early in the day, but will easily adjust longer until I start getting bit. Rarely more than about 6-7 seconds, though. Dragging down ledges and down and across points or featureless areas where I have less confidence there's a fish 'right there'....I typically keep moving my bait, even if fairly slowly. Might be a lift, drop, sit for a couple seconds, but compared to others, I suspect that I move my bait somewhat quickly.
Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits largely depend on the conditions. I'd like them to be ticking grass or branches or pilings, typically, so speed is more dependent on the environment than the fish. Sometimes I want them popping off the bottom, so they will be stopped at times to sink and set for a second or two.
I know that it is rarely, if ever, true that I've had better luck by fishing faster....and I often do better when I slow down...but, it is a challenge for me.
And don't even ask me about drop shotting.....I'm the owl from the Tootsie Pop commercials that were on when I was young
Wizzlebiz reply :
On 9/20/2019 at 12:58 AM, Choporoz said:As you've already learned, this isn't easy to answer. But the fact that you are asking means you're a lot farther along than you let on.
My answer....for me....is almost always 'too fast'. I fish fast. Crazy to think that someone that can spend 12 hours at a time FISHING has so little patience....but that is me. I've gotten better, but I still need to make a conscious decision to slow down many days. Just recently I was out in kayaks with my wife. I was getting skunked. She was getting bit. I paddled over and found that she was (unlike some descriptions above) casting a senko and letting it sit. I wouldn't even say it was a slow retrieve. She would lift her rod tip up, set it down and then do absolutely nothing with it for up to a couple minutes at a time. I cannot do that. But I did manage to get bit by letting it sit for what seemed like minutes at a time, though in reality was probably rarely longer than 15 or 20 seconds.
If I'm targeting a small spot, such as a single branch in a laydown or a 2 foot diameter depression, I may let a jig or worm set for just a couple seconds early in the day, but will easily adjust longer until I start getting bit. Rarely more than about 6-7 seconds, though. Dragging down ledges and down and across points or featureless areas where I have less confidence there's a fish 'right there'....I typically keep moving my bait, even if fairly slowly. Might be a lift, drop, sit for a couple seconds, but compared to others, I suspect that I move my bait somewhat quickly.
Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits largely depend on the conditions. I'd like them to be ticking grass or branches or pilings, typically, so speed is more dependent on the environment than the fish. Sometimes I want them popping off the bottom, so they will be stopped at times to sink and set for a second or two.
I know that it is rarely, if ever, true that I've had better luck by fishing faster....and I often do better when I slow down...but, it is a challenge for me. And don't even ask me about drop shotting.....I'm the owl from the Tootsie Pop commercials when I was young
You have decsribed me perfectly in you assessment of yourself. Thank you for the response. What I got out of this is I need to slow my roll basically on everything. I have found much like yourself I like to fish fast. For hours on end. But I want and need to get better at the slower side of things. I want to be well rounded but my need for instant gratification seems to dictate my speed.
Koz reply :
I'll pick an area to cast, evaluate what bait I want to throw, then make multiple casts covering that area using the same retrieve. If I don't get bit I'll cover that area doing another type of retrieve. If I'm feeling patient that day I may cover that same area again with different retrieve types. If I'm not feeling patient I'll try another bait or move on to a new spot.
Wizzlebiz reply :
On 9/19/2019 at 7:47 PM, 813basstard said:Bass fishing is mostly art.
Dont be afraid to get a little paint on the walls.
Ive been painting qith a wide angle brush this entire summer. Now its time for some detail work. I just want some stuff to follow that I may not do now to improve my painting.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
I don’t even fish all those you mentioned, so I can’t give you the definitely answer, only experiment would help. I drag, hop, double hop, jerk, big jerk, let it soak for as long as I could.
One thing I know for sure I wouldn’t cast senko 50yds out. I would get tired of hoping, draging and jerking by the time Senko comes into most strike zone which is 10’ - 20 yds from shore.
WRB reply :
90% of the bass anglers rarely cast over 30 yards, so let's start by reducing the distance.
1. Senko, let fall to the bottom, move it about 3'-5' between 30 to 60 seconds, reel in and make another cast. Pace is nearly dead stick to slow.
2. See 1.
3. Spinner....what type? Spinner bait see 6.
4. Jig dragged, I move jigs with the reel,usually 1 turn and phase then shake the rod tip and repeat varing the pace until I get a strike. Pace is usually slow to moderate.
5. See 4.
6. Chatter bait same as a spinnerbait, steady pace varing speeds until I get a strike. Pace is usually moderate.
7. swimbait, similar to a jig retrieve by turning the reel handle 1 to 3 turns, pause followed by a rod sweep about 1' to change lure direction and repeat vary pace until a strike or follow occurs. Pace is usually slow.
Pace or cadence is a big variable that only time on the water can determine and it changes hourly.
Tom
senile1 reply :
@Wizzlebiz, I think this is a great question. One angler's "slow" could be another angler's "moderate." Retrieval time is dependent on the speed in which the reel handle is turned, the inches per turn of the reel, and the length of the cast. The inches per turn is affected by characteristics such as the reel's gear ratio, the diameter of the spool, and how much line is on the spool. If sweeps of the rod are used to move a lure, the length of the rod, speed and distance of the sweep, and pauses between sweeps come into play as well. Often, we use terms such as slow, fast, and moderate to describe retrieval speeds, but those descriptions don't provide much information to an angler trying to learn. I am guilty as anyone of using these terms.
As others have stated, retrieval speed varies based on conditions and the activity level of the bass so the answer is a continuum from the slowest retrieval to the fastest used. Keeping that in mind, below are my answers noting the slowest and fastest actions taken.
- Typically, I let a senko type worm soak for 20 to 30 seconds before making a slight movement. When bass are very active I will cut this to 10 seconds. When they are lethargic, I might let it sit for a minute. After the initial dead stick time, I move it ever so slightly and let it fall again, and then dead stick it again as mentioned above. I do this until the lure has left the target area where I think a bass would be and then I reel it in.
- See number 1.
- I am assuming you are referring to a spinnerbait. My fastest retrieve would be to bulge the surface. I can't tell you the time of the retrieval but you know you are going the right speed when your spinnerbait is bulging the water at the surface. The slowest speed would be slow enough to be just above the bottom and keeping the blades turning, or a slow roll. You determine this speed by going so slow that you hang or hit bottom, and then speed up just enough that you are no longer hitting bottom.
- For dragging jigs, I move them with both the rod and the reel. I usually let the jig sit for 10 seconds or so after it hits bottom. Then I make a very slight movement and let it sit for 2 to 4 seconds. I will do 3 or 4 of these in a row and then take a longer pause of 5 to 10 seconds. I typically only fish the jig in the target area and might work it a few yards outside that area before I reel it back in. When bass are active my jig often gets hit on the fall or the first, second, or third movements after it hits bottom. When fish are very inactive such as in the dead of winter, my pauses are longer and can reach up to 30 seconds.
- For hopping a jig, I usually only do this mixed in with dragging a jig. If the bass don't seem to want to bite on the drag, I will throw hops in to see if I can trigger a bite on the fall. Pauses again vary similar to number 4 and are based on the perceived activity level of the fish.
- For chatter baits, I fish them similar to number 3 except I rarely fish them as fast. I usually fish them at speeds that allow them to pass just over the tops of cover or the bottom.
- For Swimbaits, I haven't fished the very large ones enough to comment. For hollow body plastic swimbaits like Keitech Swing Fat Impacts, I typically use them for suspended fish or fish that are willing to come up to hit them. I never fish them super fast but keep them at a steady pace slow enough to hold them at the depth I have counted them down to. I'm not sure of how long that retrieve lasts, but making a guess I would say maybe 30 seconds for a 30 yard cast at mid depth. The closer to the bottom I go, the slower I fish them.
I know this leaves a lot out between the slowest and fastest retrieves. You have to work those out based on what you perceive to be the activity level of the fish. And you may find that these speeds do nothing for you. As always, YMMV.
primetime reply :
I like to start slow, then adjust from there for almost everything. Sometimes they will hit a Senko moving fast, but I find it works best when falling, or sitting on bottom after it first hits the water. If Carolina Rigging, I try to sweep the rod to get it to fall as often as possible.....Sometimes you will find out they want a bait fast when reeling it in to make another cast....Fishing fast is fun when you are catching them, but more times than not with plastics, Slow or erratic seems to be the best way to figure it out, trying diffferent cadences and paying attention to when you get a strike.
I have had some trips recently when they would only grab a fluke or senko when it would hit bottom and sit for a good 5-10 seconds. I figured it out accidently, as I usually would just lift it a second or two after it hits bottom or soaks where I made my initial cast, but now I experiment with letting it soak longer after twitching it a few times....
scaleface reply :
When fishing something like a texas rigged plastic worm in shallow cover ,the cast are usually short . I dont dead stick . As soon as the worm touches down , i start working it back . Sometimes I hop it all the way to the boat and sometimes I reel it in as soon as its past the cover . I get a lot of bites though , after that worm has left the cover . I think there are three reasons . Bass are not always tight to the cover , sometimes they follow the lure out and sometimes the visible cover is just the tip of the iceberg . If I'm fishing deeper like on a flat or a point , the cast will be longer and I'll hop it all the way to the boat as long as it doesnt fall off the edge and sinks to deep . . Once again as soon as it settles I start the retrieve . I hop and drop as fast as I can and still remain in contact with the bottom . Thats just the way I fish . It drives me nuts when I'm fishing with somebody who goes slower LOL .
MassYak85 reply :
The biggest thing for me is to just change it up. I'll usually start fast, cause honestly I'm not patient unless I have to be. So a cast could be 15-20 seconds for a moving bait (crank, spinnerbait, etc.). Maybe a minute for a jig or soft plastic. Biggest thing for a soft plastic is I give it at least enough time to fall to the bottom and then I'll give it at least a few hops with a little pause in between. I generally don't work them all the way back to the boat. I'm usually fishing bottom contact baits near a specific piece of cover or along some structure. Once it's out of what I consider the "strike zone" I'm reeling it back and making my next cast.
Then time of year comes into play. Warmer months when the bite is going I can sometimes be fishing lures as fast as the reel will go. Burning baits past cover with slight pauses to make it erratic. But come November if I'm trying to squeak out that last bite before ice-in, I might be fishing a jerkbait with 20+ second pauses in between twitches. I mean if you really want to soak it in a spot you're confident in a cast could be 5-10 minutes at that point.
frogflogger reply :
Here's my take - whatever you have tied on fish fast , if nothing shows start slowing down and or playing with erratic retrieves - I've caught some big bass zipping a senko across the tops of lily pads - but 99% of the time I will just let them fall and do their thing.
It's bass fishing - the critters will let you know- just keep trying and don't be afraid to try crazy retrieves.
Wizzlebiz reply :
On 9/20/2019 at 3:16 AM, WRB said:90% of the bass anglers rarely cast over 30 yards, so let's start by reducing the distance.
1. Senko, let fall to the bottom, move it about 3'-5' between 30 to 60 seconds, reel in and make another cast. Pace is nearly dead stick to slow.
2. See 1.
3. Spinner....what type? Spinner bait see 6.
4. Jig dragged, I move jigs with the reel,usually 1 turn and phase then shake the rod tip and repeat varing the pace until I get a strike. Pace is usually slow to moderate.
5. See 4.
6. Chatter bait same as a spinnerbait, steady pace varing speeds until I get a strike. Pace is usually moderate.
7. swimbait, similar to a jig retrieve by turning the reel handle 1 to 3 turns, pause followed by a rod sweep about 1' to change lure direction and repeat vary pace until a strike or follow occurs. Pace is usually slow.
Pace or cadence is a big variable that only time on the water can determine and it changes hourly.
Tom
These have been extremely hepful. Alot of learning this week following exactly what you stated here. And a bunch of bass caught. Thank you.
On 9/22/2019 at 3:08 AM, senile1 said:@Wizzlebiz, I think this is a great question. One angler's "slow" could be another angler's "moderate." Retrieval time is dependent on the speed in which the reel handle is turned, the inches per turn of the reel, and the length of the cast. The inches per turn is affected by characteristics such as the reel's gear ratio, the diameter of the spool, and how much line is on the spool. If sweeps of the rod are used to move a lure, the length of the rod, speed and distance of the sweep, and pauses between sweeps come into play as well. Often, we use terms such as slow, fast, and moderate to describe retrieval speeds, but those descriptions don't provide much information to an angler trying to learn. I am guilty as anyone of using these terms.
As others have stated, retrieval speed varies based on conditions and the activity level of the bass so the answer is a continuum from the slowest retrieval to the fastest used. Keeping that in mind, below are my answers noting the slowest and fastest actions taken.
- Typically, I let a senko type worm soak for 20 to 30 seconds before making a slight movement. When bass are very active I will cut this to 10 seconds. When they are lethargic, I might let it sit for a minute. After the initial dead stick time, I move it ever so slightly and let it fall again, and then dead stick it again as mentioned above. I do this until the lure has left the target area where I think a bass would be and then I reel it in.
- See number 1.
- I am assuming you are referring to a spinnerbait. My fastest retrieve would be to bulge the surface. I can't tell you the time of the retrieval but you know you are going the right speed when your spinnerbait is bulging the water at the surface. The slowest speed would be slow enough to be just above the bottom and keeping the blades turning, or a slow roll. You determine this speed by going so slow that you hang or hit bottom, and then speed up just enough that you are no longer hitting bottom.
- For dragging jigs, I move them with both the rod and the reel. I usually let the jig sit for 10 seconds or so after it hits bottom. Then I make a very slight movement and let it sit for 2 to 4 seconds. I will do 3 or 4 of these in a row and then take a longer pause of 5 to 10 seconds. I typically only fish the jig in the target area and might work it a few yards outside that area before I reel it back in. When bass are active my jig often gets hit on the fall or the first, second, or third movements after it hits bottom. When fish are very inactive such as in the dead of winter, my pauses are longer and can reach up to 30 seconds.
- For hopping a jig, I usually only do this mixed in with dragging a jig. If the bass don't seem to want to bite on the drag, I will throw hops in to see if I can trigger a bite on the fall. Pauses again vary similar to number 4 and are based on the perceived activity level of the fish.
- For chatter baits, I fish them similar to number 3 except I rarely fish them as fast. I usually fish them at speeds that allow them to pass just over the tops of cover or the bottom.
- For Swimbaits, I haven't fished the very large ones enough to comment. For hollow body plastic swimbaits like Keitech Swing Fat Impacts, I typically use them for suspended fish or fish that are willing to come up to hit them. I never fish them super fast but keep them at a steady pace slow enough to hold them at the depth I have counted them down to. I'm not sure of how long that retrieve lasts, but making a guess I would say maybe 30 seconds for a 30 yard cast at mid depth. The closer to the bottom I go, the slower I fish them.
I know this leaves a lot out between the slowest and fastest retrieves. You have to work those out based on what you perceive to be the activity level of the fish. And you may find that these speeds do nothing for you. As always, YMMV.
I employed all of what you stated here. Thank you. It was very helpful to have specific instructions to follow to get a grip on all of this.
It will only continue to get better. ????
Hook2Jaw reply :
It's the fastest who gets paid, and the fastest who gets... - Reese Bobby
In short, I fish too fast.
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