How do you tell? 2024

N2BassFishn reply :

Well everyone i'm very new to fishing all these artificial baits and I have a question? Alright, I have never caught a fish on anything but a topwater bait where I could see the strike; I am always throwing different baits spinnerbaits, texas rigged worms and crankbaits and all kinds of other things. But the thing is I have never caught anything on them. What does it feel like when a fish takes your bait? I mean I have hit logs and stuff in the water and it feels like something has grabbed it but it is always just my bait getting caught on something. Please give me some advice on this...Thanks..Mike

N2BassFishn reply :

Come on yall please gimme a lil advice here, lord knows I need it...Mike

bassinjack reply :

one thing i do when fishing worms like senko's is keep an eye on my line when it starts to move in a direction im not reeling i reel in the slack and set the hook. if you get bit on a spinner bait the first thing most of the time the bass does is jumps to try to throw the hook. no matter what your using it usually takes a fish or two to get the feeling and the confadence in that particular bait or lure. just don't give up and when all else fails slow down alittle more

tight lines

Jack

bassinjack reply :

also if your new to fishing i would only focus on 2 or 3 things like top waters spinners and worms for a year or 2 then slowly open the door to new things in your arsenal i think part of being sucsessful is sticking to only 1 thing at a time even if it is not working for you at that moment. i had a buddy that gave up fishing after 1 season because he never had much luck but every time he was with me he would throw a lure for 20 or so minutes and change.

tight lines

Jack

N2BassFishn reply :

Thanks jack, I guess I need my first fish to bite so I can get the feel for it. So are you saying if I am just retrieving a spinnerbait and a fish takes it, it will eat it and then do what turn and swim away from me or something like that? Thanks...Mike

Bassin101 reply :

Mike, I'm in Mesa and have only been Bassin for two years but trust me when you get hit on a worm, crank, jerk or whatever and that bass turns his/her head and dives or runs, you will know it. This site and it's contributers have been very helpfull. I have found drop shot fishing to be a little tricky when it comes to timing the hook set. I have to have my patience hat on for them. 8)

Welcome and keep coming back and asking.

PS It will rain a lot more in WA. LOL ;D

D.Taylor reply :

The secret to detecting any bite is the feel of the lure. What happens is you get intune with that the lure is doing under the water. Any time the feel of that alters you either hit structure or have a bite.

If your fishing a worm watch the line if it moves any direction, or jumps you have a bite. If you lift up on the rod and it dont feel right set the hook.

With a crankbait normally youll feel the bite it will stop and youll feel the head shake. some times it jut changes vibration

Spinnerbait bites are usually pretty violent the bait will flat out stop or run. some cases the bait just changes vibration as well

The main secret to detecting bites is know what your lure is doing its a feel youll develop.

When in Doubt set the HOOK

N2BassFishn reply :

I've got yall, thanks alot for the advice you have given me. Oh, your right about the rain in WA, it sure does rain alot...Later..Mike

Aaron_S reply :

The main thing is experience. I can tell you what I think a bite feels like but to you it might be different. Once you go out and fish for a while and get a few bites you will know what it feels like. Like D Taylor said when in doubt set the hook for sure.

Shad_Master reply :

Mike, the "feel" of a big ole bass hitting on your soft plastic bait is about the most fun you can have with your clothes on . What you will fell is a series of slight tugs or taps. When you feel this, you need to lower your rod tip, reel up the slack and then pull on it like somebody just slapped your Grandma.

Getting hit on a moving bait, like a crank or spinner is different. You will feel the fish pull and begin to shake. Not too much different than when you get hit on a top water. The only difference is you don't need to wait and let the rod load up before setting the hook. If you do, the fish may throw the bait.

Hope this helps, but nothing beats just doin' it. So rember the process is cast, retrieve, repeat!!!

N2BassFishn reply :

I have one more question for you guys. I usually have quite a bit of slack in my line while I am letting it rest on the bottom. Am I apost to keep the line completely tight while im retrieving the lure? Because if I am apost to feel some tugs or taps on the line, I would have to have the line tight right? Thanks...Mike

gamblerOH reply :

If your fishing rubber you should be watching the line. the fish will suck up the bait and spit it back in just a second. usually if your not watching and going by feel, it will be too late by the time you feel it and the fish will spit the bait out. what most people feel with worm fishing is not the bite but the fish spitting the bait out. You gotta watch that line!!

bassinjack reply :

yes keep the line tight on worms if its windy depending on how stong the wind is you might wanna add a bullet waight when i fish if its calm i don't use any waight or just as light as bullet waight as i can get away with.with senko type baits you might want to keep this in mind i fish them on semi slack line and when i detect a strike

a slowly reel in my slack and set the hook in the opposite direction the fish is running. and i don't set the hook so hard it pulls the worm out of there mouth because 95% of the time with those baits they just pick them up and go

tight line

Jack

Stickling reply :

You definitly just " Know " it. If you watch your line ittl go in a diff direction, or when i use a jerkbait i dunno about u guys but they always seem to splash when they take it.

gamblerOH reply :

I have to disagree with bassinjack on this one. I find it hard to work my bait on the bottom with a tight line. I almost think its impossible to keep a bait on the bottom with a tight line.as far as hooksets,you have to hit em hard enough to pull the hook through the rubber.

N2BassFishn reply :

Thanks everyone I'm gonna go over to the lake right now and see if I can get me one...Later..Mike

N2BassFishn reply :

Well everyone I finally relized my first strike and it was just like every said. All I felt was a couple of tugs and then I set the hook but I didn't set it hard enough. I got 5 bites today and I guess I didn't set the hook hard enough on any of them. I hope the next time I go out I am able to land one...Later..Mike

abelfisher reply :

Mike be sure you have sharp hooks.

D.Taylor reply :

Some one stated earlier that you will feel a big bass tap at the bait or tug tug.

My biggest bass ever 8.0 came on a salt craw. I was yoyoing the bait on a twig when I went to pull it over there was a massive blow up. I just dropped my rod tip and waited. The line never moved never felt a thing I think she initially missed it by how it fell.

She must have sucked it back in and I didnt know it till I tried to lift the bait.

Not all big fish bite hard at all generally if I feel a single tap or the line twitch or lift up and something is different its usually a bigger fish

bassin4life reply :

use a jerbait like a fluke

Aaron_S reply :

You should make sure that your hook is big enough for your worm as well as the hook being sharp because if there isn't enough shank left when the hook has gone through the worm it can be difficult to hook fish as well.

Fl._Flippin_Fool reply :

formost, hook sets are free, better safe than sorry. Set That Hook. You have to aquire a feel for each differant bait. One thing I did to give me confidance in a bait I had never caught something on but had seen others do well with was to go out on the lake with only that bait tied on in differant colors and fish till I caught something, then it was just a matter of doing it again and again till I got some confidance in the bait, then I would do it again with a new bait and so on.

scbassin reply :

This is where a good sensitive rod comes in. It is best to have one good all around rod then 3 or 4 of lesser quality. You can get a good Im-8 graphite rod for $80. & an Im-9 for $140. I am using the Im-8 because I don't feel the 9 is worth the extra $60. Spool your reel with a good quality line & go fishing a lot & you will get the hang of it. There is no instant fix or magic bait. Practice is the answer. good luck.

BD reply :

The way to keep the line tight with the worm on the bottom is to use a heavy enough bullet weight, and once the line hits the bottom, SLOWLY pull the rod tip right above your face.

Then reeling the line in slowly, you'll see the slack go away. ONCE the slack is out, hold the line down by the reel, and always reel slowly and pull up.

Now reading this above, this is hard to explain lol.

Onto the biting, you'll feel a 'tap tap' or also your line will move in directions. Also sometimes when they are really finicky, you'll feel like weight on the line, then instantly it will go limp. There was a fish with the worm in it's mouth, and he spit it out.

scbassin reply :

The least amount of weight the better. On a windy day you are going to have slack. If you use a snap hook set you need some slack. With a tight line & heavy weight the fish will know you are there before you know he is there. Read my earlier post & go practice after you miss a bunch of fish you will figure it out.

N2BassFishn reply :

Yup, yall know what your talkin about. I got 5 bites the other day fishin a worm and I missed all five. But I don't believe my whole heart was in those hooksets...Thanks everyone...Mike

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