What is dead sticking 2024
Murray reply :
well...what is it?
roadwarrior reply :
It's doing nothing. For example, with a soft plastic or jig, "dead sticking" is when your bait is sitting on the bottom, usually on slack line, doing nothing. If it's me, I'm lighting a cigarette. For other guys who are fishing the wrong gear, it's when they are asking themselves why they are using bait casting equipment when they should be using spinning gear and picking out their third backlash.
KYbass1276 reply :
Most generaly it applies to soft plastic's and maybe some other baits as well but it's when you just let the bait sit and use none or very subtle movement. Some leave the bait sit for up to a minute and some leave it sit up to 5 or more mins, If you can stand to let it sit for a long time it is productive. Big fish always seem to bite if your deadsticking. Easy way to put it I guess is if you have ever tossed a bait out and backlashed your BC and sit there picking it out for a few minutes only to start reeling in and have a fish on the other end thats what deadsticking is without the backlash
Murray reply :
sounds like being lazy to me
roadwarrior reply :
I have caught some of my biggest bass dead sticking, including two 10's.
Not "lazy", patient.
Murray reply :
is it like a last resort thing to do?
guest reply :
I think deadsticking is a valuable technique. There is no question that it works. Here are my theories as to why.
1. Inactive fish are not about chasing anything. Not lures, not natural bait, not nothing. But when a juicy morsal is just sitting there in front of them, after a little while they mosey on over and have a bite.
2. Pressured fish are wary fish. They have been caught before, probably by something moving so they are cautious. A bait just sitting there barely moving for a few minutes does not trigger avoidance behavior.
Sounds good to me?
Any other thoughts?
KYbass1276 reply :
Quoteis it like a last resort thing to do?
No I wouldn't say it is. I often let my bait soak a while and it produces. Bass are curious in nature and are going to investigate anything that sparks an interest in them and sometimes that happens to be a bait just sitting there doing nothing at all. I agree with avids comment statement number one. Its like having a steak sitting in front of you eventually your going to eat it. Bass fiqure why chase food when it's right in front of them for the takeing. Anyways RW is right it's about patients. For me sometimes it works great sometimes it dosen't I find that it's good in the winter when bass aren't active and aren't willing to chase something.
Redtail reply :
I caught one of my biggest bass earlier this year answering my cell phone. I had just thrown my favorite bait, Fat Eeeeeeeka, when my cell phone rang. I put my rod down for a minute while on the phone and whamo. It proves to me that I fish soft plastics toooo fast.
NJfishinGuy reply :
yeah i cought my biggest doin it by accident this year also, i threw my fat ika out under a tree and then turned around to look at some rowers goin by real fast, well i thought i got snag and was just pulling on my from drifting, but then i seen my line shoot to the side and wham a nice bass and my biggest this year
senile1 reply :
Quoteis it like a last resort thing to do?
It's not a last resort at all. Dead sticking for most of us involves letting the lure sit for at least a minute, and most of us use the term to refer to letting a plastic bait sit. In fact, a number of lures produce by letting them sit for awhile. I allow my jigs to sit for awhile if nothing hits them on the fall. I rarely throw a minnow plug that floats when stationary without letting it sit close to 30 seconds before I make my first twitch. Many topwaters work best this way. Patience is key.
Troutfisher reply :
Dead sticking works for me as well. I have caught some of my larger bass on a senko or fluke after I've twitched it a while and then let it sit on the bottom as I clean up some of my strung out gear, get a drink, etc.
One of my largest bass came when I had a senko on the bottom, went and got a drink, came back and felt weight on the hook. Set the hook, and BAM, fish on! 
Siebert Outdoors reply :
RW, I thought dead sticking with a soft plastic you had to use spinning gear. LOL.
Yep just cast it out and let the bait do all the work. It takes no effort to fish. Its an excellent way to catch fish in a sluggish mood. What bass cant refuse a senko shaking real slow in front of its face.
roadwarrior reply :
Yep, my post was tongue in cheek, "For other fishermen who are fishing the wrong gear", i.e baitcasting equipment.
I use spinning tackle for all soft plastics.
Siebert Outdoors reply :
Dead sticking on weedlines is an excellent fish catching tool. Just thinking about it gives me fishin bumps all over. Clear water, weed line, watching a fish dart out of the weeds and grab the bait and run back.
Ahhh crap I thought I was fishing. Nope still at work.
senile1 reply :
Gman, get one of your co-workers to throw a glass of water in your face to give you the feel of the wind and spray.
wacky rig reply :
GMAN, you just summed most of my time on the water in two sentences.
Sam reply :
Since I am a classic Type A personality, I throw out the worm and let it sit.
I then take an ultra light and throw it trying to catch just about anything that will hit a white Rooster Tail.
I fish the ultra light by feel; I keep looking at my slack line with the worm sitting on the bottom.
Does it work? Well, I have not had to jump out of the boat which is a good sign.
Catch anything dead sticking? No, not yet. It is still hard just to let the bait sit on the bottom and not move it or mess with it.
Since I don't smoke or drink, the only thing I can do is either listen to a football game on the radio or fish the ultra light.
SPEEDBEAD. reply :
Does deadsticking result in alot of gut hooks?
ScroGG ToGG reply :
Is it safe to say that a Senko is the best deatsticking plastic or would something with a little life be better, like a ribbon tail, or a brush hog or a tube?
Captain Cali reply :
Dead Sticking has produced a lot of nice bass for me. I wouldn't say it's last resort. Sometimes thats what I start with (especially if I have a pattern). Dead Sticking a worm on a drop shot can be killer! Gives me chills just thinking abou it.
Swimbaits too!
Murray reply :
i think ive been doing it all all and didnt realize i was "dead sticking" it. thanks for the tips and happy fishing,
murray
KYbass1276 reply :
QuoteYep, my post was tongue in cheek, "For other fishermen who are fishing the wrong gear", i.e baitcasting equipment.I use spinning tackle for all soft plastics.
I wouldn't say wrong just a preferance. What works for one dosen't mean it will for another.
edbassmaster reply :
I cast out a 5" senko and let it sit while I go home, have dinner, take a nap and then come back to set the hook. Thats dead sticking!! ;D
guest reply :
It happens to a lot of fellas after they reach 60,, OOHH Darn I misunderstood the question again
Bassassasin12 reply :
good one muddy man ;D,
dead sticking is one of my favorite presentations because, well, its the easiest presentation....
guest reply :
QuoteIt happens to a lot of fellas after they reach 60,, OOHH Darn I misunderstood the question again
Hey muddy,
There's this little blue pill.
Guanteed to make the flag pole worth salutin'
Siebert Outdoors reply :
QuoteIs it safe to say that a Senko is the best deatsticking plastic or would something with a little life be better, like a ribbon tail, or a brush hog or a tube?
IMO when dead sticking the senko is the ultimate lure. Fluke style works ok, but I will take a senko over anything else
FatBoy reply :
I don't have the patience for deadsticking a bait most of the time. The one time it worked for me I was fishing a super fluke and picking out a "backlash" just like RW said. Except I WAS using spinning gear! Don't think it's possible to "backlash" a spinning reel? Well, that's a story for another thread, but believe me, I've screwed up every way possible.
WhiteMike1018 reply :
I personally think deadsticking is an amazing tactic, 95% of the time when my rod is just sitting there and im going through a box, on my cell phone etc, ill get a strike on an unoccupied rod. This reminds me of a tactic i learned in Homer Circle's "Bass Wisdom" book. I forget what the "tactic" was called but he basically said: Bass see lures come and go out of their hangouts quite frequently, they notice how most of the lures hit the water and start to move shortly after when you begin your retrieve. Him and his buddy were out one day on a lake and tried somthing different, they threw thelure 15 away from where they knew a bass would be, and let it sit there. NOTE: the fish located the lure as soon as it hit the water with its lateral line that detects vibrations and movement. He let the lure or soft plastic etc... sit there for 5-10 minutes than gave it a few quick nudges and jerks. This is what triggers the strike, the bass are more apprehensive about checking the lure out because once again its "different" from the norm. The hardest part is having the patience of actually letting the lure sit for that long without moving it. This is coming right from the book..just somthing to think about -WM
liquidsoap reply :
Dead sticking is a really deadly technique, but the only time I do it is in tournaments. Its a great technique but I tend to gut hook a ton of fish doing it.
Senkos, tubes, and jigs 
GAMEOVER reply :
Dead Sticking: The art of looking at the water and envisioning a fish eat your bait while you do nothing but wait. You may find yourself putting your ear to the water to hear the fish swim around.
Syfer420 reply :
For dead sticking i like too use senkos and gulp earthworms 5 inches and up. Ive cought most of my bass this way period, but like road said the big one's to tend to hit it more when dead sticking. I think the larger smater bass will go for somthing freshly wounded or dying instead of somthing that will require a chase, imo that why dead sticking works well. Ive only cought one bass in the 4lb range that hit somthing moving. Than agian i fish plastic worms 90 percent of the time :-/
jomatty reply :
for me a senko is the ultimate deadsticking lure but i also deadstick jigs, but generally not for as long. generally i like to fish somewhat fast, but there are days that i know if i can just force myself to leave the senko alone i will catch some fish while if i use a more standard retrieve i would never catch one.
my 3 year old son taught me this lesson. we were at the local pond and he had thrown out his senko, put his rod down and walked away (not uncommon when the fishing is even a little slow)
im catching nothing and after a few minutes his rod tip is moving across the ground and he catches a nice sized bass (after i set the hook and track him down). what a lucky duck i think and continue about my business. well he does the same thing. on about the third fish for him i decided that maybe he was doing something i wasnt and slowed down and caught soem fish.
matt
Valascus reply :
Deadsticking does work, but it's just not for me. I do not have the patience to allow a bait just to sit for long periods of time. I think part of the reason that may be for me though is the uncertainty of whether or not there is actually a fish where I am deadsticking. If I KNOW for a fact that there is a good fish in the brushpile I am casting to then I will let the bait sit there all day. If I am in search mode and am uncertain of where the fish are I won't deadstick.
Zebco202 reply :
Deadsticking = the way I fish senko's most (if not all) of the time. just toss it out there and let it sit for awhile, maybe give it a twitch or two and let it sit again.
It's not a technique for everyone but I feel like it works at times. I don't ever do it in a tournament (but I probably should) I'm too much into the 'run and gun' type of tournament fishing. sometimes i think i really need to learn to slow down.
BD reply :
QuoteI personally think deadsticking is an amazing tactic, 95% of the time when my rod is just sitting there and im going through a box, on my cell phone etc, ill get a strike on an unoccupied rod. This reminds me of a tactic i learned in Homer Circle's "Bass Wisdom" book. I forget what the "tactic" was called but he basically said: Bass see lures come and go out of their hangouts quite frequently, they notice how most of the lures hit the water and start to move shortly after when you begin your retrieve. Him and his buddy were out one day on a lake and tried somthing different, they threw thelure 15 away from where they knew a bass would be, and let it sit there. NOTE: the fish located the lure as soon as it hit the water with its lateral line that detects vibrations and movement. He let the lure or soft plastic etc... sit there for 5-10 minutes than gave it a few quick nudges and jerks. This is what triggers the strike, the bass are more apprehensive about checking the lure out because once again its "different" from the norm. The hardest part is having the patience of actually letting the lure sit for that long without moving it. This is coming right from the book..just somthing to think about -WM
Also Murphy talked about sort of dead sticking, but it's called stitching. It also works VERY well, for a couple of reasons........one 95% of bass fisherman, will not take the time to stitch or dead stick, two, it's a different presentation than bass are normally use to seeing, and three bass will absolutely find the bait and eat it since they are gluttenous animals
Laggyman reply :
Deadsticking works well on pressured fish and inactive ones me thinks.
I had a time when I was picking out some twisted line from my spinning reel and I had my 3in Senko dipped inside the water. The twist was so bad it curled around and created a couple of knots on my line so I had to cut the line off. As I was recovering the cut line, I felt some weight on it and wondered what the heck I managed to snag myself onto. But then a nice sized one comes up from beneath makes a dash for cover. I hold onto my fluoro line and it makes a nice cut across the palm... YEOW! Those lines must be sharper than razors!
I got my fish, but I got a nice cut from it as well.
LooksLikeSinbad reply :
QuoteI use spinning tackle for all soft plastics.
As a general rule of thumb, is spinning gear better for plastics and finesse fishing, while a baitcaster would be better for pulling crankbaits, spinnerbaits, tubes in heavy cover, etc?
By the way this is my first post - thanks for all of you sharing your knowledge. Hopefully I'll be able to return the favor.
K_Mac reply :
QuoteBy the way this is my first post - thanks for all of you sharing your knowledge. Hopefully I'll be able to return the favor.
Wecome aboard
Chris reply :
Spinning gear is for lighter line and lighter lures that would be hard to throw or use with a baitcaster. Welcome to the forum
I dead stick a bunch! What I have found is that larger bass that tend not to be in the chasing mood will hit a slow moving long paused bait. The bass thinks it is an easy meal and unthreatened. I try to dead stick areas that I know there is a bass like a tree or stump or something. Some spots that hold larger fish tend to use the same cover year after year. You kinda wait them out so to speak and fish every inch of it. It is like bed fishing you put the lure in the bed enough times or leave it there long enough at some point you will make the bass mad enough to hit it. It is the same idea with dead sticking. I know of many tournament fishermen that win a bunch by doing this technique. It is a slow process but very effective.
Banor reply :
I'll give you an example of productive dead sticking. I was in a tournament with a non boater on the back, dock fishing. Several good docks had overhanging trees between them hanging over rocks and sand flats with about a foot clearance between the water surface and the branches.
Simultaneously my non boater skipped under a dock as I made a perfect cast back under the trees. As can happen alot, the non boater got hung up on the dock. So I'm going through heck and high water to get this snag out from under the dock and completely forgot about my senko sitting under the trees. It took me a good 5 minutes to get this dock snag unsnagged.
When I finally get back to my presentation I figure it's about time to reel in and cast somewhere else. To my shock and glee I have a 4# smallie just sitting there at the other end with my senko.
I think that is called accidental dead sticking with maximum results.
B
related General Bass Fishing Forum topic
most viewed General Bass Fishing Forum topic
© 2024 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.