stitchin 2024

Red reply :

i read about this method in a book i got yeras ago from the north american fishing club....was wondering if anyone has/does use it...or has even heard of it...

assuming your using a baitcaster....and a t-rigged whatever..worm, creature bait...your cast it out and let it sit...then you gather 12-18 inches of line in your reeling hand very slowly...just kinda "stitch" it real slow and gather the slack in your hand.....then stop and reel the slack in your hand up...let it sit and repeat....according to the book it is a SUPER slow technique...was just curious if anyone used it and had any luck...i actually havent tried it

thanks

Cliff

Mattlures reply :

It is a very borring technique and it does not work. The guy who named it stitching was well known for catching 2 lb bass. Ok let me start over. MR LUNKER BILL MURPHY, the original modern day trophy hunter is the one who named this technique. He had caught hunderds of fish over 10lbs before he died a couple years ago from skin cancer. Mike Long, Bob Crupi and pretty much all other trophy hunters have read his book. "In pusuit of giant bass" it is known as the trophy hunters bible. The man was the best there was and one of his favorite techniques was stistching. He used spinning setups and so do I. The idea is togather line with your fingers a couple inches at atime untill you have a couple feet, then your reel the slack and continue. There is a lot more to that just this as setting up your spot is crucial. stitching is probably the best worm technique for catching big bass. It is slow and percise and EXTREMLY efective. I actualy have some of his worms he made I bought off of ebay after he died. He used big bulky worms and a small bait hook with a small split shot. HE SLAYED THEM!!!!

Red reply :

cool thanks for the info..the angler featured in this book i have is named Mike Folkestad...from southern california

Cliff

tuxdaddy reply :

I can say that I've gotten awesome results with stitchin ...

The guy who started it wrote about in fishing facts, and he was using HUGE worms(12 to 14"), and after trying it with smaller worms found it to be pretty effective on front days...

Just for the record, my best catch with the stitching technique was about 4.5 pounds, and my worst about 2, but again its a technique for when you pretty much can't even buy a bite.. It's a lot slower than the traditional workings of a worm, and keeps it in the zone longer ...

Give it a try for yourself, and decide...

justfishin reply :

So, what do you do with all that slack line in your hand when a big fish hits? This sounds like a bunch of whoah to me.

Avalonjohn44 reply :

I understand what you do, basically. But when pulling in a couple of inches at a time are you dragging it, twitching it in place, or what?

Captain Cali reply :

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So, what do you do with all that slack line in your hand when a big fish hits? This sounds like a bunch of whoah to me.

The fish will, in most cases, pick up most of the slack for you. Let the rod load up and "let 'em feel the steel".

tuxdaddy reply :

I usually do about 5 or 6 stitches, then reel in the slack to where I have about 1 stitch left out, and start up again... There's been times where I did up to 10 stitches before reeling in the slack..

For me it depends on whether I'm sitting or standing as to when I take up the slack.. My rule is when the line hits the ground(or deck), reel in the slack...

As for hopping the worm that only happens when you hits a snag of some sort and you have to get your worm over it, then you got right back to stitching(after it settles of course)..

I can honestly say that its a great for a beginner to learn worm fishing, because you're in constant contact with the bait, and there'll be no denying when a bass picks up your worm...

Best of luck to you !! Hope you give a try !!!

Tux

Red reply :

thanks for the additional tips, i will give it a try this evening!

Cliff

Avalonjohn44 reply :

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As for hopping the worm that only happens when you hits a snag of some sort and you have to get your worm over it, then you got right back to stitching(after it settles of course)

So you pretty much slow crawl the worm?

Also, what about using a trickworm for this?

guest reply :

Quote
Give it a try for yourself, and decide.

I wish I could. If I could fish that slow without a doubt I would be a better angler.

My attention span is like a little kid. I could do it for MAYBE 5 minutes. Tops.

Then I'd be jumping outta my skin.

Sounds like a really great way to fool a biggun.

some of my biggest bass have come from deadsticking a worm. Usually because I'm picking out a backlash, or something.

Red reply :

well i gave it a hot tonight...cought one dink while stitchin a t-rigged power worm..was the only one i cought!

Cliff

Cephkiller reply :

I'm definitely going to have to give this a try. Maybe it will force me to slow down. It sounds like a low - tech Daiwa Viento ;D

=Matt 5.0= reply :

Sounds like fly fishin'!

Red reply :

actually, in the book i read it mentioned the simliarities between stichin and fly fishing

roadwarrior reply :

Man, I am going to definitely give stichin a try, I just never fish that fast.

tuxdaddy reply :

In the original article(in memory serves me), he was using HUGE worms, and with a rather long pole.. I've had my best luck on 4 to 6" worms, of the creme variety but it should work fine with any style of worm.. Sometimes I peg the worm, but mostly I don't ..

It's WAY beyond slow crawling, as you're moving the worm at a speed thats depended on your hand size of maybe 5 to 8" at a stitch, where as when you work it with the rod you're moving feet(depending on the rod length), and the worm's getting a good bit of altitude in the process.. This way you're in constant contact with the bottom and creeping over structure that may be key to where fish are holding..

Now I have to ask you Red, when that "dink" picked up your bait you knew it instantly didn't you? There was no waiting or trying to decide whether it was nothing or not because you felt it through your fingers rather than the rod... You was in direct contact with your bait and that fish when it hit, and started taking off with your bait...

That's what I think makes it such an awesome technique, especially on those soft biters(which are usually the BIGGUNS ) ..

It's the first way I able to catch a bass on a rubber worm, and has worked for me ever since... I've turned on a couple of my best friends to it and they've also been successful with stitching...

To all the rest of you best of luck with your stitching !!

Tux

tuxdaddy reply :

BTW, one word of advice to you all...

Try not to have too much line stitched in at your feet, keep it to around 5 stitches and reel up the slack, but leave a loop of line hang to begin stitching again...

Yes I'm speaking from experience... Had a bunch of line at my feet when one picked it up, and by the time I set the hook, the bass had swallowed the worm :'(...(not a good thing)...

Rob G. reply :

Great Post!! Avid, you are one honest dude. I laughed and agreed. LOL

Red reply :

yes tuxdad, i felt it through my fingers, was no question it was a fish, i just let go of the line and let the bass take all the slack then set

Cliff

jomatty reply :

man avid i hear that! i fish a lot of senkos and other relatively slow moving baits but sometimes the only way i can truly slow down as some people consider it is the ole forced time out cause i managed to backlash a cast. too funny and too true.

matt

Catt reply :

I do the same thing except I turn my reel handle about a ¼-½ turn at a time or slowly moving my rod from the 2 o'clock position to the 12 o'clock position 6-8 at a time; pausing to shake the worm in place.

I also us this technique with a big jig as well

grimlin reply :

Loose slack scares me....i never seem to be fast enough to set the hook sometimes and it'll either get spit out or swallowed deep.I think i fish jigs a little too fast sometimes as well...i'm learning to slow down.

tuxdaddy reply :

How big of a reel, and what gear ratio are you using on Catt ?? Most of my reel are from 5.3 - 7 to 1 ratio on my larger reels, and my ultra light rigs are around the same ratio, but smaller.. Not disputing your success with the technique but you're still not in direct contact with the line. The rod also acts as the shock absorber, so when you get a REAL soft biter you may miss it...

As for the rod shaking I've added that many a times, when I've felt something messing with the bait but not picking it up.. You know, when something just feels like it's something there but just hasn't decided to commit yet.. It's one of those feelings where if you close your eyes and just go with what you're feeling you KNOW somethings about to happen .. You're on pins and needles waiting and feeling that now odd feeling in the line(almost like a throb), and you get to that last stitch and start to take up slack(still holding the line in your fingers)... You've got it all up but that last loop, and you get set up to start again.. Just as you start or finish that first stitch you feel that slightest "tick", something you may not even feel thru the rod, and line starts easing thru your fingers REAL slow... You stretch your arms out and give a little more room before the line goes tight and SLAMM !! You set the hook on what feels like log but you see that rod bend and pulse and theres no mistaking you got something with shoulders on it, and when it comes up to try and spit your bait it looks like a basketball hoop with a worm hanging from it .. If you're with your buddy, you yell for him, and he come running when he see what you have on ... He gets there just as you get to shore(as in my case ) and you both are blown away at the size of this critter !! Yes, in my case it was a 6 lb 8 oz beauty which we released...

Now I've not caught anything that size in a long time but have had a good share of 4's on and that feeling's still the same on them... To me that's the wildest feeling ever of playing "cat and mouse" with a bass who's interested in you offering and just not sure if they're wanting it or not...

Now for me when I stitch a worm, or jig, it takes over 5 minutes to work it back to me compared to some others fishing near me who by the time I'm dont and casting oput again, they've casted about 3 or 4 times, WORKING THE SAME LURE !!

Now I do have to tell you this... STitching is not something you can do when you're in the back of the boat, unless your buddy's stitching also, and you're anchored up.. IT'S JUST NOT GONNA WORK !! Especially when the bite is slow and he/she wants to cover water looking for that aggressive bite.. It's better done when you have the controls... Also it's better to acnhor both ends of the boat, so there's no swinging or spinning of the boat ...

Also keep the rod low and poited towards your bait, to cut down on linne bends on those windy days..

Ok I'm done jabbering ...again ;D

Get out there and try it !! Best of luck to you again!!

Catt reply :

Big Jig: Shimano Cardiff CDF100A Gear Ratio: 5.8:1; Spooled with 65# braid

Texas Rig: Shimano Calcutta CT100 Gear Ratio: 5:8.1; Spooled with 15# Big Game

Light Texas Rig: Shimano Calcutta CT50 Gear Ratio: 5:0.1; Spooled 15# Big Game

Yea you may miss a light bite or two by not holding the line in your hand but then the sky might fall too; I don't worry about either.

Cephkiller reply :

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Man, I am going to definitely give stichin a try, I just never fish that fast.

I agree. Maybe you should go stichin' and start covering some water

tuxdaddy reply :

Quote
Big Jig: Shimano Cardiff CDF100A Gear Ratio: 5.8:1; Spooled with 65# braid
Texas Rig: Shimano Calcutta CT100 Gear Ratio: 5:8.1; Spooled with 15# Big Game

Light Texas Rig: Shimano Calcutta CT50 Gear Ratio: 5:0.1; Spooled 15# Big Game

Yea you may miss a light bite or two by not holding the line in your hand but then the sky might fall too; I don't worry about either.

Hey it's all good !! The main thing is we're all out doing what we love !! Right ??

linesider7 reply :

Great thread, I'm the world's worst worm fisherman, don't have patience like Avid, but perhaps I might be able to do this. I'll definitely give it a try.

tuxdaddy reply :

It's definitely the easiest way to learn to worm fish... Two years before I read that article in fishing facts, I was trying my dangedest(sp) to learn to work a worm, watched the tv shows, went to a few seminars, and even asked a few guys at the lake.. It just wasn't sinking in :'(, I had 2 or 3 tacklebags of worms of all different shapes and sizes, thinking maybe it was just that worm was thet problem..

Not 3 days after reading that article I had caught my first bass on a worm, it was about a pound or more, but I was jumping for joy !! I went home and dug out those bags and started stitchin like crazy lol !! It took me about 3 or so more years before I got the hang of working a worm with a rod.. Thanks to a kindly old gentleman who took the time to teach me, in exchange for bottle of water and half a ham sandwich...

If I can find the article and get my scanner working I'll see if I can post it...

Best of luck to you all !!

captaininsaneo reply :

is there an advantage to stitchin as compared to just reeling VERY slow with one finger on the line to feel a hit? again I love what someone called it "counting rocks"

Red reply :

what i have been doing, and i dont know if it makes a difference, when i feel my worm hit something while stitchin, i will kinda twitch the line in hopes that my worm will kinda stand up while trying to get over the rock or whatever...then i will pull it hard enough to hop over the rock...then stop..reel in any slack and start stitchin again...this might work better with the worm on a football jig or something to get that stand up effect..what do you think?

Cliff

tuxdaddy reply :

That sounds like a good idea, using a football jighead.. I say give a try..

Usually when I get stuck against something, I'll tug as you did to try and stand it up, if that doesn't work then I try and hop it over using the rod to lift it, while still holding onto the line in my fingers.. It sounds tricky to some but it's not really... You can either grip the line to the rod while lifting or reel up some of your slack, and curl your fingers around the line and raise the rod(sorta how they do in pitching I think), and lift the bait over the object..

Experiment with a lot, I've tried it with c-rigs with pretty good luck, and I've also done it with small crappie style jigging tube baits.. I've played with floating worms a few times but don't think I had a good color for imitating a minnow to get any takers, but feel free to try different set ups with it...

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stitchin 2024

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