Retrieve Speed/technique

[Tuckahoe Joe]

How fast should I be retrieving my t-rigged worms? I was under the impression that slower was better. I was out tonight not having any luck and this family of 4 shows up. In about 45 minutes, they caught 2 pickerel and a 15 inch LM. They were all using orange worms with a yellow tail. I have some orange with a chartruese tail so I figured it was close enough and tied one on but I didn't get anything. The only difference I could see was they were retrieving pretty steadily and I was going slow. Eventually I got fed up and was planning on leaving so I reeled my worm in as fast as I could and something hit it right near the shore. Missed the fish cuz I wasn't expecting it. So is slower really better? And what about cranks/spinnerbaits? They're supposed to be fished faster right?

Also I recently bought a Rebel Pop'n Image. What is the proper way to retrieve this lure? Ive tried reeling it in with a stop/start cadence and I've tried walking the dog but no matter what I do it seems like it keeps rolling over on its back. It always rights itself afterwards but I don't think its supposed to roll like that.

[Raul]

1.- That´s the kind of question where there´s no right answer, all answers are valid, the right speed is not determined by you but by the fish, the catch is the find by trial end error what speed the fish like ( in other words, the fish will tell you ), You start at a certain pace and if doesn´t work after a while then change. There are days they like it at arthritic snail pace and there are days then want it road runner fast.

2:- That lure is a popper, it´s meant to be fished by jerking the rod tip lowered to around the 9 o´clock position to make it pop.

[papajoe222]

I very rarely figure out how fast or slow the fish want my presentation before I hit the water. Actually, I don't even attempt to. Neither should you. If you stick to one retrieve speed, or one lure retrieved at a particular speed, you'll often than not get frustrated because you're not catching.

A fish's strike zone (how far it will go to chase down a bait) can very from inches to yards and anywhere inbetween.

This is why on some days you can only catch 'em on finess baits dangled in their faces, or jigs flipped tight to the cover they're holding to and on other days you can burn a spinnerbait or crank around that same cover and almost get your rod ripped out of your hands. You, as the angler have to determine the speed and type of presentation that will work best on any given day, and that takes experimentation.

It's foolish to go out for the day with only one bait tied on and the rest of your tackle left at home and it's just as foolish to go out and fish at the same speed the whole day. You may catch some fish either way, but the best presentation (lure and retrieve speed or fall rate) is going to turn a not so good of a day into an enjoyable one.

Many guys will change colors before varying their retrieve. Of the two, color or retrieval speed, the retrieve rate is much more important.

One of the easiest ways to determine what speed is best for any given lure on a particular day, is to vary it throughout the same cast. Once your crank, spinner, soft plastic gets to the depth you want it you can change the speed from moderate to fast or moderate to slow, or even stop it. Just remember what you were doing when you hook that first fish. Then use that as a guide for subsequent casts. It's like trying to figure out where in the water column the fish are. Once you catch one, say at 15 feet in 30ft. of water you should target that depth until the fish tell you otherwise. Then it's time to go back and figure out where. how and what they want.

[merc1997]

the key to catching fish is to be fishing, of course where there are fish, at the right depth at the right speed. most of the time you have to trigger a strike, and that makes speed very critical to success.

bo

[Tuckahoe Joe]

Thanks guys. Finding the depth shouldn't be too hard since the lake I fish is only 7ft max. Sounds like Ill just have to expieriment with different speeds.

[gobig]

There are no absolutes. I have caught fish burning a bait up shallow in the winter.

[SirSnookalot]

I'll preface my remarks by saying I don't fish to catch fish, I fish to enjoy myself and remove the pressure of having to perform, that said seldom do I go skunk. I fish places that are no deeper than 7-10' and the overwhelming amount of fish I catch is on the pause. I can go out just about anytime and catch some nice fish on senko with a few different retrieves, I don't fish that way very often. Depending on the state of the vegetation, heavy I'll use a weedless fluke, light I'm going with a shallow running jerkbait, top water popper or a spinner bait, I find I don't need anything else for those conditions. If I can I'll be using a topwater almost 100% of the time, it may not catch the most fish but I enjoy it the best. I'm popping it, walking it or doing both in the same retrieve. My advice, don't making harder than it is and don't get frustrated if you hit a bad day.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

My advice, don't making harder than it is and don't get frustrated if you hit a bad day.

Thats good advice. Sometimes I feel like Im just over-thinking when I should just be fishing.

[Jigfishn10]

I agree with raul's post, let the fish tell you what they want and in your case the fish did. You reeled in quickly and got a hit but instead of tying on a faster moving lure you used a slow moving one.

If I'm fishing say a spinnerbait, I'll start out slowrolling it. If a fish hits and misses, I throw right back in and reel quicker. 9 times out of 10 that fish is hooked on a quicker retrieve. I've had days where it went the other way and had to adjust slower. You just never know.

BTW: SirSnook, great advice!

[SirSnookalot]

SirSnookalot, on October 05 2012 - 03:33 AM, said:

My advice, don't making harder than it is and don't get frustrated if you hit a bad day.

Thats good advice. Sometimes I feel like Im just over-thinking when I should just be fishing.

I don't know what is more frustrating, no fish around or fish every where and you can't catch one. This time of the year snook are every where busting all over the place, but they are so occupied feeding live bait that catching them with artificials is tough. I've seen this many dozens of times, not only are they running small, most under 28" but hard to catch, exactly why the FWC has a season on them now, they know you won't catch much. Fish react to stimuli that's induced by mother nature, they don't think or reason, making it near impossible to out think something that doesn't think itself..........Fish, match the hatch and PRAY would be my advice.