Teaching The Girlfriend

[Strothman]

Recently, my girlfriend decided that she wanted to learn about bass fishing. So much that she showed up about a month ago with a new baitcaster rig (she worked at gander mnt, so she got prety good deals). Anyways, she does fine with it and caught on to the baitcaster much faster than I did sadly, lol but she throws a wacky rig, and is catching some good fish. I noticed she doesn't set the hook much more than putting some tension on. When I gave her a Texas rig the other day, she had many bites, but was frustrated because she hooked none of them. I'm trying to teach her to put a hook in em and having a hard time. She watches me, and I smack em due to the fact of being burnt by them getting down and tangled up on drop baits. Anybody else had this problem and worked through it? Or us it something experience will help with?

[C0lt]

besides the problem of actually getting her to come out with me, ive had similar issues with my girlfriend. Shes pretty athletic but shes only 4'11 so I have her on my 5'5 spinning rod. the problem is that its a really soft rod, and ive had a hard time trying to convey to her that she needs to do more than just reel in and flick her wrist a little to set the hook. 

[Catch and Grease]

Well you told her how to do it, now she just has to get used to actually doing it....

[Choporoz]

Experience will help.  As will fishing with someone catching fish using different techniques (you.)

 

Happy wife, happy life....lol

 

To that end, I:

-Always lead her end of the boat into where I expect the fish

-Never get upset when she snags/hangs-up - even on trees.  Once she gets timid around cover or bottom, she'll never be as effective again

-Try to never keep her on the water long past the time she's done (I want her to want to come back - not ever start disliking the time on the water.)

-VERY gently suggest different techniques, presentations, etc

-Never (anymore) laugh, ridicule or roll my eyes when she wants to try something I consider goofy.  I can't tell you the number of times she caught bass with something I'd have been embarrassed to throw.

-Most importantly, I drove her right on to a 3.5 her first time out four years ago.  She's still hooked.

-I stock her tackle box with the same stuff I have, or better.  Early on, I may have tried to slip some of the cheap cranks, hooks, etc.  No more.

-I maintain her gear better than my own.  Reels (AND line) lubed always.  Last thing I want on the water is for her to have a problem with a reel or a spinning reel rat nest that KVD line lube might have prevented.

-I was mistaken early on trying to do too much: taking fish off, rigging soft plastics, plug-knocking, etc.  Teach her and let her do it herself whenever possible.   We're both much happier that way.

[Choporoz]

One more thing - teach her how to handle the net now.  Once you've got that PB alongside the boat, it's a little late.

[ColdSVT]

besides the problem of actually getting her to come out with me, ive had similar issues with my girlfriend. Shes pretty athletic but shes only 4'11 so I have her on my 5'5 spinning rod. the problem is that its a really soft rod, and ive had a hard time trying to convey to her that she needs to do more than just reel in and flick her wrist a little to set the hook.

Give her a 7' mh. Her height shouldnt dictate the rod legth.

Heck my kid is 4 and she uses a 6' ml

[Strothman]

One more thing - teach her how to handle the net now.  Once you've got that PB alongside the boat, it's a little late.

awesome suggestions, and we already had a lesson on knocking off a 4 pounder with the net, but that was all my fault for the fact she didn't know any better. She's actually doing much better than I expected, she stays positive and when the fish don't bite, it drives her to find another way to find em. I'll keep hinting on the hook set and get her back out for some time on the water

[kikstand454]

I admittedly have a weak hookset. Well, compared to others. I'm not sure why. ....and im also not really worried about it. I don't miss too many fish. If I do miss one due to a weak hookset, its way out at the end of a cast on a jig or t-rig. Otherwise I do pretty well.

All that being said, best thing I did for my hookup percentage was not cheap out on line and hooks. Especially hooks. When it counts, I always have trokars on. When I'm fun fishing, I never go below gammy for Texas rigs. While it may breed bad habits. .....switching to a low/no stretch line (flouro, maybe even braid..) and some trokars may increase her hook ups with her current skills.

Otherwise, try to let neither of you get frustrated, and gently preach the skills she needs to learn.

Sounds like she really wants to learn and excel, I'm sure she will put in the effort.

[plumworm]

Did you teach her to "reel down" before trying to set the hook?

[Strothman]

Did you teach her to "reel down" before trying to set the hook?

g she does that but then kinda just puts tension on them and reels

[fishballer06]

Most important thing you can teach her is to fillet and cook a fish

 

My girlfriend always wants to come fishing, but she has the attention span of about 5 casts, and then she's putting her rod down and reading a book. Good luck to you, and hopefully you have better luck than I have. 

[Strothman]

I really thought that she would loose interest like that, but she doesn't. She gets very aggravated when she breaks off. I try to tell her tungsten weights don't cost much and don't worry bout it, but she worked at a sporting goods store, she don't fall for it. If she is willing to try, I'll go buy an ice cream bucket full of tungsten weights for her

[BuckMaxx]

Patience is KEY! Believe me. My fiancé fishes a few tournaments every year with me. I gotta be very careful with my critique.

[Montanaro]

Smack her on the ass when she gets a bite, that should help.

[paulmandude]

Put braid on for her and use a fluro leader. Last time out my wife caught a 4 lber and all I caught were dinks. She was also using her little pink rod in the 5'5" length medium lite.

[mwh33]

My wife loves to bass fish. She has always fished with a spincast or a spinning reel. We are going on a fishing trip in Dec. with some friends. All of us use baitcasters and she now wants to use one. I brought her one and she is learning slowly. She can throw it about 25 yards now, but still gets some back lashing occasionally. She has been using one of my 7 ft rods. She continues to improve with practice. As for setting the hook she is about 50/50, but it is better than it used to be. It all comes along with experience.

[bassguytom]

It took my girlfriend a long time to learn how to set a hook. Other then a soft hook set I think the single biggest problem was my wife leering at her from the back of the boat. My wife sets the hook like nobody's business!

[Jay Ell Gee]

I know the feeling...

My biggest issue was trying to get too technique specific with her. We started bass fishing together in the dead of January, hardly an ideal time.

Her family saltwater fishes, so all she knew was a jig head and popping cork.

She was throwing a baitcaster and working a suspending jerkbait like a pro in about half an hour, even caught some bass from the little neighborhood pond.

Since then, I have focused on a small range of techniques that she is comfortable with, namely wacky rigs. I toss one year round, so I can always fish at the same pace with her. She loves it and catches plenty of fish

She is a quick learner. Yours obviously is too. Maybe just keep her comfortable with the wacky rig and work on the Texas rig hook sets in the meantime? My girlfriend's first t-rig fish was on a pit boss, almost 4 lbs. We were in brackish water and she thought she had a redfish.

P.S. Give her a ribbit or buzzbait. My girlfriend has yet to hook a bass on a ribbit (she misses 5 or 6 a morning), but she about has the "stall and then swing" technique down. Topwater will keep her addicted for life.

[Strothman]

I know the feeling...

My biggest issue was trying to get too technique specific with her. We started bass fishing together in the dead of January, hardly an ideal time.

Her family saltwater fishes, so all she knew was a jig head and popping cork.

She was throwing a baitcaster and working a suspending jerkbait like a pro in about half an hour, even caught some bass from the little neighborhood pond.

Since then, I have focused on a small range of techniques that she is comfortable with, namely wacky rigs. I toss one year round, so I can always fish at the same pace with her. She loves it and catches plenty of fish

She is a quick learner. Yours obviously is too. Maybe just keep her comfortable with the wacky rig and work on the Texas rig hook sets in the meantime? My girlfriend's first t-rig fish was on a pit boss, almost 4 lbs. We were in brackish water and she thought she had a redfish.

P.S. Give her a ribbit or buzzbait. My girlfriend has yet to hook a bass on a ribbit (she misses 5 or 6 a morning), but she about has the "stall and then swing" technique down. Topwater will keep her addicted for life.

the frog idea is brilliant, as soon as you said that I realized how I learned to be patient and use solid hooksets, and it was with a zoom frog! Thanks for the suggestion!

[Bluebasser86]

It may just take her a little while to get a feel for what she needs to do. It took my wife several trips before she understood how hard she needed to set the hook with certain things. Now she sticks it to them when they bite. 

[Hattrick7]

Just keep on encouraging her that it'll take some practice and there's going to be a learning curve to new baits.

If she already knows what the trig bite feels like she's already ahead of the game. She just needs to to reel down a little and set. Is she gonna miss some? Probably but she'll eventually get it.

[Ratherbfishing]

Here's what you do:  Next time she misses a fish, suggest that it's okay, that men are just naturally stronger/better fishermen.  This should do it.