Tips/tricks For Visually Impaired Fisherman

[Chris-W]

My father in law had a stroke recently which severely affected his vision. He loves to fish but can't even see well enough to tie his own lures on now. Even before the stroke he loved fishing with live night crawlers or live bluegill for bass on a bobber or even dead sticking a senko. Now that his vision is impaired, are there any hook types, rigging tricks etc that would make it so the bass basically hook themselves? We won't be able to see well enough to set the hook based on a reaction strike unless he feels it or can see a bobber go under (might try different neon colors or even the light up bobbers for evening/night fishing with him). Thanks for any advice you can provide!

[ten2one]

Look into line alarms, they sound when movement is detected. Not sure if that helps. Open water

Spinnerbaits too

[Cgolf]

I second the spinnerbaits, the fish hook themselves.

The other options would be Crankbaits. Like squarebills or a lipless on a shallow flat or deep divers going along a break. You will feel the hit so easy to know when to set it. It will be a different kind of fishing for him, but he should have success.

Thought of one last option, a swim jig comes through some nasty stuff and since your reeling all the time the bite should be easy to feel.

[scaleface]

Personally , I dislike using braid  but a no or low stretch line would help with bass hooking themselves .

[CRANKENSTIEN]

Personally , I dislike using braid  but a no or low stretch line would help with bass hooking themselves .

Agree. He should be able to feel it. Maybe a bigger bobber and weight so he can know when he is in contact. A patient helpful partner will go a long way.

[Chris-W]

Thanks everyone!

[ThatZX14Fella]

I'll try to give a different tip. Tie on a snap swivel for him so he can put baits on easier. I'm not sure if you've already considered it, but it seems like it could be somewhat helpful.

[Turtle135]

If he enjoys the live bait game, carolina rig a bait fish on a circle hook, he can let the rod just load up and the fish will be hooked in the corner of the mouth.

[ripinit]

As far as fish hooking themselves and the circle hook idea, might try some drop-shot techniques in soft plastic situations..

[EvanT123]

Reaction baits. It will keep him moving and the fish generally hook them selves.

[zachb34]

Using snaps or clips should make changing baits easier. Other than that some of the round reels have an alarm that makes a screaming noise when a fish pulls line from it. A moving top water he should be able to hear and feel a strike also.

[FishTank]

When I was a kid, my father and I would fish with a guy who was partially blind due to diabetes.  No matter what he was using, we would set it up and cast it for him.  When he used a bobber and live bait, we would use a slipper bobber so he could feel where the depth was.  He would then lightly wrap his finger around the line.  He then could feel the fish pull and he would set the hook.  He was quite good at it.

 

With other baits for bass, he would use them all by either sound or feel.  Topwater was all by sound and at a slow speed.  All soft plastic was by feel and fishing slow.  He could easily feel the a lure bouncing of the bottom. He did not care for crank baits or spinner baits because someone would always be casting it for him.  

 

He was actually a really good fisherman.