New Guy Question On Texas Rigs?

[kingmotorboat]

Sorry I changed my answer on y'all

1/4 oz - 1' per second

I count t-rigs & jigs down, it's something I learned years ago, it tells me if I've been bitten on the fall or if the bass is swimming with it. It is two bites where you may not feel or see anything.

So basically years of experience is how you judge haha

[kingmotorboat]

I will try it out though catt I still do the rod dunk to judge how deep

[MIbassyaker]

I'm not a believer in bass being spooked by line ever. Reason being if they can't see a hook I don't expect them to see a line or a sinker or for that matter really care. Sorry I got off track here

I don't doubt they see hooks -- they see quite well, after all.  I just don't see any reason to expect them to be shy of hooks. They're not picky eaters, after all, and they don't "know" what a hook is.

[Catt]

I don't doubt they see hooks -- they see quite well, after all. I just don't see any reason to expect them to be shy of hooks. They're not picky eaters, after all, and they don't "know" what a hook is.

In grass they don't know what your line is

[kingmotorboat]

I don't doubt they see hooks -- they see quite well, after all. I just don't see any reason to expect them to be shy of hooks. They're not picky eaters, after all, and they don't "know" what a hook is.

Me and you have the same view they see it but they don't care. I hear people say they fish for them because they're smart and it makes it tough. I say they're not that smart just very elusive. Reason I say that cause my dad recently hooked a 3 pounder had a knot failure and lost the fish. 30 seconds later I caught 3 pounder and got his hook and baby brush hog back

[RoLo]

I think about it this way: bass that live around weeds are surrounded by all kinds of stalks, stems, tendrils and other fibers of vegetation. They hunt food in and around and through this stuff every day. To them, even if they see fishing line, it probably just registers as another tendril of vegetation that's in the way.

 

Bullseye!

 

Bass routinely engulf baitfish with a trail of excrement or a nondescript object projecting from its mouth.

It's well-documented that bass readily accept the sight of snap-swivels, rattleboxes, fiberguards, treble hooks,

and ultra-strong wire on Alabama Rigs.

Is it rational to believe that when this same animal sees a fine braided filament...All Bets Are Off?

 

Roger

[Wolfie]

Ok so Im thinking I'll try braid on this set up what lb test (baitcaster) would you recomend? Also is fireline crystal good? a friend of mine is a huge walleye guy and loves that stuff

[scaleface]

  "But in those weeds i had a terrible time distinquishing bites from weeds anyone got any tips?" 

 

It gets difficult. If you feel a slight tap when the lure is falling  , set the hook .  But often you dont feel the tap and when you raise the rod you feel a slight resistance  . A bass and a weed can feel exactly the same . I weigh my slack line and if it feels a little weird , I set the hook .. Thats hard to explain but thats what I do . 

 

 Try this , its something I do a lot . Use a shiny perfectly smooth soft plastic  lure . No ridges , bumps ...If in doubt if you had a bite or not  , examine your bait. If a bass had it there should be a rough spot caused by its sandpaper like teeth . 

[Wolfie]

Thanks

[HoosierHawgs]

Sorry I changed my answer on y'all

1/4 oz - 1' per second

I count t-rigs & jigs down, it's something I learned years ago, it tells me if I've been bitten on the fall or if the bass is swimming with it. It is two bites where you may not feel or see anything.

So if my line stops moving and goes slacked it his stopped? Probably a stupid question but one of the areas I fish is only accessible by foot, so I don't have any type of electronics unit to tell the DOW, so the best way for me to tell that would be to count a bait down. Also, wouldn't the type of bait change the ROF?

[A-Jay]

Otsego is not to far from me im from hudsonville my thing is if im dragging it threw the weedsa and all of a sudden it feels stuck how do you know its stuck in a weed or a fishes mouth I think I can win this tournament if this bite holds good for another 2 weeks but I need to figure out if im getting bit and missing it I only had 4 fish and had a 12.8 bag by myself saturday one small fish 2.15

 

 I like to feel for "Signs of Live" - but you usually can't "feel" for too long . . . . . . 

 

Remember - Hook Sets Are Free - so don't be shy - if you think you're getting bit - Whack'em.

 

I will also say that after enough of your baits go whizzing by your head - this may also help you to learn the difference between a weed and a bite.

 

 In the mean time, don't forget to duck . . .

 

 

A-Jay

[WRB]

Ok so I was pre fishing a tourny saturday and ran into a local slamming fish, good fish too he told me he was texas rigging a kinky beaver in deep weeds (10-18')and told me the color with an 1/8 oz tungsten weight so all I had was a sweet beaver which is similar in profile but different and less apendages and a 1/4oz tungsten weight I caught a few fish 4 my avg was about 3.25lbs good fish for up here in michigan.

But in those weeds i had a terrible time distinquishing bites from weeds anyone got any tips? I talked to the guy later he told me he worked at the tackle store up the road so i stopped on my way out and he was there he figures I got a lot less bites because of the different bait he says kinky beaver does 10 fold better than the sweet beaver and the weight. I fish jigs usually skipping docks on a baitcaster so I watch line and try to feel but in those deep weeds I feel lost. Any help would be much appreciated sorry

Your best source of information is the tackle guy who turned you on to this bite...talk to him!

Regarding braid vs mono/FC; you caught bass, did you break off any bass because the breaking? Fishing with braid takes time to learn and you don't have time if a tournament is coming soon.

I am not an expert fishing weeds, Catt is so listen to him.

What I can tell you is weeds don't move or stop your lure suddenly, bass do. If the bite is good, the bass tend to hold soft plastic longer, so you can take a few seconds to line watch or simply set the hook instantly, swings are free.

My advice; use the lighter weight and same color/ soft plastic as the guy who was doing well used, that was valuable information.

Tom

[Wolfie]

Thanks guys I really apprecitate it.ya i talked to him for quite a while he showed me exactly what he was using. And his biggest tip for me was if im unsure if its weeds or bass put the line basicly tight with little pressure with the rod at about 10-11 and if the tip moves out away from you even ever so slightly reel and smash em weeds dont pull back. So I will try it again saturday and let you guys know how it goes

[Wolfie]

Thanks guys I really apprecitate it.ya i talked to him for quite a while he showed me exactly what he was using. And his biggest tip for me was if im unsure if its weeds or bass put the line basicly tight with little pressure with the rod at about 10-11 and if the tip moves out away from you even ever so slightly reel and smash em weeds dont pull back. So I will try it again saturday and let you guys know how it goes

[Wolfie]

Sorry for the double post

[Mike L]

A little tip that may help you also...

Put you index finger under the line while you're working it through the vegetation. Regardless of the type of line you use any vibration will be transmitted through to your finger.

In time you'll know the difference between anything the end of the line touches.

Mike

[Catt]

1/4 oz - 1' per second rate of fall is approximant, depending on the piece of plastic attached to your hook which is why I changed it. I count down while watching my line sink, when it stops moving I'll give it another two count for lagniappe.

The art of feeling a Texas rig bite is a fine combination of watching your line and feeling for unnatural sensations of what your lure shouldn't feel like.

Sometimes you will feel that classic "tap", sometimes you'll only see line movement, sometimes your line will simply go slack, but sometimes there will only be a feeling of heaviness that is almost like your lure is hung in grass.

The bites where the bass moves after inhaling your lure are the easy ones to feel because there is line movement. The bites where the bass simply inhales your lure and sits there are the hardest to feel. Sometimes you will only see your line jump where it enters the water and it will make you go huh, set hook!

Feeling a worm/jig bite requires keeping a certain amount of tension on your line while at the same time keeping a certain amount of slackness in your line. To the average angler this makes no sense at all but to the experenced worm/jig angler it makes total sense!

Maintain contact with your lure at all times, allow the lure to free-fall unrestricted, but without letting slack form in your line; strip line if neccessay anf follow your lure down with your rod tip.

[HoosierHawgs]

1/4 oz - 1' per second rate of fall is approximant, depending on the piece of plastic attached to your hook which is why I changed it. I count down while watching my line sink, when it stops moving I'll give it another two count for lagniappe.

The art of feeling a Texas rig bite is a fine combination of watching your line and feeling for unnatural sensations of what your lure shouldn't feel like.

Sometimes you will feel that classic "tap", sometimes you'll only see line movement, sometimes your line will simply go slack, but sometimes there will only be a feeling of heaviness that is almost like your lure is hung in grass.

The bites where the bass moves after inhaling your lure are the easy ones to feel because there is line movement. The bites where the bass simply inhales your lure and sits there are the hardest to feel. Sometimes you will only see your line jump where it enters the water and it will make you go huh, set hook!

Feeling a worm/jig bite requires keeping a certain amount of tension on your line while at the same time keeping a certain amount of slackness in your line. To the average angler this makes no sense at all but to the experenced worm/jig angler it makes total sense!

Maintain contact with your lure at all times, allow the lure to free-fall unrestricted, but without letting slack form in your line; strip line if neccessay anf follow your lure down with your rod tip.

2 count for what? Sorry I'm not sure what that means.... Does that mean an extra 2'? Does anyone know the approximate ROF for 1/8, 1/2, ect?

[scaleface]

 

Feeling a worm/jig bite requires keeping a certain amount of tension on your line while at the same time keeping a certain amount of slackness in your line. To the average angler this makes no sense at all but to the experenced worm/jig angler it makes total sense!

 

Those are two good sentences .

[A-Jay]

2 count for what? Sorry I'm not sure what that means.... Does that mean an extra 2'? Does anyone know the approximate ROF for 1/8, 1/2, ect?

 

A few things factor into this - in no particular order:

 

Type & size of line - a thinner braid may increase ROF where a "fatter" nylon line may decrease it some.  

This comes into play more on a cast than it does on a pitch or flip type presentation.

 

 The Type, Size and Design (shape) of your plastic can affect ROF as well.

A big wavy tail or two (or more) large flapping craws of other type appendages act as brakes to slow the ride down.  A smooth, less or no appendage bait is more apt to zip right to the bottom. 

So it can change from bait to bait.

 

Really the best way to get it right (as already mentioned above) is to simply test it at a know depth.  This can be done right at the boat or if you're on the bank, in water you can see the bottom at. 

 

A-Jay

[HoosierHawgs]

A few things factor into this - in no particular order:

Type & size of line - a thinner braid may increase ROF where a "fatter" nylon line may decrease it some.

This comes into play more on a cast than it does on a pitch or flip type presentation.

The Type, Size and Design (shape) of your plastic can affect ROF as well.

A big wavy tail or two (or more) large flapping craws of other type appendages act as brakes to slow the ride down. A smooth, less or no appendage bait is more apt to zip right to the bottom.

So it can change from bait to bait.

Really the best way to get it right (as already mentioned above) is to simply test it at a know depth. This can be done right at the boat or if you're on the bank, in water you can see the bottom at.

A-Jay

I may try the neighborhood pool. Although I'd measure it myself, seems most pools "measurements" aren't exact.

[Jrob78]

1/4 oz - 1' per second rate of fall is approximant, depending on the piece of plastic attached to your hook which is why I changed it. I count down while watching my line sink, when it stops moving I'll give it another two count for lagniappe.

The art of feeling a Texas rig bite is a fine combination of watching your line and feeling for unnatural sensations of what your lure shouldn't feel like.

Sometimes you will feel that classic "tap", sometimes you'll only see line movement, sometimes your line will simply go slack, but sometimes there will only be a feeling of heaviness that is almost like your lure is hung in grass.

The bites where the bass moves after inhaling your lure are the easy ones to feel because there is line movement. The bites where the bass simply inhales your lure and sits there are the hardest to feel. Sometimes you will only see your line jump where it enters the water and it will make you go huh, set hook!

Feeling a worm/jig bite requires keeping a certain amount of tension on your line while at the same time keeping a certain amount of slackness in your line. To the average angler this makes no sense at all but to the experenced worm/jig angler it makes total sense!

Maintain contact with your lure at all times, allow the lure to free-fall unrestricted, but without letting slack form in your line; strip line if neccessay anf follow your lure down with your rod tip.

What line are you using Catt?

[A-Jay]

What line are you using Catt?

 

I'm going to say in advance of Catt's response here that I bet you're going to be surprised by his answer.

 

 

A-Jay

[Jrob78]

I'm going to say in advance of Catt's response here that I bet you're going to be surprised by his answer.

 

 

A-Jay

I will only be surprised if he says fluoro or braid.  

[ErikMon Bills Fan]

I switched to braid last year and love it. Went with suffix 832 in a dark green that is very invisible in my cloudy murky waters of CT. I chose 25lb and my friends laughed at me saying there's no Bass in the state over 10 lbs. I had to mention almost every time that my line had a smaller diameter than their 8lb mono. Plus every time they got stuck in a tree the line would break or get nicked. I can rip expensive lures out of trees all day and it will be fine. Im also less likely to loose a much sought after pike with my braid and I feel bad when a pike has a lure in its belly. I did notice sometimes when fishing a fluke or some other baits the bait will be jerked toward me but the "floating" braid will be drifting slightly behind it which made me think the bass would be spooked but ive never used a fluorocarbon leader and Ive still caught fish. I think braid is a must for frog fishing as its great threw the vegetation and you can make quick hooksets. One benefit of braid for those senko users or whenever your fishing a soft plastic that your looking for a bite "on the fall" is with braid it floats on a straight line on top of the water versus mono that looks like a giant coil or loose spring. You can see the fish bit and the line tapping or vibrating on top of the water a lot easier with braid. Also for finding depth of your casting area you will see the braid floating on top and the line closer to the lure will be going down. As soon as the line stops you know you've hit bottom. Its hard to describe but you will notice slight differences and you might end up preferring braid when you once thought it was intimidating. GOOD LUCK!!!