Let's Talk Retrieves....

[MFBAB]

What are some of your favorite ways to trigger bites?  This isn't bait specific, just what are some of your favorite ways to work various baits?

 

One that I just learned recently from panfishing w micro jigs (1/64 oz - 2 lb line) is to just do a slow wind, like 2-3 seconds per turn of the handle, while shaking the rod tip - sort of like when you take a rod in the store and shake it to feel the balance. 

 

Done correctly, you are sort of twitching the lure randomly on slack line, so it just does an unpredicatable series of little darting moves. 

 

For the micro jigs, it is intended to imitate the movements of emerging insects that trout and panfish feed on...

But I have also found it to be pretty good on shakyheads and even topwater at times for bass. 

 

What are some odd-ball retrieves you guys have cooked up??

 

 

[Kentuckysteve]

 

One that I just learned recently from panfishing w micro jigs (1/64 oz - 2 lb line) is to just do a slow wind, like 2-3 seconds per turn of the handle, while shaking the rod tip - sort of like when you take a rod in the store and shake it to feel the balance. 

 

Done correctly, you are sort of twitching the lure randomly on slack line, so it just does an unpredicatable series of little darting moves. 

 

 

 

I have done that with my fly rod.It works great!

 

 

Spinnerbaits.Rather than just cast and retrieve i sometimes will cast and burn it through the water a few feet then stop reeling.Let it drop a few feet then burn through the water then stop again.All the way in.I have let it drop all the way to the bottom before the fast retrieve.I figure it 's something different the fish don't usually see. and it will get their attention.I have caught a lot of bass doing this.This may be something we all do im not sure.

[Choporoz]

One that works sometimes is to get a backlash....then while picking it out, my line just starts moving sideways

[MFBAB]

One that works sometimes is to get a backlash....then while picking it out, my line just starts moving sideways

 

The ol unintentional deadstick, works like a champ!!

[lmbfisherman]

Haha I had that happen recently. I said screw it set the hook and reeled the bass in. Then let line out to pick out my backlash again and watch my line for another fish

[papajoe222]

One thing I learned years ago and I'm surprised more muskie and walleye anglers don't do, is to change directions during the retrieve.  I rarely point my rod tip at the lure when retrieving.  Somewhere during the retrieve I will move the rod tip left or right, up or down.  The effect on the bait is similar to a baitfish changing direction or speeding up to avoid capture.  I learned that little trick from an old muskie guide way back in the 60's. It's one of the best triggers to getting a following fish to commit to your offering. It works great on bass and most game fish.

[Surfcaster]

When I was a kid learning to fish in the early 70's, the only artificial bait we had were black plastic worms.  We rigged them with a split shot about 12" above the worm and I was taught to reel them in slow and steady.   I feel like we did ok back then in the rivers and local ponds.  When Bill Dance started coming on TV in my area, sometimes he would be hopping a plastic worm, and since he was always dragging in lunkers, I started implementing different retrieves when I fished.  Now when I am making steady retrieves, I feel like I am not fishing properly and I begin hopping the bait or start and stop during the retrieve.   The next time I am out on the lake,  if I can make myself do it, I am only going to fish with a steady retrieve and see what happens.

[Dave Jakes]

More of a specific cadence than retrieve, but I'll often retrieve my poppers and jerk baits to the beat of "Jump On It". Something about The Sugarhill Gang really gets them going.

[scaleface]

One that works sometimes is to get a backlash....then while picking it out, my line just starts moving sideways

Or another one is pulling the lure in with your hands because you had to cut the backlash out .

[SirSnookalot]

Or another one is pulling the lure in with your hands because you had to cut the backlash out .

Don't do that with braid if your target fish hit at 25 mph.

[Hogsticker]

More of a specific cadence than retrieve, but I'll often retrieve my poppers and jerk baits to the beat of "Jump On It". Something about The Sugarhill Gang really gets them going.

Ha! Good thread. I often do my jerkbait cadence to which ever AC DC song is stuck in my head at the moment (Bon Scott songs of course), but the fish don't seem to care for high voltage rock n' roll as much as I do.

Something I've been playing around with is stroking tube baits. Big, violent hops off the bottom -

[MFBAB]

Twitch-Twitch-Twitch-Pause

Think, "Another One Bites the Dust", where the words are the pause

 

Twitch-Twitch-Twitch-Another One bites the Dust -

Repeat. 

[Deleted account]

More of a specific cadence than retrieve, but I'll often retrieve my poppers and jerk baits to the beat of "Jump On It". Something about The Sugarhill Gang really gets them going.

 

So I should use a titanium spinnerbait, but not Uncle Josh?...

 

I have a few songs for poppers, works great, and I don't have to try to remember what I was doing.

[smalljaw67]

Square bills, I have a retrieve that I use when I get followers but not takers. I'll be reeling at a  good speed and as I'm reeling I just sweep the rod back while still reeling, and that sudden change caught a lot of fish I believe were following it because there were times when I'd be half way through the sweep when the strike would happen.

[MFBAB]

Square bills, I have a retrieve that I use when I get followers but not takers. I'll be reeling at a  good speed and as I'm reeling I just sweep the rod back while still reeling, and that sudden change caught a lot of fish I believe were following it because there were times when I'd be half way through the sweep when the strike would happen.

 

Yep, good post. 

That is a GREAT way to trigger bites while longline trolling.

 

I troll for crappie a lot, and it is smart to hold a rod and do an occasional sweep, it gets a lot of extra bites, probably followers. 

I think it goes along with what someone posted earlier in the thread, change directions, speed up, lift up a little, something to make them commit, like it's trying to get away. 

 

It's a concept we all understand, but it's easy to get lazy and not do it too

[bigbill]

With prop baits, inline spinners, spinnerbaits I go fast enough to make the blades spin. Go slow and increase till they just spin.

Crankbaits, hard minnowbaits. I count "one thousand" slowly on the handle. One turn equals one thousand.

Topwater, 1 twitch, 2 twitch, 3 twitch then pause.

Poppers. 1 pop,,,,,2 pop,,,,,3 pop,,,,then pause.

Same presentation both poppers and topwater spooks.

Some lures require a special presentation.

Rebel BIGCLAW CRAWFISH CRANK dives to 10'. I cast it out as far as I can. Close the bail and sweep back the rod so it dives. I bounce it on the bottom then a slow retrieve.

Yum money minnow, slow reel or 1-2-3 pause dying minnow effect. Or steady retrieve.

Mister twister top prop. 1-2-3 pause. Or 1-2-3 longer pause.

Or steady slow retrieve.

Floating cranks. Stop over open pockets in submerged weeds.

Twitch, twitch. Just enough twitch so it stays in the same spot.

Rapala split minnow countdown. Drop it in a deep hole let it hit the bottom and twitch it. For me the blue back yellow bottom color is hot.

Now unless your split shot worm fishing don't try to eat a sandwich.

Panfish liked my salami n cheese. P&j is faster to eat.

[Musky_Fever]

I like your Avatar picture DTF.  That was me a few days ago.  

 

Cheers.

[BocaGrande]

One that works sometimes is to get a backlash....then while picking it out, my line just starts moving sideways

[Hogsticker]

I most always speed or burn my retrieve when nearing the boat or shore. Just in case there is a looker who has to decide they don't want to take the chance of letting it get away.

[SirSnookalot]

With a follower quite often they get disinterested if you slow down, speeding up increases their aggressive nature.  We troll at better than 10 knots for some species.

[ClackerBuzz]

I most always speed or burn my retrieve when nearing the boat or shore. Just in case there is a looker who has to decide they don't want to take the chance of letting it get away.

i learned something similar from trout fly fisherman. they called it an artificial lift.  how many times have you been lifting ur rod by the boat to lift a lure out of the water and re-cast when a bass slams it.  it's that sudden directional change/angle/ push to shallow water that triggers the strike.  but the majority of the time bass see the boat first.  to avoid that lift ur rod tip high 60+ft out for the artificial lift before they get a chance to see the boat.  works like a charm

[Hogsticker]

I know it's already been mentioned, but a simple, quick change of direction can trigger a follower to strike. I know while long line trolling hard baits, a lot of my hits come when turning the boat. It's kinda cool cause if your rod tip you can see the vibrations get stronger when your bait turns, and then watch it fold over when a fish crushes your bait.