detecting softbait strikes

[bowtech_182]

When fishing with t-rigged dingers how do you tell the difference between strikes and weeds?  Where I fish has lots of vegetation for the worm to get caught up in.  Are there any tips or suggestions?

Andy

[playmaker47]

real rocky bottoms, wood, brush, and weeds can all make detecting strikes dificult. The best way is to just practice, because it is difficult to explain how to feel a strike, it comes more with instinct. Watching your line will really help. If you see it move slightly to the left or right, get real slack, or twitch, then you usually have a hit.  Know what your lure feels like when its not getting a hit, and if you ever feel something different or strange, set the hook. Hits will sometimes feel like a subtle tap, just a weight on the line, or a soft squishy feeling. With practice, you will start to tell the difference between a hit and the lure colliding with cover and structure.

[eyedabassman]

Playmarker is wright on, most of my bigger bass that I have caught, felt like a weed or that I was hung on a rock. If you are not sure just set the hook! Don't get in a pulling contest because the bass wins. It does't cost you much to set the hook if you are not sure. It is the only way to learn, and once you poke your first, you well get better and better.And again watch your line at all times.

One of the coolest things is when you are not sure and you set the hook and then you think darn a snag, and then you feel her head shake

[acar555]

99% of the time you know what a strike doesn't feel like, so when it feels different set the hook.

[Gotta Love It]

My motto:  when in doubt, set the hook!  

Hooksets are free!  

[bubbler]

make sure to watch your line and keep yout finer under the line in front of the reel so you can feel yout line jump.

believe me you will feel when the fish hits

[bowtech_182]

make sure to watch your line and keep yout finer under the line in front of the reel so you can feel yout line jump.

believe me you will feel when the fish hits

Is this common practice then t-rigging with spinning gear?  I guess I will try that.

Andy

[Catt]

When in doubt! Drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook!

It's the only part of this sport that's still free  

[BassFishingMachine]

I usually just feel the softbait. If it feels heavy I'll slightly pull it and usually it will feel either a bit heavier then weeds where you know its a fish. Or the fish will move with the bait and obviously you know this is a hit.

[John J.]

If the soft bait is rigged weighless all you have to do is watch the line. The line will sink slowly and it will appear as it dissappears one inch at a time. If a bass takes it the line will twitch and then run, or it will move to the side.

If weighted, I let the lure sink all the way to the bottom and basically add tension (pull on the line until tight) and then feel for taps or tugs. If there are either of these I will set the hook, if not then I hop the lure and continue.

There are free swings in worm fishing. If you get snagged, it happens. I've fished one tournament here at Motts Run Reservoir and it has deep water and tons of wood. I was using a texas-rigged worm and when fishing in the wood I was like you, couldn't tell the difference. If I would have free swung I would have won that tournament. Because of all the hits I had I would have easily had my limit when the guy who got first only had two fish total weight of 5 pounds.

I hooked into a nice 2 pounder but he jumped and spit the hook.

If anything go to a pond or two with vegetation or wood and practice. With time you can only get better!  8-)

[KenDammit28]

more often than not, your line will start moving.  Linewatching is an invaluable practice, IMO.

I'd say that 99% of the time when fishing weightless, my line has gone taught in a hurry and if I'm not moving the bait..obviously something on the other end is.  Other times the line will start moving to one side or the other and very rarely does the line come at me or get more slack in it.  

feel your line and I also like to keep a finger or two on the blank of the rod.  If you can feel a dragonfly land on the tip of your rod, then you know you've got one sensitive enough to feel any fish bite.

[KenDammit28]

make sure to watch your line and keep yout finer under the line in front of the reel so you can feel yout line jump.

believe me you will feel when the fish hits

Is this common practice then t-rigging with spinning gear? I guess I will try that.

Andy

with spinning gear, fingering the line is hard to do unless you have really big hands or are just used to doing it.  I feel ackward when I do it or that I have no control of the rod...so what I do with spinning gear is reel until the line is up by the rod, then i finger it.