Dead Sticking

[WRB]

Dead sticking isn't something I do very often, longer pauses yes.

Rip Nunnery I believe still holds the single day heaviest B.A.S.S. limit at 98 lbs 15 oz (15 bass limit) back in 1969.

Rip was a dead sticker or sorts. He would make his cast using T-rigged worms or jigs, pull off about 5' of line while the lure sank, sit his rod down and watch the line and wait for it to move. Rip would pick up the rod and set the hook or pick up the rod after waiting awhile holding the tip high and whip it (hard shakes) several times and set the rod back down watch the line. Worked for Rip!

Tom

Rip Nunnery only fished 1 B.A.S.S. event because of his agoraphobia  (fear of traveling).

[Fishing Cowgirl]

That is a favorite method of mine and my husband. Fantastic for Florida even in the murkiest of water. One thing I noticed was fishing the open was the boaters were fishing very fast with the trolling motors wide open (it seemed that way when I'm having to feed out line to get my bait deeper in the water no matter how far I cast). Mostly Stick baits and Flukes. Cast it, pop it a couple times, let it fall and sit. Twitch it after 20-30 seconds then let it sit. I also used Megastrike crawfish formula for scent, if it's really nasty or dark waters. I always had my finger under the line and you can usually feel the little "tic" of the line or it just feels different when you pick it up and they are doing the Ninja bites. When my day 1 boater watched me put two in the boat dead sticking, and he had none, it clicked with him. Too late for day 1, but he thanked me the next day in the weigh in line saying he caught fish doing what I showed him. He said it was like a light bulb clicked on for that type of Florida fishing. I gave him a few more tips but dead sticking is my favorite style especially in the Florida 99 degree heat we get. My biggest bass was 8.29 pounds dead sticking.

[J.Vincent]

I've tried dead sticking Senkos and Slug-os and Hula Grubs, but I never have enough patience to wait longer then 10-15 seconds. I've heard about and read about anglers who will let a bait soak motionless for 5 minutes or more. Just not my cup of tea or at least it's not yet in my confidence techniques. 

[ratherbfishin1]

1 hour ago, Active_Outdoors said:

I've tried dead sticking Senkos and Slug-os and Hula Grubs, but I never have enough patience to wait longer then 10-15 seconds. I've heard about and read about anglers who will let a bait soak motionless for 5 minutes or more. Just not my cup of tea or at least it's not yet in my confidence techniques. 

I know, I go like 15 seconds when I try to dead stick and then I tell myself that if I haven't caught one already I probably won't and I'm just wasting my time.

[Paul Roberts]

I do it. You can't have spent much time sight fishing without it! It trips the triggers on the larger fish too.

 

Pauses in a retrieve can trigger fish. Duration of the pause can take us into "killed" or "dead-sticking" territory. While I don't often "dead-stick" for extended periods -without a darn good reason- I will "kill" a bait while checking out activity levels and if I suspect there might be more, or bigger, fish in a location.

[lonnie g]

I recently was on lay lake in bama just on boat ride relaxing and observed a man using this technique, he was very successful. As I was watching I just seemed to know that he was going to catch fish. You could see his confidence level. I think this is greatly underlooked!confidence in a bait or technique seems to make a huge difference

[FishDewd]

I dead stick quite a bit, but haven't really noticed a big difference yet when it comes to strikes. It works best for me to pause a crankbait briefly, or pause a topwater for a long time. I've gotten several on the plopper after I let it sit for about 5-10 seconds then made it move again. I'll usually stop it over an area I think is promising and let it soak for a moment. Been pretty effective, caught more that way this year than other way so far. I want to get into poppers. I saw BPS had a nice looking poppin perch that I think would have promise.

[Catt]

Only thing that worked yesterday was letting it sit still!

 

 

[blckshirt98]

I deadstick my dropshot all the time, lots of subtle bites I don't believe I would have gotten doing anything that requires a moving bait.