Loud splash noise when casting

[Traumabrew]

I went out again today to practice using my bait caster. After watching some vids of how to set it up, I did a lot better today. No backlashes, better distance, but I am having an issue I dont know if it really is an issue and if it is, how to correct it.

 

When I cast, my lure makes a very loud splash noise and a large ripple effect. I would suspect this would scare off the fish. I was using a Texas rig today using 3/8 oz weight and a #3 EWG with a 7" worm. 

 

I did not catch anything today. I think I was using the wrong set up as I was noticing a lot of surface activity/feeding from the fish. I didnt switch up my lure as I went out around sunset to mainly get practice casting. But the loud/large splash effect has me concerned. Is this a problem with my casting technique?

[FishDewd]

Well, as Catt said, and I think it's accurate, sometimes you want a splash. Other times you don't. It'll come down to the water conditions, the mood of the fish, etc... Doesn't mean you're doing it wrong necessarily. Don't assume the fact that you made a splash is the reason you aren't catching fish. In murky water I have found it's better so that it gives them some sort of direction to look at. Pressured water does tend to vary though... I've thrown topwater lures where it landed inches from a fish and I saw an explosion of water as the fish scurried away terrified. Sometimes they just nail it. It just depends. One thing I've learned is to raise my rod at the last moment before the lure hits the water, it does seem to slightly lessen the impact splash.

 

Anyway, I usually make a bit of splash too cause I just learned to cast a baitcaster almost overhand, and usually use a side-roll type of cast in most cases. I've been working on light pitches atm to stretch my arsenal. I'm spending a lot of time slinging lures into my yard cause I am hell bent on learning how to do it when the situation arises lol. Normally I bring 2-3 poles with me rigged a little differently to test what mood the fish are in. Once you find the one that works... stick to it.  

[Catt]

We assume all bass are the same doing the same thing at the same time.

 

They are individuals!

 

What scares one makes another curious!

[Graham]

Prey doesn’t always make a perfect splash-less entry to the water!

 

if you want to give your bait a nice clean entry just be easier with it, swing your bait out rather than hucking it, keep it more parallel to the water, go easy with it, it’s all in the wrist. You’d be surprised how far you can cast a lure without absolutely bombing it. Play around and practice, you’ll learn a lot from messing around. Hope that helps. 

[kenmitch]

3 hours ago, Catt said:

We assume all bass are the same doing the same thing at the same time.

 

They are individuals!

 

What scares one makes another curious!

Yep....Just like humans they react in different ways. 

[Mr. Aquarium]

ive caught some large fish after a splash with a big swimbait. especially over near over hanging trees 

[kenmitch]

1 hour ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

ive caught some large fish after a splash with a big swimbait. especially over near over hanging trees 

Yep....Just like us bass will have a natural reaction to disturbances in their world. Some will do the deer in headlights, some will run for it, while others will go to investigate it.

[Angry John]

This is a bait type and individual fish thing to me.  Chucking deep diver cranks who cares,  pitching into shallow water it may make a huge difference.  Pressured water or your personal little secret place.  Tons of factors to consider.

[bagofdonuts]

Are you casting it using an overhand motion, like throwing a baseball? if so, try more of a roll cast (like turning a door knob). This will have the lure landing at a much flatter angle and not as much splash. I'd also work on it backhanded.

[EGbassing]

Are you casting overhand? If so, I would try more of a sidearm cast. That should help.

[Catt]

It doesn't matter if you're casting, pitching, flipping, or punching.

 

During the 70s we "punched" matted grass by throwing a Stanley 3/4 oz jig (biggest you could find) straight up & before it reached it's apex slam your rod straight down "punching" the jig through the mat. Quite a violent technique that put tons of fish in the boat. Ya know what it still works today!

 

Am I saying commotion is the right choice?

 

No but neither is silent!

 

Just because ya made a little noise don't get excited, go ahead & work your lure.

[Brad in Texas]

I don't use long casts, fishing most often from my Meyers Sportspal canoe or a kayak. I get close up and usually pitch to my spots.

 

But, I have a friend who fishes in the kayak tournaments here in Texas, a YouTuber publishing videos, too, and Tony Sebren can make casts with very small splashes using a casting reel. If I were to describe it, I'd say he casts flatter trajectories than most. As one poster here mentioned, flatter angles of descent make smaller splashes; and, another poster here mentioned you can still make long "enough" casts by backing off just a hair. Diminishing returns to distance, anyway, from those Tarzan swings. We all know that: air resistance against light lures makes it so.

 

Adding to the flatter trajectory, a shot putter or discus thrower's nightmare where energy that could have gone into a longer flight instead finds the implement smacking down for a short measured throw . . . but then skipping off farther rolling along the ground, wasted energy. Here if a lure is cast "flattish" and an experienced angler has a really good thumb (finger for spinning reel), if timed properly, at the point just after the first water contact where the lure would then want to skip forward like skipping a flat stone across water, the line is stopped, absorbs the horizontal "vector" energy still left . . . and the lure makes little commotion. Not only the thumb/finger, but one can pull up on the rod to negate the skipping forward.

 

Some do this much better than others. When you see an angler with this skill set, it is something to behold.

 

On long, long casts where you are trying to cover water, there, I'd likely just bomb it out, get the extra 7 or 8 yards, and know it might affect a fish if it hits him on the head, but odds are the extra 7 or 8 yards pays off.

 

Brad

[JustJames]

Loud entry noise might spook the fish off but sometime they do call the fish in to investigate.

many time I got bite on whopper plopper 110 after making big splash and pause for a few seconds.

Your 3/8 oz bullet weight with 7" worm shouldn't make a lot of noise no matter how hard it land compare to other type lures, don't worry about it too much. Or you could try lighter weight 1/4, 1/8 and I think those are better for bank fishing.

 

[Dr Octagon]

Just think of that "loud splash" as a dinner bell for the Bass ?

[NHBull]

As you get better, you be be able to focus on the splash. For now learn to avoid back

ash and get accurate. As your accuracy improves, you thumb improves and the splash becomes more manageable. I for one, think I have better results when they hear it’s coming ?

[Ratherbfishing]

Imagine my great disdain when my two year old nephew fell out of the boat and made a HUGE splash.  I was relieved to see he didn't scare the bass at all.

[lo n slo]

i dont know your particular situation but 3/8 is a little heavy for me

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

During the 70s we "punched" matted grass by throwing a Stanley 3/4 oz jig (biggest you could find) straight up & before it reached it's apex slam your rod straight down "punching" the jig through the mat. Quite a violent technique that put tons of fish in the boat. Ya know what it still works today!

Sounds familiar.  I came up with this out of necessity:

 

[WRB]

Making a controlled cast where you decide how and where the lure lands is important.

Tom

[Catt]

@J Francho so did we ?

 

Bass fishing in the 70s & early 80s was violent sport, at least for the bass anyway!

[Rahlow]

I think Glenn has a video about this,,,,

[WRB]

You must be stealthy quite is one approach. You must stir the up to activate them is another approach. Both work under circumstances that favor them.

Tom Mann of Mann baits wrote in his book "Think like a Bass" recommends stirring them up by running your big OB motor through weed beds to tear the mats up. Then go back and catch bass looking for critters displaced by the mat being ripped up.

Watching a Bassmaster Classic event that Jay Yelas won by catching a 6 lb bass out of a boat wake that buzzed by him a few feet away supports Mann's approach.

I have watched big bass leave a area when a boat drove by 200 yards away, they hear the noise and shut off or see them swim into deeper water...stealth and long casts is important to catch those bass at that time.

Bass located in marinas in the same lake could care less if boats are making noise, they seem to be conditioned to boat traffic.

Load splash lure entry, sometimes works, sometimes it does't and I don't know why so controlled lure entry is my go to presentation, when it's possible.

Tom

[Rahlow]

Glenn’s video here, at about the 14 minute mark, I’d suggest watching it all though,,

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/spinnerbaits-bass-fishing.html

[Traumabrew]

I guess I have been brainwashed into the whole "Fish quietly" mindset that making any noise seems to be a bad thing to me. When thinking about a lot of techniques and lures, most of them have added features to make a noise or disturbance.

 

I think part of my problem was my weight. I thought I was using a 3/8 oz weight but it was a 1/2 oz weight. I retied it using a 1/4 oz and it made less of a splash.

 

I was watching Glen video on how to set up and use a bait caster and that video alone improved my casting. Still didn't catch anything. Now I need to learn "how to fish" meaning what bait/lures and techniques to use for given situation or circumstances.

[J Francho]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

@J Francho so did we ?

 

Bass fishing in the 70s & early 80s was violent sport, at least for the bass anyway!

You’re old, lol. I think I figured this out in the late 80s as a teen. And it wasn’t with a jig. They had these streamlined, concave, conical Bullet weights, and we’d peg them with a toothpick and do the flip punch cast. They were 3/4 oz. and about an inch long!  Anyway, it worked.