How much line do you keep out when using bottom baits?

[JFlynn97]

Anything from texas rigged worms/craws/creatures/etc to jigs to ned rigs to pretty much every bottom bait, how much line do you keep out when you're fishing them? I feel like I don't know this well enough and it causes me to miss fish. Typically I have a bit of line that's mostly slack and sitting on the surface of the water that I keep my eyes on to see if it jumps or twitches or anything that could indicate a bite (maybe between half a foot and a foot?). Should I be leaving less slack in the line? I'm worried that I'm missing bites because I can't feel as well with the bit of slack in my line, but if I have my line totally tight to the point that I can feel the weight my lure without actually moving it I'm worried that it makes it look unnatural to the fish or I might set the hook too early.

 

These are absolutely not a confidence bait for me, but I vowed to always have some sort of a bottom bait tied on at all times this year until I'm confident in them, so any and all tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[WRB]

As far as I can them. Varies, sometimes I cast 30', sometimes 150'. I am always in contact with jigs and worms regardless how far away they are.

Tom

 

[th365thli]

The only time where I leave slack is weightless senkos or other stick baits. This is because it's important to let them fall on slack line for proper lure action. Because senkos are usually fished shallow, it makes watching line easier, particularly when they softly pick it up and pull to one side. 

 

The vast majority of the time, I keep contact or minimal slack. ESPECIALLY bottom contact baits. With the increased depth it's almost impossible to visually see strikes. You really need to be using feel to detect bites. Even if you're dead sticking the bait, you want to feel it. Don't worry about setting the hook too early. If you're missing strikes you're either using the wrong gear/line, or they're very hesitant and you need to switch tactics. Try a fast or moderate fast rod with fluoro line. 

 

 

[Bass Turd]

The fun of fishing bottom contact baits IS feeling the bite. Fish them on a tighter line and when you feel a tap set the hook. I fish Texas rigs on 30lb braid with no leader so I can feel exactly what's going on down there. That's my favorite way to fish.

[JFlynn97]

@th365thli @Bass Turd thanks a ton for the tips! They definitely help, hopefully I'll be able to apply them and get on some fish this weekend

[scaleface]

I leave just enough slack so that it falls straight down  . Then as the lure is falling I lower  my rod tip at the same speed . This allows me to  keep in contact with the bait and not have it pendulum back toward me .

[thinkingredneck]

No slack once it hits bottom.  You want constant contact.

[NHBull]

.....in addition to the above, I sometimes keep a wacky rig on semi-slack line realizing I am creating a pendulum effect.....I want contact with anything on the bottom

[Catt]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

As far as I can them. Varies, sometimes I cast 30', sometimes 150'. I am always in contact with jigs and worms regardless how far away they are.

Tom

 

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

 

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 the worm/jig angler it makes total sense. 

 

[WRB]

Discribe your tackle that you worm and jig fish with: rod, reel, line, hooks in details itch model numbers and lb test or sizes.

My advice is start with one lure type and size before trying others. Knowing what tackle you have will help to recommend what to start with and how to present it. This site has videos to watch, articles and tons of threads to read. 

Tom

[JFlynn97]

9 minutes ago, WRB said:

Discribe your tackle that you worm and jig fish with: rod, reel, line, hooks in details itch model numbers and lb test or sizes.

My advice is start with one lure type and size before trying others. Knowing what tackle you have will help to recommend what to start with and how to present it. This site has videos to watch, articles and tons of threads to read. 

Tom

For jigs and texas rigs I have a Dobyns Fury 7'3" heavy/fast, paired with a daiwa fuego casting 8.1:1 with 30lb braid. For more finesse baits like worms, senkos, etc., I have a Dobyns Sierra 6'9" medium-light/fast, paired with a daiwa rg-ab spinning reel 5.6:1 with 8lb braid. 

[Todd2]

2 hours ago, thinkingredneck said:

No slack once it hits bottom.  You want constant contact.

That makes a lot of sense. I let it fall with just a bit of slack, then when it hits bottom and goes slack I never tighten up all the way. It's close though, like the others talk about.

[WRB]

So we have a baitcasting rod, reel with braid and a spinning rod reel with braid, both good quality outfits.

Finesse spinning; my suggestion is a slip shot rig. 1/8 oz tubular mojo weight, Carolina Keeper, size 1/0 #5133 Owner drown shot hook and 6' of 6 lb test premium mono leader, not FC for this rig. Roboworm 6" curl tail in oxblood red flake. Weight about 24" from the hook.

Baitcasting; jig. GYCB 3/8 oz Hula jig, plain black with Gamasktsu hook and 4" twin tail Hula gurb. Leader of your choice 6' of 12 lb mono or FC.

The slip shot rig is very simple; cast as far as you want, let sink to the bottom and drag back by lifting the rod tip up to move the right a few feet, reel in slack linesand repeat. When you feel added weight reel fast and sweep the rod back.

Jig is different, cast as far as you like, let the jig sink watching the V the line is cutting in the water closely. When the jig hits bottom or a bass eats it the line will jump slack. Lift the rod tip up and if you feel anything alive drop the tip and reel quickly and sweep the rod back hard. The retreive varies, short 1' hop rest, slower 2' drag and a short hop rest. Keep the line slack to a minimum so you feel the jig making bottom contact. Set the hook on anything different. Strike detection takes time unless the bass are aggressive then it's easy. Hula grub color 330 green pumpkin with purple-copper flake.

Tom

PS, bank fishing or boat fishing start by targeting points and fish all around them.

 

[Todd2]

10 minutes ago, WRB said:

 

The slip shot rig is very simple; cast as far as you want, let sink to the bottom and drag back by lifting the rod tip up to move the right a few feet, reel in slack linesand repeat. When you feel added weight reel fast and sweep the rod back.

 

 

 

Simple and flat out catches fish. My older brother has fished this as long as I can remember. He doesn't keep up with the latest techniques, probably doesn't know the difference between a Ned Rig and an Alabama rig but I've seen him catch more Bass than anyone I know on it. He fishes like you said and sometimes with a slow stready retrieve. 

[th365thli]

As Tom mentioned, the Yamamoto double tail hula grub on a 3/8 ounce jig head is an unreal combo. the beauty is that you can go lighter to 1/4 or heavier up to 1/2 depending on the depth, wind, and how the bass want it. In the rocky hard bottom reservoirs here in NorCal it absolutely slays. 

 

When you're thinking about what line or rod to use, keep in mind both need to work in synergy. Braid which doesn't have any stretch might not be the best to use with a fast or extra fast rod. Similarly, mono with a moderate action rod might be too spongy. I'm not saying there's a definite right or wrong answer. Play around some to find what works for you. A moderate fast rod with 14-16 lb fluoro works great for me for football jigs. A fast rod with straight fluoro or braid + leader is great for texas rigs or shallower heavier cover applications. I rarely use extra fast rods for anything, but different strokes for different folks. 

[Catt]

I don't care what tackle you use, that's personal preference, & with experience you will develop your own.

 

Rate Of Fall: how fast your t-rig/jig falls through the water column.

 

Rate of fall is controlled by your lure weight & is determined by the bass.

 

It is not written anywhere that t-rigs or jigs have to be fished slow. You can cover a lot of water fast by flipping-n-pitching.

 

Learn to fish both the same way!

 

If I'm on structure that's holding fish I'll throw both before I leave.

 

Fishing grass 

Most anglers try forcing a t-rig/jig through grass which is all wrong, you gotta finesse it through the grass!

 

When you feel the lure starting to load up in the grass...stop! Release pressure, pull up until you feel heaviness again but apply slightly more pressure, then release, continue until the jig breaks free.

 

You want the motion to be similar to & as fast as working a shaky head, you're just applying more pressure.

[WRB]

Jig and worm fishing always varies, rarely the same every outing. My suggestion is to use high percentage presentations to get a feel and catch bass, then it's a life long education with more choices then you can ever use.

Tom

[Catt]

Jig fisherman's #2 choice is a Texas Rig

 

Texas Rig fisherman's #2 choice is a Jig

 

Wonder why?  ?

[Mobasser]

I agree with WRB and Catt.  Their combined experience says it all. Always try to maintain contact with these bait types. Expect to lose some fish, miss some strikes etc. When I started fishing plastic worms years ago, I spent several seasons learning this type of fishing. I still miss some bites and some fish too. Stay focused and concentrate. Good luck