What is this method/style called?

[Pressgo]

Hi, I just recently got into fishing and I’ve been trying a few different methods at my local lake. Some success, mostly none. On my last visit I noticed a guy and his son had 4 rods with line in the water. Meanwhile they were doing other things and only checked on the line every now and then. They were catching fish pretty consistently. Is there a name for this method? I’d like to know more about it. Thank you.

[Glaucus]

Watching paint dry. 

[Pressgo]

So the “cast it and forget it” method huh? Thing is, it was working. Guess I’d like to know the set ups and rigs for this. Maybe I can set one of my rods this way while I’m active on the other.

[Bluebasser86]

Deadsticking is what it's commonly called when fishing for bass. If I was to guess, I'd say they were probably still fishing or bottom fishing for catfish/carp/whatever would bite though. 

[Pressgo]

Thanks I’ll look those up

[scaleface]

You didnt say if they were fishing for bass or just fishing with live/prepared bait .   I'm guessing they were tight lining . A person naturally gets up and do other things while waiting for a bite . I enjoy doing it , the simplest way to fish . 

[Choporoz]

If it were around here, I'd bet it was catfish....maybe crappie. 

[Pressgo]

Looked like they were catching young/smaller bass, not sure if they were aiming for that species. Too far on other side of the bank too see bait.

[Sam]

Pressgo, don't put a lot of faith in what that dad and his sons were doing.

 

They could have been catching bream, bluegills, catfish, crappie and other species other than bass.

 

Were they using live or dead bait in lieu of plastics?

 

Do you know the size of their hooks? What type line they were using?

 

You are a BASS FISHERMAN so you have to learn how to bass fish. This means you watch YouTube, DVDs, read articles, subscribe to bass fishing magazines, go to Facebook and "like" Bass Resource plus any pros you wish to follow, and learn the bass fishing business.

 

Don't be concerned that a guy and his sons were catching fish right and left. If they were using worms or bread or hot dogs in lieu of real plastics what they were doing has nothing to do with bass fishing.

 

Now, there is a name for what they were doing, but they have no idea of what the technique is called. It is "dead sticking." You cast out your plastic finesse or trick worm or Senko or YUM or Power Bait, etc. with a 3/8 ounce bullet weight and a 2/0 or 3/0 hook on 6 to 8 pound test fluorocarbon line and you just sit there and look at the water. with your index finger on the line coming off your reel to feel any hits.

 

Then, in about 120 to 180 seconds you move the bait slightly by moving your rod tip a few inches and let it sit again for another 120 to 180 seconds until you get it back to you.

 

By this time if you have not gone nuts and grabbed one of the boys and threw him into the water you continue to do this all day and maybe a bass will pick up your plastic.

 

Look up "dead sticking" and read or see what it involves. It is sort of like playing right field in baseball.

 

 

[Glaucus]

Basically. I clown on it because it isn't bass fishing. It's "whatever will bite" fishing. They were definitely using some sort of live, dead or prepared bait, and casting it out and waiting for whatever would take it. Some guys like it and that's the only way they fish, but most bass guys aren't about it. This style of fishing will do nothing to help you to become a better bass angler, and that's OK if you want to fish but don't really care about a target species. Here, we target species.

[LCG]

Probably fishing for catfish or carp. Pretty easy but hope you enjoy sitting watching nature :). Circle hook, egg sinker, and bait of your choice, live worm, corn, bread, chicken liver, boilies, etc. The fish takes it and hooks itself, fun fight but watching paint dry is pretty accurate. 

[Pressgo]

Sam, I couldn’t see their bait or setups - I was on the other side of the bank. One dude on my side yelled across the bank to ask the species and the guy yelled back “Bass!” Yeah, looked like small/young bass to me.

 

Yes, YouTube and online forums have been my main resource. I’m not discouraged when I get no bites. I like going through the different methods and seeing what works. Thats what this curiosity is. Would I use this as my main style? No, it doesn’t exactly mesh with the process that I’ve been enjoying. But “dead sticking” a second rod while being active on my other setups is an option I might use during a long dry spell.

 

 

[EGbassing]

Do you know what they were catching? 

[RB 77]

In their case by your description they were probably "bait n' wait" fishing (cast some type or live or dead bait and drop it in a rod holder) for what ever would bite (including Bass). When Bass anglers (and other species as well) cast a lure and let it sit for extended periods of time without any lure movement (rod usually in hand the entire time), its referred to as "dead sticking". A boring, but often deadly (pun intended) method of fishing when the bite is slower than normal.

[Pressgo]

EGbassing, looked like bass to me. Don’t know the specific type.

 

Scaleface, cool pics - would you mind sharing your setup/equipment/methods? Or I could pm you?

[scaleface]

1 hour ago, Pressgo said:

EGbassing, looked like bass to me. Don’t know the specific type.

 

Scaleface, cool pics - would you mind sharing your setup/equipment/methods? Or I could pm you?

The rods are   7'6" flipping rods . The reels are spooled with 15 lb Big Game . I'm  using  1 ounce no-roll sinkers a swivel and about a foot leader . Its March , the water is high cold and muddy .I'm baited with  night crawlers where a creek dumps into a river creating an eddy . A perfect place for all kinds of fish to feed . I catch channel cats , carp , buffalo , drum , suckers and even smallmouths and largemouths there . One picture I'm using rod holders  to keep the combos from being pulled in . The other photo I must have forgot the rod holders and whittled  a couple of forked sticks .  

[Pressgo]

Nice, so kind of similar to a Carolina rig. Thanks for sharing!

[scaleface]

30 minutes ago, Pressgo said:

Nice, so kind of similar to a Carolina rig. Thanks for sharing!

Just like a carolina rig without a bead  .

[CrankFate]

17 hours ago, Glaucus said:

Basically. I clown on it because it isn't bass fishing. It's "whatever will bite" fishing. They were definitely using some sort of live, dead or prepared bait, and casting it out and waiting for whatever would take it. Some guys like it and that's the only way they fish, but most bass guys aren't about it. This style of fishing will do nothing to help you to become a better bass angler, and that's OK if you want to fish but don't really care about a target species. Here, we target species.

This style of fishing will do nothing to help you become a better angler. Period.

[tander]

Maybe they had a Ned Rig out. They just about fish themselves.

 

 

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, CrankFate said:

This style of fishing will do nothing to help you become a better angler. Period.

I'll have to disagree there. You learn about depth, bottom composition, fish migration, peak feeding times just to name a few 

[CrankFate]

11 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I'll have to disagree there. You learn about depth, bottom composition, fish migration, peak feeding times just to name a few 

Ok, it’s true. I do fish this way sometimes, but not often. It does help find feeding areas. You also learn that fresh baitis king. When guys show up in the summer and catch a few fish in their first 45 minutes, it’s because the bait went bad for everyone else. Because you’ll see wave after wave of a few fish right when they set up. so I use a cooler with ice when I fish bait for this reason. Something I learned from observation dead stickin’