If you get 10 good strikes on a plastic, how many do you expect to land?

[primetime]

Pretty sure my issue was due to laziness. I only had 1 spinning rod with me, Medium light, 10lb braid, 8lb fluoro leader, and I wanted to bomb long casts with a 5" Rage Cut'r worm, and I used a Heavy guage magna lock ewg in 3/0, when I should have just re-tied and put on a 4/0 or 5/0 thinner guage hook for easier sets.

 

I like to swing hard with plastic hook sets, I was thinking I could just lean back with all the distance, probably should of had some mono for stretch maybe...One reason why I need to carry an extra spinnning rod on my Kayak. I bring 3 casting rods, 1 spinning, going to change up to a Med Heavy and Med Light spinning so I can go heavy on a spinning rod since when Kayak Fishing I notice I like a spinning rod more than I normally would.

 

Good answers..I would have normally expected to hook into 9/10 and at least get them all close, however in reality, I think 75% is pretty good.

 

I wish I could say a few were just small males moving the bait, but they were legit 12-15" fish. I had to stay back cause I could see them cruising and needed light line to reach them, probably should of just added a 1/16 oz bullet weight or add a little weight to the lighter hook.

 

Its funny, I only expect to hook into 7/10 fish on a floating Jerkbait with 3 treble hooks, figure one will be a pickeral, 2-3 will just slap at it, and in reality, its probably 50% on alot of days. 

 

I would take 50% on a hollow body frog anyday and be happy. Maybe its me, but I have only had a few days where you hooked more than say 60% on a hollow frog and thats when they choke it and cover is light...

 

 

[iiTzChunky]

I expect to hit 9/10 if not all 10. Usually if you're feeling a short strike on a worm, I think it's likely some sort of pan fish nipping at the worm 

[primetime]

On 3/17/2019 at 4:25 PM, Brad Reid said:

I've been out almost every day for the last 2 weeks. 5 out of 7 is a common statistic for me, so 71% is about my average with a weightless 4" Keitech Impact. Pretty similar to a weightless worm.

 

What I don't necessarily know is what critters I am missing on the 2 out of 7. Depending on the plastic, I can often tell, say, if a small paddle tail is chewed off by a big bluegill or a crappie. You likely know what just nipped a dollar bill out of your wallet.

 

I had a weird thing happen 2 years ago. It changed how I fish. I was on Purtis Creek Lake, just happened upon a point where I was getting hit over and over as I made short casts to various locations using a drop shot and a small Roboworm. I had solid bites, too, yet if I recall correctly, I missed 25 out 25 fish. Nothing similar had ever happened to me, before or since. I was using one of the Gamakatsu swivel hooks. Always worked before. I surmised that the bass were spawning and just picking my Roboworm up and moving it away, not trying to eat it. Anyway, something weird.

 

So, I changed up after that miserable spring day statistic, and have been using a T-Rigged Roboworm on a light wire Rebarb hook ever since for drop shots. No issues. I'd use up my swivel hooks sooner or later, maybe when fishing a bit more vertically where I am pulling "up" to set the hook.

 

And, ANYTIME I can use a straight-shanked hook over an EWG, I never fail to take advantage of it. Or, at least as far away from that sort of hook as I can get. My hook-up ratios have improved a ton, still not perfect.

 

My personal calculus: Straight shank > Jig hook > offset hook > EWGs.

 

Brad

Thanks for the response. Really Helpful and makes me feel better about myself. I had similar experiences with circle hooks, drop shot hooks myself...I agree about a straight shank worm hook, I just seem to gravitate toward the EWG's lately cause I hate tying knots and prefer to just switch from worm, to swimbait etc...I usually can get away with a 4/0=5/0 EWG on casting gear anyday of any guage hook, but I also notice if I use an Owner Offset Straight shank worm hook, I feel I also do the best.

 

I think you are onto something about EWG's. I often use hooks that look plenty big, but no need for a Superline hook on a weightless fluke unless throwing heavy line and rod...

 

I was actually hooking them for a good 3-4 seconds and then I would watch them get off cause I could see it happen. I had light line, heavy guage hook for longer casts and they were not penetrating, afraid to swing hard on light spinning rod.

 

The right rod, action, braid vs. Mono vs. FLuoro all kind of mattters. I almost lost my mind a few weeks ago catching shiners (Trying to catch shiners) cause I had braid to 8lb fluoro to a nymph. I was getting them out of the water and everyone would drop off...I went back next day with my ultralight, 2lb test mono leader, same nymph with whippy rod, and landed almost every shiner....

 

Not being able to catch shiners will really make you feel impotent when you tell your friend at work how good at fishing you are....And you never get started...I wish I had it on video....

[JustJames]

If a good strike on plastic my chance are 85%, 10% failure from line breaking off on hookset and 5% from headshake/jump.

if Jig as of now my failure goes up to 30-40% most of them headshake/jump.? lost one just last night.

[LxVE Bassin]

All 10 of them. Why think otherwise? You gotta speak these type of things into existence.

[CrankFate]

Probably 9. I am not usually getting 9 good strikes, though. It’s just not happening where I fish. With soft plastics, the first good strike early on is the one I’ll miss. After an hour or so of fishing, my hook up ratio goes up.

[Subaqua Adinterim]

Less than 10. I crimp the barbs down on my hooks; so I don't land them all.  In fact, if I get them close to my kayak and I can see them before they shake off, it's all good as I'm going to throw them back anyway.

I still land a high percentage, as long as I keep tension on the line the entire time.

 

I don't worry about it, as I'm fishing for fun, not in a tournament, and I know I'll catch a lot more .

[WRB]

Most of the anglers on this site use fluorocarbon line and none of you admit to knot failures! Big bass, light FC line = knot failure.

Tom

[A-Jay]

58 minutes ago, WRB said:

Most of the anglers on this site use fluorocarbon line and none of you admit to knot failures! Big bass, light FC line = knot failure.

Tom

 

Perhaps the trick is to 'over-test'.

20 & 25 lb Tatsu has my vote.

A-Jay

[WRB]

10 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Perhaps the trick is to 'over-test'.

20 & 25 lb Tatsu has my vote.

A-Jay

If only big bass would strike s lure tied to 20 lb FC during day light. Where I fish 12 lb is a big as you can use in day light unless using big swimbaits during the day. Night it doesn’t matter. My lakes are closed to night fishing except 6 night tournaments a year.

Even 5 lb bass on 6 lb FC is a problem.

Tom

 

[A-Jay]

On ‎3‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 5:29 PM, WRB said:

If only big bass would strike s lure tied to 20 lb FC during day light. Where I fish 12 lb is a big as you can use in day light unless using big swimbaits during the day. Night it doesn’t matter. My lakes are closed to night fishing except 6 night tournaments a year.

Even 5 lb bass on 6 lb FC is a problem.

Tom

 

6

No doubt - and the bass are bigger which adds to the pucker factor.

My adventures south include the most 'colored' water I see all year.

And I'm quite OK with it.

Beyond that, it's about the same for me here too Tom

You knew that though

A-Jay

[whitwolf]

If I had to guess I'd say 7-10. That's an honest assessment and it has as much to do with the way I fish and the cover I fish. 

 

I guess in the end, and I have mentioned this many times, I feel very fortunate to be able to do something I love to do most anytime I want. So 7-10 is just fine.

[Chowderhead]

If I am going to honest with myself, I would say it is likely in the 75% - 80% range with a solid strike of landing the fish. My problem is how many bites am I actually missing...

[Crow Horse]

Regardless of hook choice, wicked sharp hooks bring home the bacon.....

 

[Sam]

All 10!

[Harold Scoggins]

On ‎3‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 2:34 PM, WRB said:

Asking that question will result in 100% positive replies otherwise everyone has to admit failing something we all do more then realized. 

So true. I've had those days, because I'm human.

[JustJames]

On 3/19/2019 at 1:07 PM, WRB said:

Most of the anglers on this site use fluorocarbon line and none of you admit to knot failures! Big bass, light FC line = knot failure.

Tom

Knot failure for me only 10 - 20%

The rest is too lazy to re-tie failure, I’m so d**n guilty of it. Lol

Add***

Come to think of it only weightless worm Senko included, less than 50% that I felt any strike before I set hook, it always some type of line movement or tension of line that noticeable difference. So if I wait until I feel bite it might be too late or get a gutted hook fish.

[Glenn]

If I get 10 bites on a plastic, I expect to land all 10. Period.  

 

I use FC, braid, and co-poly most of the time with zero knot failures or line breakage.  While ensuring your equipment is balanced is key to success, often the issue with losing fish isn't the equipment at all.

 

About 2 years ago, I was having some issues with losing fish until I adjusted my hookset.  No problems ever since. Simply put, I was jerking with just my arms, and now I step back and use my upper body too. 

 

So if you're losing fish, and your equipment is balanced, look at what you're doing (hookset, horsing them in, swinging heavy fish, etc) and you might find an easy answer.

[Columbia Craw]

It depends on the bait and cover.  Fishing heavy pads will cost a fish or two, especially if they can move laterally and wrap tight to stalks. It happens.  

[blckshirt98]

On 3/19/2019 at 1:07 PM, WRB said:

Most of the anglers on this site use fluorocarbon line and none of you admit to knot failures! Big bass, light FC line = knot failure.

Tom

6-7lb FC leader led to a lot of knot failures.  Upping that to 10-12lb FC has almost eliminated knot failures altogether.  8lb FC is now as light as I'll go.

[CrankFate]

On 3/19/2019 at 5:29 PM, WRB said:

If only big bass would strike s lure tied to 20 lb FC during day light. Where I fish 12 lb is a big as you can use in day light unless using big swimbaits during the day. Night it doesn’t matter. My lakes are closed to night fishing except 6 night tournaments a year.

Even 5 lb bass on 6 lb FC is a problem.

Tom

 

I don’t know the area you are fishing, but try 10lb Seaguar or, dare I say it, switch to pink Yo Zuri or Ande. I believe in beige or tan or sand colored surroundings pink line catches the most fish.