Bite Detection

[NathanDLTH]

It it worth upgrading a jig rod to detect bites? Two rods I use currently:

Ehrler MMH/XF 7’ Tat Elite or 7’3 Ehrler Tat Elite. 

 

Ive fished a lot of jigs this year and the last few fish have been caught there was not signes of a fish or bite. Started reeling then weight or my line started swimming off. Am I chasing gear that won’t help me or is this something that will aid in catching fish? 

[WRB]

If you are asking about bottom bumping lures like jigs and soft plastics we have discussed this topic many times with varying ideas on what a strike feels like.

IMO strike detection is the single most important factor in bass fishing and the majority of recreational anglers mis a high percentage of out of sight strikes.

Let me put this into perspective using my experiences of jig and worm fishing over 60 years of catching bass using them. It's not the high tech rod or super braids, they didn't exist until around the 80's, yet we caught a lot of jig and worm bass during the 60's and 70' using monofilament line and tubular glass rods.

High modulus graphite and boron started in the mid 70's but were fragile and broke easily until Gary Loomis developed a technique to make high modulus graphite rods more reliable.....for fly fisherman not targeting bass anglers. 

Does the "sensitive" high modulus light weight graphite modern bass rod transfer line movements better the fiberglass? Yes! The bass still must move the line by engulfing the lure before we can detect the strike. Line movements is the key to detecting strikes, you must feel the line move or see it move or intuitively know it stopped moving because a bass has the lure in it's mouth.

The reason I caught more giant bass then nearly anyone else using jigs isn't because of my rods, it's time on the water and being able to detect strikes by feeling my line ( I run it over my finger) watching the line where it enters the water and intuitive knowledge the jig is in a basses mouth because it stopped moving.

Tom

 

[NathanDLTH]

That’s exactly what I’m talking about Tom and I think you answered the question of does gear help you catch fish? No, time on the water does. Thank you for your insight. 

[scaleface]

I learned to worm and jig fish with fiberglass too . I still hold the rod in front of the reel with the line between my index finger and thumb . Its a habit to break thats hard and dont want to break it either.

[WRB]

As Catt once put it the lightest most sensitive rod in the hands of his wife who doesn't fish is meaningless but in his hands is meaningful. 

Todays rods and reels are wonderful tools and help but you still need to detect strikes using your skills.

Tom

[NathanDLTH]

Then I’ll keep using what I got and learn with time on the water. 

[Deleted account]

3 hours ago, NathanDLTH said:

 and the last few fish have been caught there was not singles of a fish. 

If you are catching them two at a time, you don't need a better rod...    

[NathanDLTH]

20 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

If you are catching them two at a time, you don't need a better rod...    

Wow-I wish it was two at a time. It should of signs not singles... Apparently I need to watch my typing. 

[LionHeart]

The gear you have is totally decent.  Keep it.  Truth is there are some strikes that result in no line or rod tip movement.  I have it happen alot.

 

The only indication I get is like you described.  The lure either feels heavier than it should, or has no weight at all.  Sometimes I just roll the dice and give a hook set.  I catch many logs using this technique.

[NathanDLTH]

I started off bass fishing dragging jigs n plastics or dead sticking them. The last few years have been reaction baits, so everything kinda feels foreign if you know what I mean. Thanks dude! 

[bwjay]

I'm not familiar with the rods you have, but I can say that I personally appreciate having better gear and knowing that it's not holding me back, knowing that I am the weakest link in the chain. This leads me to usually end up with upper midrange gear for whatever hobby in question. As far as my fishing gear goes, I have 2 ~$500 combos and a couple ~$250-350 combos. I definitely have a lot of learning to do and I am under no impression whatsoever that buying expensive rods and reels is going to magically improve my angling. However, I like learning on good gear, and I think that the techniques I will hopefully master using this gear will make me a better angler with cheaper gear. Of course I could learn on cheaper gear and upgrade later, but, too late for that now.

 

If you're looking to get one really nice rod/reel that will add sensitivity, don't shrug it off just because you don't have 20-60 years of experience beforehand that might help you appreciate it. I think it would give you more confidence, and it JUST might actually help you catch more fish. The confidence is the big thing for me though. Today with my new Kistler H3 (6'9" MHXF) I was running small squarebills over, through, and around weeds, and could feel the difference between a bite and ticking the tops of grass with the trebles, and it landed me a few fish without any "unnecessary" hooksets. Maybe I missed some fish? I can't say. But I felt quite confident and felt a great deal of variety in the feel of different lake structure (various species of weeds, lily pads, and bottom contact). I was with my dad who was using a real old fiberglass broomstick I used to fish with as a kid, and he only thought he had 2 possible light bites in 4 hours, and missed both of them. There could be plenty of reasons for that obviously, and they may not have even been bites, but I have a feeling if he had a more sensitive rod, he would have been a lot more sure if they were bites. I distinctly remember that rod being a broomstick with almost no flex (looks like a 7' XHXF or something) so while I felt bad for my dad I wasn't exactly surprised that he wasn't feeling bites. Could have been the bait, time of day, rod, skill, tons of stuff... BUT... put better gear in the hands of someone with at least a little experience, and I believe it will help.

 

Go for it!

[papajoe222]

Familiarity with the lure you have tied on is one of the best means of strike detection you can acquire. Line watching is another. Knowing what your jig, or worm feels like as it falls, settles, comes through weeds, bumps rocks or wood, moves from soft to hard bottom, will help with strike detection. It will also reduce the number of times you set the hook into a laydown, stump, etc.  This is also applicable to other lures like cranks and spinnerbaits and is one reason why many pros are faithful to a particular lure.

[Gorris317]

On 7/6/2019 at 3:42 PM, NathanDLTH said:

It it worth upgrading a jig rod to detect bites? Two rods I use currently:

Ehrler MMH/XF 7’ Tat Elite or 7’3 Ehrler Tat Elite. 

 

Ive fished a lot of jigs this year and the last few fish have been caught there was not signes of a fish or bite. Started reeling then weight or my line started swimming off. Am I chasing gear that won’t help me or is this something that will aid in catching fish? 

I was actually looking at these rods to replace my E6x. Are they sensitive normally?

[NathanDLTH]

I like both of them, bought my the 7MMH/XF the year they came out and it’s not disappointed. The 7’3MH/F has more bend which makes it great for topwater, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits. I throw everything on that rod, wouldn’t hesitate to throw a frog in open water on it w/ 50lb braid. 

[Mobasser]

It seems like so many folks think the most expensive, graphite rods on the market will make them detect more strikes. For some guys this may be true. Catt has mentioned a slack line/ tension in the retrieve with these baits in other threads- and it works.  This type of fishing really takes some practice, and at times you may not feel anything- even with a very high end rod. I still miss some strikes even after all these years and I'm sure others do too. Good rods can certainly help, but many times it's an intuition or a slight line movement that means a bass has picked up your jig or plastic bait. This comes with experience. Practice makes perfect

[TonynswAR]

WRB nailed it. I will add something I got from reading an article on Denny Brauer decades ago. He said that in jig fishing or worm rigs, a lot of time nothing has the lure. If it feels different from nothing....Set the hook. 

[BassThumb]

Those rods are plenty good.

 

It doesn't matter how sensitive your tackle is, some bites will not be felt.

 

Hooksets are free. When in doubt...

[bwjay]

30 minutes ago, BassThumb said:

Hooksets are free. When in doubt...

Unless of course you hook yourself or someone on your boat/on shore with you. Bonus points if it's a heavy treble hook bait!

[Catt]

Those bumps, thumps, tics, & taps are easy to detect, so are the ones where ya see line movement.

 

It's the ones where the bass inhales your jig without any tell-tale signs or movement & proceeds to sit there until you apply to much pressure at which time they spit it.

 

Keeping a certain amount of tension while keeping a certain amount to slackness will "clue" you in on two bites.

 

If your jig/t-rig is sitting still & your line gets tighter or your line gets slacker odds are you've had a bass pick up your lure!

 

Well upgrading your rod help?

 

Why Certainly!

 

[lo n slo]

On 7/6/2019 at 5:54 PM, scaleface said:

I learned to worm and jig fish with fiberglass too . I still hold the rod in front of the reel with the line between my index finger and thumb . Its a habit to break thats hard and dont want to break it either.

this is me

[Chowderhead]

On 7/6/2019 at 2:42 PM, NathanDLTH said:

Started reeling then weight or my line started swimming off. 

 

This was me last Saturday - happened most of the morning. Fairly calm morning, no real distractions, thought I was paying attention to the line, and still would be surprised to have it happen. I honestly never felt the bite or saw line movement. Clearly I need to follow the advice given in this thread. 

[greentrout]

thought i was hung up ... fish on ... a nice one ...

 

good fishing ... 

[NathanDLTH]

Thanks guys, it’s been great reading the responses and I’ve learned a lot about fishing a jig. Went out tonight and caught a couple smallies on a 3/8blk n blue jig w/ green pumpkin craw. Thank you again.