Timing

[Mobasser]

Over the years, I've realized how important the word " timing " is in bass fishing, although I don't hear it mentioned very much.                            The. " timing" of your fishing trips.                                                 The "timing" of a good caster.                                                          Or, the " timing of your hookset when a bass strikes.                   Good casters always develop good timing, and, this leads to better accuracy.                             Bass anglers who target trophy bass, are well aware of the correct timing of they're trips, and use timing to they're advantage in search of the bigger bass.                                                               On hooksets, " timing can be the difference between hooking a bass or missing one.                 Timing comes into play with retrieve speeds, counting lures down to depth, etc. It seems like timing is an important factor for us.                                                    Can you think of some other ways that timing can play an important part in bass fishing?

[BrianMDTX]

Absolutely. As in the timing of "Sweetie, about that second honeymoon in May. You know the bass are spawning, right?" 

[GreenPig]

Time/Timing is priceless.This time of year if you miss time your arrival time at the ramp, you'll burn alot of fishing time watching the fair weather folks trying to launch their boats. I time it were I'm at my first fishing spot of the day at daylight because when I'm fishing time actually speeds up.

[Deleted account]

Yes, timing is important, but I don't see the link between planning trips around the best times and learning how/when to set a hook, etc.

[A-Jay]

You're smack dab in the middle of a wide open world class big fish bite.

You're killing it !

But you're on some big water and then . . .

You see dark ominous really nasty weather approaching in the distance.

How long do you wait before you head to the ramp and get off the water ?

Do you wait a while and keep fishing, thinking "let's see what it does" ?

Personally, I bail.

#timing

A-Jay

[GreenPig]

10 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

You're smack dab in the middle of a wide open world class big fish bite.

You're killing it !

But you're on some big water and then . . .

You see dark ominous really nasty weather approaching in the distance.

How long do you wait before you head to the ramp and get off the water ?

Do you wait a while and keep fishing, thinking "let's see what it does" ?

Personally, I bail.

#timing

A-Jay

Your water's bigger than mine. I pull out the rain suit and keep fishing until it thunders a few times or my bilge pump can't keep up with the rain.

[A-Jay]

Just now, GreenPig said:

Your water's bigger than mine. I pull out the rain suit and keep fishing until it thunders a few times or my bilge pump can't keep up with the rain.

I have foul weather gear as well and not opposed to a little rain.

It's more about the gale force winds and boat sinking waves for me.

You know what it's like.

?

A-Jay

[Michigander]

14 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

You're smack dab in the middle of a wide open world class big fish bite.

You're killing it !

But you're on some big water and then . . .

You see dark ominous really nasty weather approaching in the distance.

How long do you wait before you head to the ramp and get off the water ?

Do you wait a while and keep fishing, thinking "let's see what it does" ?

Personally, I bail.

#timing

A-Jay

We were up in Indian River on Burt Lake a few years ago and a big storm showed up suddenly from the big lake and we we racing back to the ramp. We beached in the swimming area to drop people off seconds before the leading edge of the storm hit us. It was almost too rough to get the boat back on the trailer at the ramp less than a quarter mile away.

[Mike L]

Timing of when you decide to move to a different spot.

Timing of when to change baits. 

Timing of getting to your first spot in a tournament before someone else does. 

 

Timing to get that last cast in before you leave so you’re not late for weigh in. 
 

Timing to drop and position the net. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[WRB]

You are in control of your own time, not the time bass are active. To determine bass active time takes time on the water.

Hook set timing comes after strike detection and that takes time to develope.

Tom

[Skunkmaster-k]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

You're smack dab in the middle of a wide open world class big fish bite.

You're killing it !

But you're on some big water and then . . .

You see dark ominous really nasty weather approaching in the distance.

How long do you wait before you head to the ramp and get off the water ?

Do you wait a while and keep fishing, thinking "let's see what it does" ?

Personally, I bail.

#timing

A-Jay

Three years ago I got caught by a hailstorm with 60mph winds. It wasn’t worth the extra 30 minutes . I had done it before and got away with it, but never again. Trying to keep my boat off the rocks while being pelted in the face with quarter size hail is a desperate feeling. 

[Jigfishn10]

These days, timing is when I can actually get time to myself and do what I want. If that means getting out on the water then so be it. When there I let the timing of setting the hook, moving to a new spot and changing lures take care of itself. 

 

Unfortunately, timing of the above seems to be much easier in the winter when the ponds and lakes are frozen. ?

[A-Jay]

11 minutes ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

Three years ago I got caught by a hailstorm with 60mph winds. It wasn’t worth the extra 30 minutes . I had done it before and got away with it, but never again. Trying to keep my boat off the rocks while being pelted in the face with quarter size hail is a desperate feeling. 

I hear ya ~

Sometimes it takes trial by fire.

Glad you were OK.

A-Jay 

 

[scaleface]

A friend and I had just started fishing on an absolutely beautiful day . We were fishing the bank when a roaring sound was heard . I trolled out to the middle of the cove to get a look around and there was a wall cloud heading our way . We raced back to the boat ramp but it overtook us . We beached the boat and waited it out  in the vehicle . White caps were washing over the beached craft .Next day we learned a tornado touched down real close by . Similar stories have happened several more times . Once while canoeing a storm blew up . I took shelter by hugging a boulder to break the fall of the trees that were blowing down all around me .

[Catt]

Failing to understand that next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure.

[Mike L]

41 minutes ago, Catt said:

Failing to understand that next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure.

 

Exactly Right!
How many of us after about 15 min of cast, after cast, after cast do we say to ourselves or anybody who’d listen...

“They’re here, I know they’re here, I can feel it, I can smell ‘em”

 

Then we say “screw it, I’m gonna try down there”. 
 

If we only knew how many fish looked at our bait and then just turned away, we’d give up and join a knitting class!

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Skunkmaster-k]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

A friend and I had just started fishing on an absolutely beautiful day . We were fishing the bank when a roaring sound was heard . I trolled out to the middle of the cove to get a look around and there was a wall cloud heading our way . We raced back to the boat ramp but it overtook us . We beached the boat and waited it out  in the vehicle . White caps were washing over the beached craft .Next day we learned a tornado touched down real close by . Similar stories have happened several more times . Once while canoeing a storm blew up . I took shelter by hugging a boulder to break the fall of the trees that were blowing down all around me .

Yikes 

[Deleted account]

3 hours ago, Mike L said:

If we only knew how many fish looked at our bait and then just turned away, we’d give up and join a knitting class!

No live scope yet?...

[WRB]

Time, mans time verses bass time are very different times.

We being modern man keep time via a 24 hour clock called days, nights, weeks, months and years. Bass use the Cosmic Clock* their time is based on seasonal periods, hours of day light and darkness. Bass know when it’s time to spawn by warming water temps, time to feed by opportunity, prey source availability and hunger. Bass know it’s feeding time not breakfast, lunch or dinner it’s all the same.

Right Location, Right Lure, Right Time to catch active feeding bass....is called a good time.

*Cosmic Clock and Bass Behavior.

 

[The Bassman]

5 hours ago, WRB said:

 Bass know it’s feeding time not breakfast, lunch or dinner it’s all the same.

 

 

Well, then I guess being "the bassman" takes on a whole different meaning for me then.

[Mike L]

10 hours ago, BassWhole! said:

No live scope yet?...

Nope

No boat either 

 

 

 

Mike

[WRB]

Related but off topic is strike detection. You can only time your hook set when the hook is in the basses mouth and that requires detecting that by visual or tactile feel. Strike detection separates consistently good anglers catching bass or not.

It’s been my experience over decades bass fishing we miss detecting strike more often then anyone wants to except. My success at catching giant bass was detecting strikes that nearly everyone misses, it’s a developed skill.

Tom

[Catt]

Added to what @WRB said ?

 

There's a timeframe beginning when the bass inhales the lure & ending when it expels it.

 

Your strike detection & hookset better be within this timeframe.

 

I firmly believe the time to set hook is the instant I detect something. Some of my lightest "bites" came from my biggest bass.

 

I don't wait for nothing!

[roadwarrior]

58 minutes ago, Catt said:

There's a timeframe beginning when the bass inhales the lure & ending when it expels it.

Your strike detection & hookset better be within this timeframe.

 

I firmly believe the time to set hook is the instant I detect something. Some of my lightest "bites" came from my biggest bass.

 

I don't wait for nothing!