Skill

[WRB]

If you followed the recent thread on high end rods I made several references to strike detection skill being more important then “sensitive” high end*   rods for bottom contact lures.

The most expensive bass isn’t any more sensitive then you ability to detect unseen underwater strikes from bigger bass. I can hear an argument brewing as this is typed.

To understand strike detection understanding bass behavior and how they strike and kill prey is essential.

Largemouth bass engulf the prey they don’t bite it, they evolved having a large mouth without gripping teeth.

When a Largemouth bass strikes it’s prey the prey ends up inside the closed mouth. The LMB kills prey by squeezing it between the tongue and mouth crunchers. This strike occurs very quickly faster then your reflexes.

Bass between 1 lb to 3 lbs have smaller and weaker mouths and the prey generally fills it. This size bass usually feeds in groups so after striking it moves away from other bass to finishing killing and swallowing. Strike detection is easy for this size aggressive bass.

Bass between 4 lbs to 6 lbs have strong mature large mouths, the prey easily fits inside, detection is much more difficult unless the bass moves off to eat the prey. I would guesstimate 90% of jig angler miss over 50% of the strikes. Ounce you develop the skill to detect strikes you start catching the 4-6 lb bass more consistently.

Bass over 7 lbs have massive strong mouths and prey like a crawdad/jig is small inside the big mouth. Strike detection is very difficult unless the bass moves off to eat the prey. Big bass have no reason to move unless it’s wary being where it is hunting. The skill to detect a big bass strike that doesn’t move requires intuition and the ability to feel slight line movements or pressure. When you can annually catch bass over 7 lbs you are ready to utilize state of the art tackle. The important items are the jig hook and line, the rod and reel needs to perform hook sets and landing the bass after strike detection skills are developed.

Tom  

* $500-$600 price range.

[ironbjorn]

Tom, can you describe how to detect a strike for the big bass you're talking about? All of my 5-7 lb bass have been on moving baits. I've caught a lot of 1-4 lb bass on soft plastics and jigs. This makes me wonder.

[BigAngus752]

I totally buy into this, Tom.  I know I'm missing fish on slow presentations.  I have a related question for you.  I watch the great jig fishermen "feeling" the fish on the line before they set the hook.  Greg Hackney will talk about it as he is gently moving his rod to "feel" the fish.  I'm trying to get better at that but presently I'm only feeling for pull-back or weightlessness.  Other than the "weightless" feeling, what is a clue that I need to put some pressure on the line?  Or should I be doing that randomly/regularly?  Am I feeling ONLY for pull-back and/or weightlessness or is there something else?  How much pull is too much?  I guess I have more than one question but you called for school to be in session so I'm going to take advantage.  ?

[A-Jay]

I am very willing to admit that my 'skill' regarding strike detection while jig fishing needs work.  Additionally, I'm  pretty sure I would have a tough time understanding and relating to the differece of a take between smaller fish and a really Big Green Bass, until I was able to fish at a place that had them and eventually catch a few.  My perception was that the big bass were slow, lazy and couldn't fight or jump very hard.  Well, that's not the deal as I have been schooled by several mutants that I either couldn't catch up with after the hookset or that totally cleared the surface while relieving herself of my bait.

On topic and to your point, rod sensitivity hasn't been my problem as often times, seems there hasn't been very much to 'feel'. 

A-Jay

 

[volzfan59]

Thanks Tom. I swear, you are like E. F. Hutton to me. You make one of these informative posts or replies and I drop everything to read and learn!

[Tennessee Boy]

Very well said Tom.  When I was in my 20s and early 30s I expected the rod to detect the strike for me and I spent a lot of money in search of the most “sensitive” rod.  It didn’t work.

[Rich12]

Signs of a giant Bass bite:

 

1. The weight of the lure disappears, ie.. you feel nothing.

2. Minute almost undetectable "peck".

3. Mushy feel when you go to move the lure.

4. Dead weight when you go to move the lure.

5. Line goes slack while retrieving a crank bait.

6. Top water lure just disappears from the surface.  ie...  one second your lure is just sitting on the surface, you look back and its gone.

 

90 percent of the bass over 7 and almost 100 percent of the fish 10 and over I ever caught fell into one of the 6 item listed.   Recognize those and you wont miss the big girls.

 

 

[roadwarrior]

 

                  

[jimmyjoe]

   Now I realize why i have, by winnowing habit over the years, come to use reasonably steady, tight line retrieves.        jj

[Catt]

@WRB ?

 

Rod sensitivity depends on whose holding the rod. Some people have a better "sense" feel than others.

 

The second step is interpreting what's being felt & can only be learned through experience.

 

My worm rod is a Powell Inferno 703C MH Extra Fast, a hundred dollar rods. My jig rod is a Dawia Tatula TTU711MHXB MH Extra Fast, a hundred & fifty dollar rod.

 

50 yrs of night fishing taught me to interpret what is being felt.

[T-Billy]

Reel down, feel for it...... gone. 

 

WRB state in another post that his success with BIG BASS was setting the 

hook QUICKLY. 

 

 

 

 

[JustJames]

Thank you Tom, totally agree with you on this.  Over the years I have learned there are not only just a tab bite or hit and run bite. Still need a lot more bass to develop my skill though.

[islandbass]

If people really heed WRB’s advice, they are bound to improve in the strike detecting considerably. 
 

Rich12’s points are what I’ve learned through trial, error and experience. Those are my keys. 
 

Almost every time I realize I’m in those situations Rich12 describes, I set the hook 95% of the time. That remaining 5% is the result of being in a funk or slump and even though I feel it, I am in a self imposed denial. It actually almost cost me my biggest bass this season.

 

I fished for about 6 hours straight at a new place and moved to my home lake. Then I felt all those points and convinced myself, “Naw, that ain’t a bite.” I pulled lightly back and my line didn’t even budge and I thought %{*#*{^{*{^{x, this was a bad way to end the day and last cast. So I grab my line, spun around and tugged harder to tighten the line and the whatever was on the end move my line hard enough to jerk my hand holding the line left and right. In the next instant, I let the line go and reeled up at light speed and set the hook while thinking, “You idiot! Don’t ever deny yourself or convince yourself you didn’t feel a bite ever again!”  It was grassy but open water so I knew if I could set the hook before she spit it out, I’d have a chance.

 

I was fortunate that the bass held my lure for some time and  didn’t spit out my brush hog as that would have been the last nail to secure a long skunk ? out. 
 

I won’t ever knock anyone for using high end equipment as such gear would probably make any experience more enjoyable, but that’s not for me. Even an Ugly Stik is sensitive in my hands, lol. 
 

Thanks, Tom and Rich12. Very excellent advice. 

 

[TOXIC]

There’s an old saying that says “The first thump you feel is the bass sucking in your lure, the second thump you feel is him spitting it out”.  Another factor is to fully understand what your lure of choice is doing in the water and that’s why so many high level fishermen end up being recognized for one style of fishing.  Even as simple as you may think Senko fishing is, when I am fishing it on my preferred rod and line and I make a cast, the world around me goes blank, just like changing the channel on a tv, in my minds eye, I can visualize exactly how the Senko is falling, the action it is creating and adding in a lot of extra information like wind, cover, current, etc.  I can feel when there is a single sprig of grass on the bait.  I can tell when anything is out of the ordinary.  That comes from fishing them for over 40 years and on a lot of different gear and presentations. My point being, when you can refine your skill with a specific bait to a high level, you don’t need the super sensitive gear as much.  Actually I find it hinders me because I start getting too much information to process.  That’s why I don’t like tungsten and prefer lead for dropshotting or bottom contact baits.  

[Hammer 4]

Years ago my Son and I were fishing a semi local lake with steep drop offs, we were fishing uphill, I tossed a craw type bait out. As I waited, my Son asked me a question, as I answered him, I wasn't paying attention to my bait. Well after about 3 or 4 mins. I gave a slight tug on my rod, only to feel some weight on it, so I set the hook and pulled up a nice 5 1/2 lb LMB.

What happened was the bass inhaled the lure, then just sat there. 

Had I been paying attention to my rod, I might not of felt the strike, as it was so subtle, and lucky for me, the bass didn't decide to spit it out. Then I wondered just how many strikes I had missed in the past.?

Tom makes a lot of sense describing the skill set it takes to detect a strike. Since that day, I not only always pay close attention to my rig, I also always keep a finger on my line. 

[Bird]

My only DD fish I've ever caught, never felt anything or simply wasn't ready. 

As I reeled up slack, the fish already moved to deeper water and under the boat in 20 feet of water. 

 

Must admit though, all my bigger fish moved after inhaling soft plastics and usually in a haste. 

 

Throw spinnerbaits and mitigate the mystery. Lol

 

[NoShoes]

My biggest ones always have the lightest bite. When I think about it after I’m not sure what made me set the hook. 
 

 

[PressuredFishing]

100%, I still do miss bites I bet, i just dont feel them or notice them, I have gotten tremendously better and I feel like a combination of line watching and bottom contact has increased my detection tremendously, even if I was using a fiberglass rod. on slower presentation where im not using the reel alot to move fast (cold water jig fishing/DS) I hold line in my offset hand and if I get bit i know.

[Mobasser]

Thanks Tom. Good info here.

[scaleface]

The equipment is a lot better today then when I started bass fishing . I used 5.5 foot pistol grip rods and held onto it by the foregrip,  while holding the line between thumb and index finger, to detect light bites . 

[WRB]

1 minute ago, scaleface said:

The equipment is a lot better today then when I started bass fishing . I used 5.5 foot pistol grip rods and held onto it by the foregrip,  while holding the line between thumb and index finger, to detect light bites . 

That how to hold today’s rods and detect strikes. Nothing is more sensitive then your finger tips to detect strikes.

Tom

[scaleface]

3 minutes ago, WRB said:

That how to hold today’s rods and detect strikes. Nothing is more sensitive then your finger tips to detect strikes.

Tom

Still do it and all my rods have a beefy foregrip .

[Catt]

2 hours ago, islandbass said:

If people really heed WRB’s advice, they are bound to improve in the strike detecting considerably. 

 

I can guarantee that old Tom @WRB will agree with this Tom, strike detection can be learned but your teacher is the bass.

[WRB]

^^^^this^^^^?

Old Tom

[TnRiver46]

Well this thread is an excellent read………..

 

my 3 biggest LM were all on different lures so I can’t add much but they were all somewhere about 8lbs, one maybe a tad bigger. #1 hit a buzzbait in water willow, that was not a light bite, more of a terrifying explosion like an M80 hit the water (south Alabama). #2 Hit a chartreuse pepper zoom worm in water willow. Unfortunately I don’t remember it biting but I’m guessing that means he didn’t smash it or I would remember. (Southeastern texas) #3 hit a silver buddy on December 27 (E Tn).  I’m guessing it hit on the fall but I felt it when I went to jig the bait. I don’t think it counts as the strike but as soon as the hooks connected, almost instantly that fish very nearly pulled me off the front deck of the boat on a hellacious run. I had just picked up my buddies rod and casted, never used it before , no clue what action. The fish pulled so hard the rod slammed the gunnel and I didn’t know what to do so I pushed the thumb bar (my first ever experience free spooling, maybe that’s why I like it so much). Some critters are just ornery, and we haven’t even talked smallmouth yet……..