Slack vs Tight line bites

[Mike L]

What do you prefer, or does it matter?

 

We’ve all had them…

You’re bottom fishing a plastic, you see or feel the line get tight or move off and instinct takes over.. You hit ‘em hard hoping you didn’t swing and miss or not get penetration. 
 

Then you have the hit where you don’t hardly feel anything especially on a moving bait. 
You’re reeling a crank, spinner or chatter bait feeling the vibration and watching the rod tip vibrate all the way through the cast.
All of sudden everything stops, you don’t feel the thumping or see the tip vibrating anymore then you set. 
 

Personally I’d rather set on a slack line as I’ll “weigh” it first which helps me get a better hook set regardless if it’s a single or treble hook set up. 
 

How about you?

 

 

Mike
 

 

[EWREX]

i reel down my slack and send it especially when flipping and pitching

[cyclops2]

Always a tight line To set a hook. I do not know what is happening on a slack line.

 

Slack lines in a current and bait. MEAT to catch lunch & dinner.

[WRB]

The difference between a snap or whip set and controlled tight line rod sweep set. A snap set into slack line is a good way to miss a strike or break the line imo. I always control my line by taking the slack out before rod sweeping hook set set.

Broke too many big bass off from the impact of a snap set with FC line.

Tom

[scaleface]

tight

[A-Jay]

12 minutes ago, WRB said:

The difference between a snap or whip set and controlled tight line rod sweep set. A snap set into slack line is a good way to miss a strike or break the line imo. I always control my line by taking the slack out before rod sweeping hook set set.

Broke too many big bass off from the impact of a snap set with FC line.

Tom

This ^^^^^^

A-Jay

[Choporoz]

@Mike L, maybe I'm misunderstanding the question.  We've had discussions about slack line hooksets before...I'm generally in the slack camp....but I think you're asking more about the actual bite.  If so, I'm in the slack camp there, also.  I have found that way too often when I get a bottom contact bite with little slack....it is going to be a swing and a miss.  I think many times, that bit of 'tautness' or resistance turns into a lightning fast spit hook

[Finessegenics]

I generally get tight and then set the hook, even if I noticed the bite while my line was slack. It's just the way I was taught so it became a habit. And logically (at least my own) you'd get a better hookset when your line is tight.

 

What are the advantages of setting on a slack line? Is it just a timing thing, where you know the fish has it so it's better to set the hook right away? What do you mean by "weighing" it?

[Choporoz]

I neglected to add the 'so what?' to my post above.  The consequence of my observations is that I am careful, even on a quicker drag or hop, to use the rod more than the reel, so I can quockly.put a little slack in the line when I stop the movement.

[Mobasser]

With lighter lines, I do best on slack line hooksets. Feel the strike,take up slack line, and reel quickly while sweeping the rod back. The old Charlie Brewer method still works well.

[Bankc]

I prefer the tight line bite.  I'm just more used to it, as it's primarily how I prefer to fish.  With a slack line presentation, I'm rarely 100% certain I have a fish on my line until after I've set the hook.  Like I'll notice something is off and I'll set the hook to see what's going on.  But with a moving bait, I usually instantly know what's happening, as it's happening.  I'm just more familiar with it, so I'm rarely surprised.  

[gunsinger]

I accept all bites, slack or tight.

[Deleted account]

If asking about hook setting, for me it's always on a tight line. If I detect a bite, in whatever form, I'm reeling down while at the same time sticking the rod into the fish, then when I have some pressure come back with the appropriate force for the tackle/situation. At this point it's automatic, not a conscious thing. 

[Mike L]

2 hours ago, Finessegenics said:

I generally get tight and then set the hook, even if I noticed the bite while my line was slack. It's just the way I was taught so it became a habit. And logically (at least my own) you'd get a better hookset when your line is tight.

 

What are the advantages of setting on a slack line? Is it just a timing thing, where you know the fish has it so it's better to set the hook right away? What do you mean by "weighing" it?

Yes, 

Weighing a fish is feeling it on the line knowing she has it, as opposed to feeling a bottom presentation bite and setting without knowing she actually has it and come up with nothing. 

 

If trying to weigh a fish on a single hook before setting you could move it too fast or too far and lose it all together. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

2 hours ago, Choporoz said:

@Mike L, maybe I'm misunderstanding the question.  We've had discussions about slack line hooksets before...I'm generally in the slack camp....but I think you're asking more about the actual bite.  If so, I'm in the slack camp there, also.  I have found that way too often when I get a bottom contact bite with little slack....it is going to be a swing and a miss.  I think many times, that bit of 'tautness' or resistance turns into a lightning fast spit hook

Yes Sir

I’m talking about feeling the actual bite then setting on moving vibration baits
 

The experience you describe about swinging and missing on a slack line for bottom contact as opposed to moving baits is the essence of what I was asking. 

Sorry if I didn’t explain it more clearly. 
Hopefully I did a better job the 2 nd time ?

 

Mike

[Catt]

Feeling a worm/jig bite requires keeping a certain amount of tension on your line while at the same time keeping a certain amount of slackness in your line. To the average angler this makes no sense at all but the worm/jig angler it makes total sense.

 

[cyclops2]

Makes sense to me also. I use a 1.5" Rapala & BB split shot.  Same way to feel the take.

[Bankbeater]

If I feel a bite on slack line I will reel down and then set the hook.  If the bass are short striking the bait sometimes its good to have some slack in the line.

[CrashVector]

Can't feel a light bite on a slack line

 

[N Florida Mike]

I’ve never had much trouble knowing if I had a bite or not. When I can tell  I lift up gently, feel the fish , determine where he’s at, lower the rod tip, and set the hook. So it’s slack, but just barely before setting the hook. If it’s tight it’s too easy for the fish to tell somethings wrong and drop the bait. Or you will pull it out of the fishes mouth that way 

[Catt]

Each bass is different...each bite is different!

 

Some bass will hold on so hard you can actually lead em around.

 

Some bass will spit it so fast ya ain't got time to react.

 

While dead sticking or slow dragging a t-rig or jig I've had bass hit so violently they almost take the rod out of my hands & then nuthin.

[Big Hands]

I like 'em both. Sometimes, when the conditions are very calm, I try to position myself where I can toss out a weightless wacky Senko and purposely let the braided line lay slack on the water where the sunlight lets me easily see the line on the water. The line often jumps or just starts moving. I am amazed how far a bass will swim with this bait, and many times, when they feel the pressure of me taking up slack, they will pull even harder as though they think their prey is trying to get away from them.

 

I find that fishing weightless Senkos on slack or semi-slack line is what works best for me on the steep banks of the water I fish. If I try to keep a tauter line, the bait just ends up coming up off of the bottom and away from the bank (where they don't get bit as much).

 

OTOH, I also enjoy fishing a carolina rig with a 3/4 or 1 ounce sinker in order to keep the line as tight as possible, and then a 3 to 4 foot leader to let the bait do what it does. I feel even the slightest tick, which is when I point the rod at the fish, put it in free spool and let them take some line before I sweep on them.

 

I also enjoy fishing a texas rig worm. Feel the 'tap-tap', take up the slack and bust them. No waiting around. Tap-tap, lower the boom.

 

Dropshot fishing, the bites can come several different ways; slack, semi-slack, tight, pressure, swimming away, tap, tap-tap, line jumps, on the fall, on the bottom, deadstick, moving. When I feel it, I can just reel up into them and see what turns up.

 

I'll take the bites any way I can get them. It's all good, and it's up to me to figure out how to pin them and get them into the boat.

[T-Billy]

I always try to get a bit of tension on the line so I can feel the fish before I swing. I miss way too many with a slack line hookset. 

[GRiver]

Tight lined, for the most part. I might pause for a millisecond or lower the rod tip an inch, then set the hook. 
Don’t ya hate going to set the hook and nothing there.

It’s like picking up a empty bucket when you think it’s full, almost throwing over your head. Thinking there is a step up and stomping on level ground 

[N Florida Mike]

Im referring to texas rigged plastics: I dont hook fish well if the line is already tight as I set the hook. I keep just enough contact with the fish to know where he’s at and which direction he’s heading. Then, a slight lowering of the rod tip which creates slight slack and then an upward set which brings it tight in the fishes mouth( hopefully) ?

With spinnerbaits and moving baits in general it’s already tight when the fish hits and hooks himself.

It’s different strokes for different baits…

[padon]

ive noticed ,especially last year that if i have a tight line it doesnt take that much to drive the hookin. Im talking about jigs and worms here. several times ive not felt the the bite until my rod was in a less than ideal position for a hook set. ive found that if i keep the line tight and just pull steadily and reel the fish will get hooked.because of that ive gone to a tight line sweep and reel hook set and been pretty happy with the results.