I've lost confidence in feeling the bite

[Craig P]

What has taught me the most is when you find a bite, switch to the method you're trying to learn or are struggling with.  Your confidence will soar when you catch and when you don't, you have an instant comparison of why one worked and the other did not.

[Shimano_1]

I always watch my line but believe feel is just as important.  Got a buddy that's a big line watcher. He kills more fish from them swallowing the hook than anyone I know. I try to be aware of what my bait is doing.  I let it fall on slack line usually but immediately begin to try to feel as well. If I see or feel a bite I ease up and feel the fish then Crack the rod. Works for me but ymmv. As for regaining confidence...just go make yourself do what used to work. After a bite or 2 you'll be back to having the confidence. 

[Trox]

No one gains confidence in anything that they don't work on or put time into. So I would recommend that you work on whatever it is that you want to gain confidence in and put time into it  

[geo g]

1). First of all go to the bait that you have confidence in the most.  You will feel the bite only on a tight line or when its almost tight.  2).Use lines like floro or braid that give you a max feel of everything down below with your plastics.  I use floro 90% of the time when Texas rigged, or wacky rigged.

3). Be a line watcher, the line will twitch and move way before you will feel it through the rod.  I will twitch a bait and then give it some slack, a small sudden twitch I will take up slack and if I feel resistance or jerk, then set the hook.  On tough days, bass often take the bait after a small movement and on slack line while sitting still.  Slack line after a jerk or pull, will give a realistic movement to the bait with light weight.  BE A LINE WATCHER!!!!!!!!

4). Be able to determine the difference between weeds, structure, and a bite.  This comes with time on the water.  Weeds and structure don't suddenly pull back or move.  They are just there.

5).Always set the hook hard, that tick could be a double digit, or a yearling.  You just never know!

6). I always believe a bass has taken notice of what I'm throwing, and moving in to take the bait.  Be a believer, and have confidence in what your doing.  

Good luck and there is no substitute for time on the water.

[TnRiver46]

19 hours ago, gimruis said:

Might be worth trying a moving lure instead that will get slammed hard instead of a finesse tactic where feel or sensitivity comes into play.  Burn a spinner bait.  You will know when something hits it.  It won't be so subtle.

When burning a spinnerbait, you will also be well aware when nothing hits it. 

[BayouSlide]

I'm not a slack line type of fisherman...it's always easier to feel bits with a steady retrieve and often the fish will hook themselves (crankbaits and the like). Then all that is required is a tug to make sure they are firmly pinned.

[Luke Barnes]

Through the suggestions I am going to pick up my Ned rod and not put it down until I feel better about it. I know they get bites so I'm not worried about the lure or presentation, and just work on feel and watching the line. Its my top producer so I will use it every chance I get to get my confidence back then work on the split shot rig. But this year I am not going hog wild buying the newest latest greatest bait and focusing on fishing, not lures. 

[Catt]

22 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I've been there a time or two.

My 'solution or cure ' is to fish for another species entirely.

Panfish or especially Crappie, fits the bit nicely for me.

Usually plenty of bites, many of them fairly subtle too.

Then when I go back to bass, the strike often feels like the rod blew up in my hand.

Give it a try.

Good Luck

A-Jay

 

Go fishing! Cures it everytime!

 

[Luke Barnes]

8 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Go fishing! Cures it everytime!

 

That sounds like a great idea but work, kids, wife, house, adulting in general gets in the way alot so I try to maximize my time when I hit the water. 

[Sphynx]

I dunno man, but at some point the fear of getting skunked just goes away, I learn way more on days I don't catch many (or any) fish because I am forced to pay more attention to what I am doing and what ISN'T working, which is at least as important as what IS working, sounds to me like your struggle is the fact that you measure a successful day of fishing by the number or size or fish caught, rather than by the fact that fish or no fish your engaging in a hobby and getting an opportunity to hone your craft.

[Luke Barnes]

28 minutes ago, Sphynx said:

I dunno man, but at some point the fear of getting skunked just goes away, I learn way more on days I don't catch many (or any) fish because I am forced to pay more attention to what I am doing and what ISN'T working, which is at least as important as what IS working, sounds to me like your struggle is the fact that you measure a successful day of fishing by the number or size or fish caught, rather than by the fact that fish or no fish your engaging in a hobby and getting an opportunity to hone your craft.

I wont lie I hate getting skunked and second guess every single decision made that trip so thats why i try to be the best at it I can be. I know its a hobby and relaxing but I also put alot of pressure on myself to catch fish. 

[Catt]

28 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

That sounds like a great idea but work, kids, wife, house, adulting in general gets in the way alot so I try to maximize my time when I hit the water. 

 

We all deal with life ?

 

Sometimes ya just gotta feel a tug, @A-Jay & I ain't saying quit bass fishing, just catch something.

[Luke Barnes]

1 minute ago, Catt said:

 

We all deal with life ?

 

Sometimes ya just gotta feel a tug, @A-Jay & I ain't saying quit bass fishing, just catch something.

Thats the plan!!! Get out on the water and have fun and catch some fish. 

[Sphynx]

2 hours ago, Luke Barnes said:

I wont lie I hate getting skunked and second guess every single decision made that trip so thats why i try to be the best at it I can be. I know its a hobby and relaxing but I also put alot of pressure on myself to catch fish. 

After the first couple thousand fish the game changes a bit, the excitement of catching fish never really goes away, but it's less of a "kid on Christmas morning" feeling and more of a thing where if you've ever worked hard on something and gotten that vindication of doing it right type of thing, make no mistake, virtually every angler goes through what your feeling, and this too shall pass, just remember that even when the fish win, you aren't wasting a day, your paying for your education in sweat equity that simply can't be avoided, even the pro's had to put in the time to get as good as they are.

[papajoe222]

I can't speak about getting the feel back for the Ned, but something similar happened to me years back with my worm fishing. I got my mojo back by night fishing. You really have to concentrate on whats happening with the bait and how it feels when working it. When a fish picks up your T-Rig and begins moving with it, the feeling is different and with some practice, you'll be able to feel that before the line tightens and you feel the resistance.

[CrashVector]

Honestly, I'd just find a confidence bait (for me it's a powerbait pit boss in bama bug color) and throw it every day til I caught a few.

 

Your confidence will come back....don't worry.

 

We ALL go through slumps.  A couple catches and it will be like riding a bike for you.

[kingmotorboat]

12 hours ago, BayouSlide said:

I'm not a slack line type of fisherman...it's always easier to feel bits with a steady retrieve and often the fish will hook themselves (crankbaits and the like). Then all that is required is a tug to make sure they are firmly pinned.

It’s a south Louisiana thing I think. But down here in Lafayette it’s been all about slow moving for me lately

[Luke Barnes]

12 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

I can't speak about getting the feel back for the Ned, but something similar happened to me years back with my worm fishing. I got my mojo back by night fishing. You really have to concentrate on whats happening with the bait and how it feels when working it. When a fish picks up your T-Rig and begins moving with it, the feeling is different and with some practice, you'll be able to feel that before the line tightens and you feel the resistance.

I like night fishing in the summer and caught some of my biggest bass on top water at night. Ive actually had decent success with a ned at night so I should try a worm. I think a black and blue Cut'R would work ok. That would definitely help with just feeling and not even line watching. 

[ajschn06]

On 1/12/2022 at 11:14 AM, Sphynx said:

I dunno man, but at some point the fear of getting skunked just goes away, I learn way more on days I don't catch many (or any) fish because I am forced to pay more attention to what I am doing and what ISN'T working, which is at least as important as what IS working, sounds to me like your struggle is the fact that you measure a successful day of fishing by the number or size or fish caught, rather than by the fact that fish or no fish your engaging in a hobby and getting an opportunity to hone your craft.

 

I always just anticipate getting skunked... that way every fish feels like a bonus..

[PaulVE64]

The OP speaks to me and this is what i thought...

I have suffered this lack of confidence  as well and for me the solution was to pick up a jig rod. And throw jigs of different sizes each day into clear water with a pebble -rock bottom. The key here is to watch the line/ bait as your going over the terrain.  Eventually i even closed my eyes. I did it for weeks until i felt like i had it dialed in.

 

Then go fish and set hook on EVERYTHING that feels different.

[cyclops2]

When I fish I always use a tight line with Rapalas. Fish can set the hook because there is only a 6 " stretch with 60 feet of line out in the sun. In 60 degree water. There is even less stretch.  A hungry fish does not need finesse.  Just braided line and a fast moving lure.

[mcipinkie]

Get off the computer and get on the water.  Keyboard won't help.

 

[Catt]

For Y'all Information 

 

Night fishing has taught me not to watch my line that much.

 

When you see line movement you should have already felt the "bite"!

 

Bout the only reason I watch my line is so I'll know which way the bass is going when setting hook.

 

And that's only in shallow water.

[RDB]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

When you see line movement you should have already felt the "bite"!

 

Bout the only reason I watch my line is so I'll know which way the bass is going when setting hook.

I’m not disagreeing but my guess is your technique for presentations requiring “feel” likely involves having a finger on your line (as does mine).  For me, the sensitivity is night & day better than just relying on what is transferred through the rod.  I’m still a line watcher because it is one more data point and I do miss some bites that I catch with the line.  It is not uncommon for me to take up slack and immediately feel tension though I never felt the actual bite.  I’m probably most acutely aware on the fall and any presentation using a semi slack line.

[Catt]

8 minutes ago, RDB said:

my guess is your technique for presentations requiring “feel” likely involves having a finger on your line (as does mine).

 

Nope! Don't do that either!

 

My ability to "feel" comes from 50 years of night fishing from April through October. The first few years was during the New Moon phase. 

 

I've said it so many times y'all are probably tired of hearing but night fishing will change your prospective on "feel". Remember the first time you used tungsten weights how amazing the difference was over lead? Night fishing will do the same thing, especially with zero light. 

 

Ask @A-Jay with a quality rod you can "feel" everything that weight contacts. 

 

I ain't talking about night fishing a couple times a year but rather a whole year of if it.