should i almost always hold the rod tip high? (i usually hold it low... pretty limited success, lol)

[fishhugger]

i've been enjoying roland martin's videos.

in one, entitled "tips, how to fish a worm for more and bigger bass" (i didn't post the link; unsure if it's ok for me to) at about 12 minutes he says hold the rod tip high. that way you'll feel the fish first; hold the tip low, and you won't feel the fish, but he'll feel you. he mentions the 90 degree angle of the pole and line. i think he's fishing a 5" senko, although he's also mentioning a couple other sizes and types of worms. 

then, when he feels the fish, he lowers the rod, and is ready to strike.

should i try to heed this advice when i'm fishing for the lmb, in general? for plastics, texas rigs, finesse ned rigs, etc?  he's fishing a senko with as little weight as possible..... he adds more weight to counter wind, basically. i guess this is for open-ish water.

i generally hold my rod, well, not high. does that mean i won't feel the fish............ and they're all probably having a laugh at my expense down at the fish bar...

thank you ------------ happy fishing

[Jig Man]

When fishing bottom contact baits my rod tip is not lowered below the 10 O’clock position.  Whether I drag or swim the bait, my rod stops at the 12 O’clock position.  I crank up the slack back to 10 O’clock and repeat.

[Skunkmaster-k]

I hold my rod pretty high when I’m feeling for a bite .  Bass will hold on to a worm long enough to reel down and set the hook , usually. 

[Deephaven]

High or at the same angle if to the side.  

[Deleted account]

48 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

When fishing bottom contact baits my rod tip is not lowered below the 10 O’clock position.  Whether I drag or swim the bait, my rod stops at the 12 O’clock position.  I crank up the slack back to 10 O’clock and repeat.

Yup, this is how I do it too, except when I'm power hopping, or stroking a jig or heavy t-rig.

[813basstard]

Heard Mark Rose say “high, but if you can’t see the tip out your peripheral, it’s too high and you can run out of room on a hard strike and quick hookset..”

 

He’s caught a largemouth bass or two on a worm

[TnRiver46]

I’ve never really thought about it , I think I usually drag with the rod abut half sideways, like randy Johnson pitching arm angle maybe 

[Junk Fisherman]

About 10 o'clock for bottom baits or sinking baits.  Lower for fast-moving baits.  For crankbaits I sometimes have the rod in the water for more depth.  For jerkbaits my rod is all over place depending where I am in the retrieve and how my boat is sitting and where I am casting.  

[JustJames]

High about 45 degree when fishing calm water, low or parallel to water with finger on the line when windy.

[geo g]

It all depends what and where I’m fishing.  Plastics especially in shallow water I will hold it high and be a line watcher for the slightest deviation in the line.  Deeper water I will hold the rod lower because it’s more comfortable.  With plastics be a line watcher while working the bait.  Don’t fish like a blind man, use all the senses God gave you when fishing,
With treble hooks and especially top water I will hold the rod low to get the movement from the bait that I am looking for.

[papajoe222]

Picture a sideways facing clock.12:00 is your head and your rod is the hour hand. On upward movements with the rod, keep the rod tip around 10:00 or 11:00 and work within that general area. For working the rod sideways ( like when working a C-rig), picture the clock lying face up. 12:00 being the direction you're facing and work anywhere from 11:00 to 9:00. 

[WRB]

Develop a rod position suitable to the lures and conditions you are fishing. 

Old school is you cast over head 10 to 2, 10 being the back swing and 2 the forward tip position. Using this clock face parallel to the water surface is 3 o’clock, 4 is point more downward or the rod position most bass anglers start a hook set swinging to 12 o’clock.

Now we have the rod position agreed to 12 o’clock the rod tip is pointing straight up a position you have zero control over the bass movements and way too much slack line. 2 o’clock the rod tip is about 45 degrees above the water surface and you have less slack line and better control of the lure. The only time I raise my rod tip higher then 2 o’clock is shaking the lure free or working it up and over something. If you get bit with the rod tip straight up nothing you can do without lowering tip creating slack line that usually ends up with no bass.

Weightless Senko is a slack line presentation, watch for line movement on the line where it is sinking. 

I point my rod tip at the lure with minimal slack and feel the line for strike detection, day or night?

Tom

[deep]

Old school still works for me!

 

This is me fishing a soft swimbait on the bottom last week. I fish jigs and worms the same way, but a little faster.

[LrgmouthShad]

When fishing bottom baits I keep rod tip high to create a big bow in the line and also still leave a smallish amount of slack on the water. I create both a bow and slack because @Catt told me to one time. When fishing moving baits, my rod tip is not totally lowered. It's maybe a 10 o clock I guess. 

[Mobasser]

If I'm fishing a t rig or jig, Ive had the best results by keeping my rod tip up, and work the bait between 10:00, and 12:00 position. I can see my line where it enters the water this way, and feel strikes better also.

[fishhugger]

On 3/23/2022 at 7:43 PM, WRB said:

 

Weightless Senko is a slack line presentation, watch for line movement on the line where it is sinking. 

I point my rod tip at the lure with minimal slack and feel the line for strike detection, day or night?

Tom

i'm not familiar with slack line fishing... i'll check it out. should i search for 'slack line' and i'm guessing that slack line would work in very shallow water only? (otherwise, there'd be a lot of line under the water...)

thank you!