What am I missing???? lol

[OG SmashSauce]

OK, I have caught inbetween 100-200 bass i would say since i started bass fishing not that long ago. I missed all of last year due to a shoulder injury but I am back this year. I went out for the first time yesterday and caught 5 decent ones I would say.

 

I am always watching videos and I get frustrated because I literally STILLLLL cant tell when I have a bass on. In fact, Ive probably missed a ton of bass that I had on but didnt know it.  

 

Minus the obvious signs like top water explosions or my line taking off like a bad out of hell I just cant tell!! Ill be reeling in and Ill think i have a snag and its because I am reelin in a bass....lol. So I never really set the hook. I just get lucky that the bass really took my lure.   

 

I want to be able to sit there and KNOW i have one on.....reel in the slack and SET THE d**n HOOK!!! lol....

 

Do I need to maybe make some friends in my area and see if they can maybe teach me something? hahahaha     Signed....... FRUSTRATED!!!

[Jig Man]

Like anything else time, time, time.

[slonezp]

If it doesn't feel right set the hook. 

[OG SmashSauce]

11 minutes ago, slonezp said:

If it doesn't feel right set the hook. 

actually sound advice lol....i will def start doing that!

[dodgeguy]

What kind of line? What rod ?

[OG SmashSauce]

15 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

What kind of line? What rod ?

Ummm, I just went and put together a baitcaster, I think 6'9 medium heavy rod with 20lb mono.  

 

I havent got into all the rod and line switching part of the sport yet.

[DitchPanda]

To play off of what @slonezp said above if in doubt set the hook. We all hear guys saying man he smashed it or god he thumped it. But in reality a majority of bites are you just lose track of the bait or something feels weird like spongy or no feedback at all. In those cases swing.

[BrianMDTX]

A wise man on this very site posted “hooksets are free”.  Well, maybe not 100% free, like you really set the hook in a stump lol. But for all intents and purposes, I agree. If you think it’s a bass, it likely is. 
 

I still get fooled. I caught three decent 2 lb’ers this morning. One did the classic “tap-tap”; one did the “line’s running hot!”; the other I had no clue it was on the hook. Felt no strike, line never moved. It happens!

[Deleted account]

Sounds like inexperience and rust to me, luckily the cure is the same, time on the water. I would suggest you stick to the same equipment and lures until you get a better feel, eliminating the variables will accelerate the learning curve.

[papajoe222]

Your rod position may have something to do with it. I've seen guys point the rod tip directly inline with the line they're reeling in.  That takes the rod's sensitivity out of feeling the bite.  Slightly pointing it up, down, or to the side will put the rod to work for you, if that's what you're doing.

[Hammer 4]

Agree with hook sets being free. One thing I've done for years to try and up my hookup ratio is to keep a finger in contact with my line at all times, i.e. from the time the lure hits the water, just have to be very light with the touch on the drop. This may take some practice, but imho, well worth it.

[dodgeguy]

1 hour ago, OG SmashSauce said:

Ummm, I just went and put together a baitcaster, I think 6'9 medium heavy rod with 20lb mono.  

 

I havent got into all the rod and line switching part of the sport yet.

Put 50lb Sufix 832 braid on it and discover a completely new world. What brand of rod and model. 

[Buzzbaiter]

Try braid, it’ll increase your sensitivity. Also fish will move, snags won’t. If you’re not sure what’s at the end of your line, hold your rod to feel for any movement 

[WRB]

20 lb mono may be over kill depending on the line diameter and brand. My suggestion is 12lb Big Game, inexpensive premium mono. Smaller diameter line creates less bow in the line and better feel if what the lure is going.

Fingers are very sensitive, but you need to train your brain to interpret what you are feeling.

Lures that are out of sight you see and need to detect strikes by feel.

Not everyone is equal regarding strike detection by feel. Like a safe cracker who has exceptional finger tip feed back few will ever be skilled safe crackers.

Line watching helps watching the line for movement unrelated to the lure movements. If the line jumps slack a fish struck the lure. If the line moves sideways set the hook. If the lures gets heavier it’s snagged weeds or line or a fish has the lure in it’s mouth....set the hook. If the lure feels like it was cut off, no weight set the hook.

Ticks, taps, bumps any that doesn’t feel right set the hook.

In time you will train your brain to what a strike is or isn’t.

Tom

[PaulVE64]

Yesterday fishing in 4ft of clear water i watched my  deer hair jig dance across a stream bed and pause just long enough to entice a 3# smallie to rush out from some rocks and stop with his nose right on my jig. I thought i could see the bit of white belly hair on the jig and so when the jig disappeared i guessed that the smallie had vacuumed it up so i set hook and had a great battle.

Afterwards I was shaking for a good 5 minutes.

Love sight fishing

[dodgeguy]

If he can't feel anything why would guys tell him to use mono ?

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, dodgeguy said:

If he can't feel anything why would guys tell him to use mono ?

Because most humans should be able to detect most bites with mono. While going to extremes in equipment will produce short term gains, it can and often does does delay or curtail long term higher level gains. When I teach tennis to beginners, no extra long, extra oversized, extra wide raquets are allowed for the same reason, it teaches your brain and hands to lean on a crutch. Now if you plan to be a beginner or mediocre devotee of any sport, then yeah, have at it.

[OG SmashSauce]

I have to go to work but I will read all the replies later on today!!

 

Thanks for the all feed back guys! 

[LrgmouthShad]

19 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

While going to extremes in equipment will produce short term gains, it can and often does does delay or curtail long term higher level gains

So since Greg Hackney uses fluoro often which is a lil more sensitive, he is curtailing his development as an angler. Silly Greg. But I, as a mono user, am not. So basically…. I’m better than Mr. Hackney. Where do I sign up?

[MickD]

1 hour ago, dodgeguy said:

If he can't feel anything why would guys tell him to use mono ?

He is suggesting that lighter test, thinner, mono be tried. And also adding some advice on technique.

[Deleted account]

12 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

So since Greg Hackney uses fluoro often which is a lil more sensitive, he is curtailing his development as an angler. Silly Greg. But I, as a mono user, am not. So basically…. I’m better than Mr. Hackney. Where do I sign up?

No, he is fully developed as an angler, so specialized equipment, and more importantly the knowledge and experience to know when and how to apply it makes sense. You wouldn't tell someone who says "I'm having trouble hitting the target" to try a 50 cal, wait, maybe you might...  

[LrgmouthShad]

16 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

You wouldn't tell someone who says "I'm having trouble hitting the target" to try a 50 cal

I might tell a couple of quarterbacks that. Maybe you're familiar with them.

 

Wait woah, woah, with actual targets though. Not people. We're not trying to recreate a Baldwin scene.

 

Also, tennis? Must be an Annapolis thing

 

 

[Deleted account]

4 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Also, tennis? Must be an Annapolis thing

No, a lot of golf on the Severn...

[Sam]

Two thnigs to consider:

As stated by Hank Parker, it doesn't cost anything to set the hook.

 

Second, you understand how the bites are transmitted to you so you will know when somelthing is "wrong."

 

From the bait through the line via the rod to your finger or hand to your eyes on the line you recieve information about what is going on with your bait.

 

If anything feels different, you set the hook.

 

I suggest you watch the Big Mouth videos to note how fast the bass can inhale your bait and then spit it out. This is why we use scent so the basss will retain your bait for an additional second or two.

 

Check out this one of the three videos and you will improve your hook sets.

 

Good luck.

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Bigmouth-Glen-Lau/dp/B0002X8XAY

 

[Catt]

Ya having trouble feeling the bite blame your equipment!

 

NO! Look in the mirror & you'll see your problem!

 

The problem ain't what you're feeling, It's how you're interpreting it.

 

Question, in your mind what do you think a bite should feel like?