What am I missing???? lol

[BrianMDTX]

2 hours ago, Deleted account said:

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.

Is braid more sensitive? I’d say yes. Do I still use mono? Yes. I prefer it for topwaters and crankbaits for one thing. All my spinning rigs are braid-to-leader; so is my frog rod. The other baitcasters are either mono or YZH. 

[TOXIC]

Easy answer……..throw moving baits until you get the “feel”:back.  Crankbait, spinnerbait, swimbait, chatterbait, etc., all leave very little guesswork as to when you get a bite.  If you are fishing plastics, aside from punching, you are IMHO, overpowered and your setup isn’t helping you any.  

[the reel ess]

I'm gonna tell you a little secret. I like to fish jigs and T rigs around specific wood cover. More often that not, I detect a bite because the line is moving, not because I felt it with my very sensitive jig rod. The little guys are helpful with that tell tale tap-tap. The big ones just suck it in. They might move and they might not. I feel those because they are heavy dead weight when I lift my jig.

[Catt]

12 hours ago, OG SmashSauce said:

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.   

 

Some of y'all got reading comprehension problems!

 

His is definitely "feeling" the bites, his interpretation of what being felt is wrong.

 

Those thumps, bumps, taps, line movement, & surface explosions are easy to interpret.

 

Go back to the old saying, when in doubt, drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook!

[LrgmouthShad]

4 minutes ago, Catt said:

Go back to the old saying, when in doubt, drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook!

Right. No matter what, you will catch something. Either a three pounder or a tree pounder and perhaps a shoulder complaint. 

[Big Rick]

45 minutes ago, Catt said:

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

This is the whole story right here. OP states he thinks he's reeling in a snag and it turns into a bass. A ton of good advice here. Swings are indeed free so if you feel something a little different, SET THE HOOK. Sure, you might lose a bait once in a while, but the experience and education you gain will offset that loss. 

 

I grew up fishing a t-rigged worm on a limber rod, Zebco 33, and 14# Basspro Excel mono. I learned how to catch fish with that because it was all I had. I cut yards, saved my money, and bought my first "open face combo" and thought I had made it big. A short time later braid came to my neck of the woods and forever changed my world. However, I learned how to fish and detect strikes in the back of my dad's boat with that Zebco. You can do it. Focus on your retrieve and watch your line. Time on productive water will teach you the difference between a snag and a fish, most of the time. 40 years later and I still set the hook on a limb from time to time, but guess what: I didn't go away wondering if it was actually a fish....

[Kev-mo]

17 minutes ago, Catt said:

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?

This ^^

 

I've had the 'tic' bite, the 'crap I'm snagged' bite, the 'I hooked a wet t-shirt' bite, the 'feel nothing' bite (why's my line moving?) along with others. I tried to explain what a bite felt like to my kids when teaching them to fish. I gave up after several minutes of stammering. You'll figure it out

[dodgeguy]

2 hours ago, MickD said:

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

I know that but mono isn't gonna help at all IMHO. Maybe flouro but definitely not rubber band mono.

[Catt]

31 minutes ago, dodgeguy said:

I know that but mono isn't gonna help at all IMHO. Maybe flouro but definitely not rubber band mono.

 

Neither Fluorocarbon or Braid is gonna fix an interpretation problem.

 

Anglers that are really good with bottom contact presentation don't necessarily have more "sensitive" equipment, they are better at interpreting what's being felt.

 

We talk about has easy it is to feel a spinnerbait bite. IDK! I've set hook on a lot of limbs, stumps, grass. Was it because my Big Game wasn't sensitive enough?

 

No, my interpretation was wrong! The spinnerbait stopped instinct kicked in...oops!

[TOXIC]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

 

Some of y'all got reading comprehension problems!

 

His is definitely "feeling" the bites, his interpretation of what being felt is wrong.

 

Those thumps, bumps, taps, line movement, & surface explosions are easy to interpret.

 

Go back to the old saying, when in doubt, drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook!

That’s exactly why I don’t like braid for dropshotting.  My brain starts smoking trying to figure out all of the information being transmitted.  ?

[J Francho]

People love to cite that Glen Lau video, and it's very poignant, but I think they intentionally oversold the rejection rate of bass.  Most of those fish held onto the hookless baits long enough for an angler to detect it.  It's really what Catt has preached - you have to learn to trust your feel for the tick that often get when they strike the bait.  Braid is just one tool, but it's not gonna be more sensitive than denser mono or fluorocarbon.  Braid depends on the line being taught - and it's really good at this.  Mono and fluoro can transmit vibrations on even slack line.  Again, they're just tools as well.  You aren't likely to winch a bass from dense weeds with even 20 lb. mono as you are with 50 lb. braid, unless you are a seriously experienced angler.

 

I tell this story often: I was pitching to holes in the thick weed flat, moving very slowly.  Occasionally I'd see something I missed or was too interesting to skip that was way too close for a pitch.  This is where I'd use a flip cast.  Fishing this way is almost automatic for me now.  The first time this happened, my mind was blown.  I made a pitch to a perfect ambush point, and sure enough a very nice bass VIOLENTLY struck the jig.  It came out of the weeds at like 100 mph and turned on that bait.  I felt NOTHING.  All I saw was a tiny twitch of the braid.  Yes, I did set the hook, and got a pic of that catch.  I've seen many times since.

 

  

[LrgmouthShad]

53 minutes ago, Catt said:

We talk about has easy it is to feel a spinnerbait bite. IDK! I've set hook on a lot of limbs, stumps, grass

Absolutely. Sometimes there is just a feeling of nothingness. Recently while bank fishing with somebody, they asked me what a spinnerbait bite normally feels like. They were surprised at how complicated my answer was, but after a couple bites, they started to understand what I was saying. 
 

I’ve found swim jigs to be even harder sometimes. Seems like the bass have had a big tendency recently to just throw instant slack in the line. And with a swim jig, you don’t have a tell-tale sign of blades suddenly stopping. 
 

WRB‘s comments in the past about learning what the types of bites are on a particular lure in order to develop expertise I think is spot-on. 

[Mobasser]

Practice is the best way to learn this. The more you fish, the better you become.

[PhishLI]

I think attempting to explain non-blatant strike detection to someone who hasn't yet grasped it is akin to trying to flesh out the concept of balance to someone who has never walked yet has the capacity to do so. You can say "balance" all you like, then attempt to simplify the concept with as many synonyms, clues, and analogies as you like, but until they grasp it for themselves...Just like learning to walk it'll just happen when it happens.

 

That said, here's my contribution. Close your eyes or look down when you're dragging a bait and try to maintain a semi slack line. Reps will teach you the difference between what's constant from the bait back to you, and what the changes are that indicate a strike versus bumping your bait into, rock, weeds, etc. The same holds true for moving baits whether in open water or in or around cover.

[Johnpenguin]

14 hours 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.

Braid main line will increase sensitivity tremendously 

[J Francho]

59 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

That said, here's my contribution. Close your eyes or look down when you're dragging a bait and try to maintain a semi slack line. Reps will teach you the difference between what's constant from the bait back to you, and what the changes are that indicate a strike versus bumping your bait into, rock, weeds, etc. The same holds true for moving baits whether in open water or in or around cover.

I think that's as close as daytime fishers can get to Catt's advice to fish at night.

[WRB]

I can see Catt’s eyes rolling back with mono rubber band statement because that’s my reaction.

Probably have dozens of threads defining what line stretch is and isn’t but mono stretching under 1/3 rd the line strength is a myth that lives on and on and on. There isn’t any difference in line stretch between mono,Copolymer and FC lines the same diameter.

Tom

[NoShoes]

3 hours ago, Johnpenguin said:

Braid main line will increase sensitivity tremendously 

when you line is taut. When it’s not, I’d say the other two are better. 
 

i spend allot of time on semi slack line. 

[geo g]

Always good to fish with as many different people as you can.  I bought a bass boat in 1982 and because I like fishing with others, I have invited hundreds of different people to fish with me over the years.   I have learned as much from them on what to do, and never do, as they have ever learned from me.  Join a bass club, and use it as a learning tool.  Nothing better then 4 hours in a boat just watching and listening, while you fish.  Take in as much as you can.

[OG SmashSauce]

WOW!!! Very grateful for all the responses and to see all the different point of views and I dont think I got flamed once? hahahaha

 

20 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

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

So....I gave incorrect info in the beginning. I use a 7' Lamiglas XP703C. 10-17lb, 1/4-3/4oz rod. Not sure if its any good but the local store guy set me up with it. My reel is a Abu garcia Pro max 7.1:1

 

I am looking to get a nicer rod and reel if anyone has any suggestions. I was looking at Googan squad rods?
 

 

20 hours ago, WRB said:

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.

OK...seems like the biggest seperation in everyone is what line you like to use. I was told to try Braid and at the same time people say mono over braid and so on.   I am getting the feeling I should just try everything and end up using what I like the most? 

 

 

11 hours ago, Sam said:

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.

I will be watching these vids tonight!!! Thanks for the source.

 

 

10 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Easy answer……..throw moving baits until you get the “feel”:back.  Crankbait, spinnerbait, swimbait, chatterbait, etc., all leave very little guesswork as to when you get a bite.  If you are fishing plastics, aside from punching, you are IMHO, overpowered and your setup isn’t helping you any.  

Again, I dont have a lot of exp. I DO tend to stick to Senkos, rubber crawfish stuff like that because its all I catch anything on.  I have tried spinners, crankbaits, diff top waters and I have only ever caught one bass on a top water and zero on everything else.  So, I tend to shy away from the other baits which yes, I understand is dumb lol. 

 

You mentioned my setup isnt helping for plastics. Are you talking my line or?

 

 

6 hours ago, J Francho said:

I think that's as close as daytime fishers can get to Catt's advice to fish at night.

Out of all the adivice I love closing the eyes or fishing at night to really get the feel of things without seeing them.  Because honestly, I throw the line in, move it around and if I get a fish awesome. Im not focusing on any techniques, feelings and so on. I definitely need to slow down and put more focus into it other than trying to get as many bass as I can as fast as I can lol. I will be trying this!

 

 

3 hours ago, geo g said:

Always good to fish with as many different people as you can. 

I live in Western Washington. I dont see many bass fisherman here. Seems most people love the rivers or saltwater here. None of my friends fish and I have zero connection with any fisherman over here...lol. I dont even know IF there is a bass club here but I will check.   I figured to be in a club you would need a bass boat and do tourneys?   I roll around in my 2 man Bass raider lol. 

 

 

Again, Thanks for alllllll the feedback. Sorry if I didnt respond to all the questions!    I'm getting what you guys are putting down! Now I just need to learn it lol. 

[OG SmashSauce]

I made a post above this one but it says its hidden and its in a purple highlight. Did I do something wrong? lol

[J Francho]

12 minutes ago, OG SmashSauce said:

I made a post above this one but it says its hidden and its in a purple highlight. Did I do something wrong? lol

Got it for you bud. 

[OG SmashSauce]

2 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Got it for you bud. 

thanks man!!!

[MickD]

10 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

but definitely not rubber band mono.

There have been a number of tests noted that show no stretch difference between mono and FC.  So most likely no sensitivity difference simply based on movo vs FC.  I'm using Suffix Elite Camo mono 14  pound test now and don't feel it's anything like a rubber band.  The last time I felt that in a line was with Yozuri Hybrid.  I think there are differences between different lines for stretch, both mono and FC.  The suggestion was to go lighter in pound test because the intial specified line wasn't optimum.  

[dodgeguy]

8 hours ago, PhishLI said:

I think attempting to explain non-blatant strike detection to someone who hasn't yet grasped it is akin to trying to flesh out the concept of balance to someone who has never walked yet has the capacity to do so. You can say "balance" all you like, then attempt to simplify the concept with as many synonyms, clues, and analogies as you like, but until they grasp it for themselves...Just like learning to walk it'll just happen when it happens.

 

That said, here's my contribution. Close your eyes or look down when you're dragging a bait and try to maintain a semi slack line. Reps will teach you the difference between what's constant from the bait back to you, and what the changes are that indicate a strike versus bumping your bait into, rock, weeds, etc. The same holds true for moving baits whether in open water or in or around cover.

Sometimes I close my eyes and just concentrate on the feel. I actually do it a lot. It does help in figuring out what your feeling. I also feel that with braid and fluoro you get much more input which also helps you interpret what you feel. Take a spinnerbait cast far on mono with willow blades and try to feel the blades when it's far out. It's close to impossible. You feel mostly drag reeling it in. Same lure on braid and you feel everything. This extra input helps with interpretation. It's also true when cranking. You can feel the fish come up and start to suck the bait in and then you feel it shut its mouth. You will never feel this on mono.IMHO more information coming in helps with interpretation.