Your Reaction Time

[Mobasser]

My doctor is a bass fisherman, and when I have an appointment, we always talk fishing for a few minutes.                                            I mentioned that I feel like I've missed more fish this summer than I ever have.             He said it's very common for us to have a slower reaction time as we age, and, this affects hook setting.              He also mentioned other factors. The heat, or, if you have any aches or pains that bother you. In my case, some aches and pains from my years doing carpentry work. These aches and pains are magnified as we age, and cause distractions which can slow your reaction time.                It may not affect everyone. A friend I fish with sometimes is 73, and he rarely if ever misses a fish.             He recommended things Im already doing. Drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest, and take vitamins, which can help you stay alert while your fishing.          I'll be 66 in October.                                   It's all part of getting older. Has anyone else noticed your reaction time slowing down, and causing you to miss fish?                                                

[Mike L]

It’s gonna happen, eventually to everyone. 
My biggest problem lately is getting the same power in my hook sets as I get older. 
Some part is because of back surgeries but not all, fortunately not to a critical degree..Yet

 

Reaction time to the most subtle of hits has gone down some I think but really can’t be sure. 
I still swing when I feel it, but don’t know how long it took. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

[Bankc]

Yeah, but I can't blame it on age.  I mean, my reaction times have definitley slowed down from my 20's.  But being mid 40's, they're not that slow.  I've only lost a few milliseconds.  Mostly, it's me not staying focused while fishing.  I get to working a lure and thinking about what to try next or where to go and when a fish strikes, it takes me a second to figure out what's going on and react.  Then, usually after I muff the first one, I tend to dial in my focus better and quit missing them for the next hour or two.  

 

Staying mentally active as we age is tough to do.  And while your reaction times will inevitably slow and there's not much you can do about that, you can work on your ability to remained focused.  When you're actively expecting a strike, your reactions will be a lot quicker than when your focused and something else and notice a strike.  So beyond diet and rest, it's also a good idea to do things that require deep and prolonged periods of focus.  And it's become even more important now that we live in a society where we're always multitasking and being distracted.  Exercise also helps quite a bit, which is also hard to keep up with as we age.  And no, yard work and chores don't count as exercise.  Neither does a physically demanding job.  Even though they wear you out like exercise, they don't provide the same benefits to your physical or mental health.  

[MickD]

Nope.  I'm 82 and still have faster reaction time than necessary for fishing.  I sometimes think I would be better off not reacting as quickly as I sometimes do.  

 

If you're curious about your reaction time, there are on-line tests for it. Here is one that said I have the reaction time of a 21 year old.  https://www.justpark.com/creative/reaction-time-test/

[gim]

No one can defy Father Time.  Except maybe Tom Brady.

[GRiver]

Don’t know if I’m slowing down physically, but mentally I’m definitely sloooo, oh look there’s a bird……..

[scbassin]

I know I have lost my reaction time. I'll be fishing rig & looking around, maybe at a gator. Then all of a sudden a sign will pop out the the water that says 

Hey dummy I have picked up this worm twice & spit it out. I don't like the taste so change it next time. Since you are asleep go home & go to bed.?

[Darth-Baiter]

I argue I lose more fish because I’m to reactive.   It truly depends on the technique. 

[Team9nine]

1 hour ago, Mobasser said:

Has anyone else noticed your reaction time slowing down, and causing you to miss fish?   

Just the opposite for me. I’m finding that I’m catching more fish because I’ve gotten much better at NOT reacting to every little bump, flash or last second hit at my feet. Now I stop, pause or hesitate instead of swing, and conversions have only gone up. Bass hang on to baits much longer than most realize, and they really want to eat your bait if just given the opportunity. 

[you]

I concur. Often, I'll wait to set the hook until I can feel the fish reposition the bait or start moving away, which really increases my hook-up rate on slow days.

 

[Darth-Baiter]

My dentist is a bass fisherman. He loves to talk during the procedure. He can interpret my ,”mmmph errr,,gah”. As say, oh..”on a drop shot..interesting “

[Pat Brown]

I started preparing for old age by having a real slow reaction time and hookset now ???

 

So far it's working fine.  Don't miss a ton of fish.  I think sometimes we take the bait away from the fish and my slow and steady reaction/hookset style seems to let them really get the bait.

 

Caught an 8 lber on a frog over open water and I waited til I felt her trying to get away before I pulled back.  She was stuck good.

 

If the fish is gonna get it, it's gonna get it is my philosophy.  Sometimes THEY miss the bait and there's nothing we can do about that.

[T-Billy]

My wife's reaction time is around three minutes. Lol. She has virtually no hookset and she probably misses less fish than I do. She gives them PLENTY of time to get the bait good.

[Darth-Baiter]

I wish I could post a video.  I got bit when I was eating something.  I didnt know I had a fish until the rod itself moved to the side.  it was a long time.

[Catt]

2 hours ago, Mike L said:

My biggest problem lately is getting the same power in my hook sets as I get older. 
Some part is because of back surgeries but not all, fortunately not to a critical degree..Yet

 

In the past when I set hook I really arched my back, now I take a step backwards.

 

My hookup ratio is still in the upper 90s, I don't wait on nuthin. 

[J._Bricker]

Hi-viz (braid) main line has helped with bite detection @Mobasser and sharper the hooks mean I need to use less effort with my hook set. If I miss couple more casts might be in order. If I don’t connect, there’s always tomorrow or the next fishing trip because now I know they’re there. Now the trick knee acting up is another story…

[WRB]

Before you can react you must detect the strike first and most bass anglers of all ages mis detecting strike a high % of the time.

The average reaction time when measured is about 3/4 of a second. I had my reaction time test by earning a class A drivers license. The test is driving at 35 mph and at some point the tester sets off a shot that marks the payment and you hit the brake stopping the vehicle, a second shot marks the payment  when you hit the brake. The total stopping distance is a lesson in keeping a safe space to stop.

I was 18 years old and reaction measured time .17 seconds.

Today I am sure it’s well above average.

Tom

 

[scaleface]

I'm the same age and havent noticed my reaction time slowing down but my hands dont seem as sensitive, harder to feel those light taps.

[Darth-Baiter]

i killed on the brake/reaction test thing.  i remember i angled my foot so i was poised to simply flip my ankle to hit the brake.  i didnt lift my foot and move it like other people.  i was superhuman, until the instructor noticed what i was doing.  heel/toe.

 

however, i feel this is a bad comparision.  well, maybe it is the perfect comparision for a frog bite where it is all visual.  you see the blowup, you strike.  haha.

 

but bottom contact, bad comparision because it is all tactile.  the rod makes the difference.  

[Susky River Rat]

My reaction time is so fast I set the hook into snags better then anyone. The fish don’t have a chance against those snags! 
 

In all seriousness there are days I don’t feel fast enough to hook fish. I am still a young buck too. Some days your mind and body just do not work in conjunction. 

[MickD]

2 hours ago, T-Billy said:

She gives them PLENTY of time to get the bait good.

"I had a bite. . . . perhaps. . . . I said perhaps, and that's final." 

[CM-fisher]

4 hours ago, MickD said:

Nope.  I'm 82 and still have faster reaction time than necessary for fishing.  I sometimes think I would be better off not reacting as quickly as I sometimes do.  

 

If you're curious about your reaction time, there are on-line tests for it. Here is one that said I have the reaction time of a 21 year old.  https://www.justpark.com/creative/reaction-time-test/

The test said that I had the reaction time of a 52 yr old and I'm only 18! ?

[gim]

2 minutes ago, MN_Bassin24 said:

The test said that I had the reaction time of a 52 yr old and I'm only 18! ?

I tried it a few times and they all indicated I had the reaction of a 27 - 31 year old, so maybe I still have some of my youthfulness.

[Mobasser]

I took the test twice and have the reaction time of a 37 yr old. Not bad for a 65 yr old.

[MN Fisher]

Tested 10 times - average was 33.4 years old - range was 31-37

 

Not bad for a 63 year old.