Your Reaction Time

[Alex from GA]

My reaction time is like a high 30s person and I'm 82 also.  I find myself less steady in the boat and need to sit to fish and run the trolling motor.  I also kayak fish in rivers and creeks and rarely fall out.  I still rode dirt trails, on my CR250, @ 75 but no more.  I did miss a fish once.

[Team9nine]

Nobody has mentioned the ‘alien’ response yet. I get it about 1/3 of the time or so. Not sure it really means much though, but it is a bit addicting ?  Anyone else?

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

4 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

Nobody has mentioned the ‘alien’ response yet. I get it about 1/3 of the time or so. Not sure it really means much though, but it is a bit addicting ?  Anyone else?

 

 

 

Ah, this explains your ability to catch bunches of bass every single trip.

[PaulVE64]

This morning I went creek fishing. There is a nice stretch that's tough to get at but I have always done it every other time until today. I just didnt want to climb out of that valley.

I turn 60 next spring and I have noticed.

[papajoe222]

Luckily, the Lord has blessed me with quick reflexes and they have not abandoned me with age, I'm 73. Maybe it was his way of making up for my color blindness. LOL  For whatever reason, my reflexes have never hindered my fishing, but sadly my age has decreased my stamina which has negatively affected my time on the water. A very active life style along with a physically demanding career kept me in great shape well into my 60's. Like many my age, I wish I were ten years younger so I could spend the day on the water rather than three or four hours.

[Swamp Girl]

8 hours ago, papajoe222 said:

but sadly my age has decreased my stamina which has negatively affected my time on the water. A very active life style along with a physically demanding career kept me in great shape well into my 60's. Like many my age, I wish I were ten years younger so I could spend the day on the water rather than three or four hours.

 

You're singing my song and it's a sad one. I'll fish five hours from my canoe and at the session's end, I'm drained. Wiped. A husk. 

 

9 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

There is a nice stretch that's tough to get at but I have always done it every other time until today. I just didnt want to climb out of that valley.

 

I know this valley. Well, not the very same valley, but I do know this valley.

[oncewas]

Concentration over the day can affect your reaction. I start out pretty good but when the pain from several sources start it affects it.

[txchaser]

Tried the site and noticed a much better reaction time with my eyes relaxed/defocused. 

 

On fishing, I think I need to be less surprised when I get a bite after a long stretch of nothing. Especially fishing a low-confidence bait.

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,

Yes, getting older definitely slows many things down. My reaction time was always best measured using a sun dial, so additional response time is not all that significant. I have not found a notable difference in the "missing" fish. Because of my style of angling I have not found reaction time to be a factor for me. If anything a slower response has been beneficial.

 

When using larger soft plastics a slower approach was helpful. I wasn't able to confirm this till I was using some of the more durable elastic baits. I would find an rapid response would usually result in some felt resistance with disappointment as the bait would come flying out. The bait would not be ripped off but slid down the hook which leads me to believe it got chompped on when I responded the hook did not engage but the bait got pulled. So after that trend was observed frequently I would simply wait till I could register the fish on line before responding. This resulted in more positive connections. Even when I migrated to using more compact baits, I found by simply confirming activity on the other end my connection ratio was better.

 

Now this is not to say wait a long time. Just long enough to confirm activity. Waiting longer than that appeared to promote deeper hooking that I was doing what I could to prevent. These days, I'm getting predominately jaw hookups without involving the sphincter area. Just my $0.02 worth of observations with a no hurry to worry about slowing down due to age. I'm not old, yet. I do have some "experience". Be well and cheers!

 

[Kirtley Howe]

At 74 years old, my reaction time and concentration are still excellent. I credit the fact that I have been riding motorcycles since 1968 (and yes, I still ride, but on a Trike now as my left leg is messed up from a car wreck years ago). I have always led an active lifestyle which has kept me in decent shape for my age. My stamina isn't what it used to be due to a bout of cancer a few years back, and of course just plain age taking its' toll. But I consider myself blessed that I can still get out there and fish at all. But as mentioned above, there are places I used to love to fish that I just can't hack getting into and out of anymore. Yeah..I know that valley too. 

[Bird]

If I lose concentration and allow to much slack followed by a " snap " hook set......I break a leader.

Fishing requires 100% focus.

[king fisher]

When I was 13 a bass would strike my Jitterbug, faster than the speed of light, I would jerk back so hard the bait would land at my feet, and the bass would be swimming around wondering what happened to its meal.  Now I am Sixty, and nothing has changed.  Maybe when I am 80 either my reaction time will slow, or I will finally have the wisdom to let the bass take the plug long enough  to get hooked.  Hopefully by then, I will be quick and smart, not dumb and slow, either way, I hope I will still be throwing a Jitterbug on a calm summer's evening.

[WRB]

Try testing your reaction time with a wild bass on a bed. The bass wins every time until you learn to hook set before you see the bass react. It’s a guessing game, you watch the bass for signs it’s ready to strike because the bass is faster then your ability to react. Keep in mind you are focused on the bass and watching it. Now contemplate you can’t see the bass and only rely on line movement. Unless the bass eats your lure you miss the strike.

Tom

[Pat Brown]

@WRB with that in mind, I usually do better when I make sure 'he's got it' before setting the hook in general.

 

There are times I don't bother and you just gotta know when that is by feel and experience.

 

I still have all y'all in the back of my mind chanting 'SWING YA DUMMY'  don't worry.  ????