Do you use your index finger to feel the line when fishing bottom contact baits?

[GRiver]

Only dead sticking 

[Bigbox99]

No, I'm not old enough 

[woolleyfooley]

21 hours ago, WRB said:

Yep over the tip of my index finger and under the tip of my thumb holding the rod  with the remaining 3 fingers in front of the reel.

Finger tip feels the line movements better then any rod can.

No reason to move my rod grip to hook set because I use the reel to set hooks and a firm rod sweep to finish the hook set it’s faster moves more line plus puts more force to the hook.

Tom

The way I hold a reel, I agree. I don’t really move my hand at all to set the hook. I have all 4 fingers in front of the rod trigger and my index finger stays on the front of the reel below the levelwind, even when I set the hook.

20 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I use both Round and low profile reels. (usually smaller)

and I hold them pretty much the same was as pictured. 

A-Jay

I hold the reel like this. My index finger over the rod and under the line, the rest of my fingers under the rod in front of the trigger.

 

photo found on google:

 

 

another good example, except all of my fingers are in front of the trigger.

 

 

[ABU is overpriced]

Not seeing the point. If you use mono and a shakespeare glass rod from Walmart for $30, it will most likely help, but i am not seeing this being helpful with a quality rod. Not to mention that i only use braid to fluro leader, so feeling the bottom isn't taking much.

[OkobojiEagle]

When working a bait on bottom I'm using a spinning rod/reel and hold both the rod and line with my index finger.  I pull the bait with rod and reel up slack line between pulls.

 

oe

[LrgmouthShad]

Yes I do. On all bottom contact baits with a baitcaster 

[Fyrewulf]

Yes, it's a habit I've had for a long time. It feels natural to do so.

[woolleyfooley]

19 hours ago, ABU is overpriced said:

Not seeing the point. If you use mono and a shakespeare glass rod from Walmart for $30, it will most likely help, but i am not seeing this being helpful with a quality rod. Not to mention that i only use braid to fluro leader, so feeling the bottom isn't taking much.

I use FC and the main thing I use my finger to feel for is when the bait gets bitten. For me it’s not about feeling the bottom composition.

[ABU is overpriced]

53 minutes ago, woolleyfooley said:

I use FC and the main thing I use my finger to feel for is when the bait gets bitten. For me it’s not about feeling the bottom composition.

But you feel the bites pretty easily without using your finger.

[J Francho]

Sometime in the very early 90s, when I upgraded to Fenwick rods, I stopped. It wasn't necessary anymore since graphite rods had become sensitive enough to dispatch with the technique. 

[woolleyfooley]

17 hours ago, J Francho said:

Sometime in the very early 90s, when I upgraded to Fenwick rods, I stopped. It wasn't necessary anymore since graphite rods had become sensitive enough to dispatch with the technique. 

Interesting. I’d say I don’t “need” to do it, but I still feel like it gives me a little more information to paint the picture of what’s going on down there. 

[Lead Head]

Yup

No problems setting the hook

I have cut that finger 3 times in 20+ years though. 2 of the 3 times with mono.

 

[WRB]

On 11/25/2024 at 6:21 PM, J Francho said:

Sometime in the very early 90s, when I upgraded to Fenwick rods, I stopped. It wasn't necessary anymore since graphite rods had become sensitive enough to dispatch with the technique. 

Don’t need more strike detection the is good enough….

Tom

[J Francho]

It's not to say I never touch the line.  Working through wood it can help you feel you bait through the branches.

 

One thing, be careful setting the hook with braid, if you do this.  Braid doesn't care about the skin on your index finger.

[scaleface]

On 11/23/2024 at 7:06 PM, WRB said:

Yep over the tip of my index finger and under the tip of my thumb holding the rod  with the remaining 3 fingers in front of the reel.

Finger tip feels the line movements better then any rod can.

No reason to move my rod grip to hook set because I use the reel to set hooks and a firm rod sweep to finish the hook set it’s faster moves more line plus puts more force to the hook.

Tom

Exactly.

 My casting rods all have a fore grip which are getting hard to find. 

[Bigbox99]

As a millennial I only remember this from older guides telling me to do along with turning off the spinning reel anti reverse while fishing the Ozarks.  Zoomers must be so confused right now.  Maybe it'll be a new thing and it can catch on with their generation.

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, Bigbox99 said:

Zoomers must be so confused right now.

Not really, they watch videos of people fishing and know everything about fishing, except they have never fished.

[PourMyOwn]

7 hours ago, J Francho said:

 

One thing, be careful setting the hook with braid, if you do this.  Braid doesn't care about the skin on your index finger.

I made this mistake once. It didn't even bleed, I had a 1/16" deep cut in my finger. Not fun.

[woolleyfooley]

17 hours ago, WRB said:

Don’t need more strike detection the is good enough….

Tom

Did you mean if the rod is good enough?

[Bird]

I did but now I don't.

[LonnieP]

No because I don’t palm my reels.

[gim]

Nope, no need.

 

Most of the feeling is gone from my fingertips due to various injuries and burns anyways.

[KP Duty]

I was taught to do so back in 1989 when I was 11.  I remember burying 15lb CXX in my index finger one time. I quit doing it when I upgraded to high end rods in 2001.  

[softwateronly]

On 11/27/2024 at 3:16 PM, PourMyOwn said:

I made this mistake once. It didn't even bleed, I had a 1/16" deep cut in my finger. Not fun.

Only once?  I'm thoroughly impressed!  I'm going the other way, working on top level calluses, currently I'm immune to 30lb braid but taking it on the chin from PE 1.  I will train hard in 2025!  As a side note, I now can now just wave my finger in the vicinity of my soft plastics to find out their salt content.

 

scott

 

 

[PourMyOwn]

9 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

Only once?  I'm thoroughly impressed!  I'm going the other way, working on top level calluses, currently I'm immune to 30lb braid but taking it on the chin from PE 1.  I will train hard in 2025!  As a side note, I now can now just wave my finger in the vicinity of my soft plastics to find out their salt content.

 

scott

 

 

Yeah, I tend to make a mistake only once, which is why I've never remarried