Action for soft plastics

[Dan-K]

I fish t-rigged plastics on a Dobyn's 683C (6'8" MH) and a Loomis MBR 783 C (6'6" MH) both rated as fast actions. I tend to miss a lot of fish with the Dobyn's rod. I fished it all day Friday and missed about ten strikes, never hooked up all day. I fished it yesterday and landed one fish but missed three others. With my MBR 783 C (currently broken) I seem to hook up with at least 90% of my strikes. I am running 12 lb P-Line 100% Flourocarbon on both. It seems like the taper on the MBR is a bit slower than the dobyns, although they are both rated as fast. Am I missing something (other than fish:-) )?

I also noticed that a lot of the Falcon Cara worm / jig rods are medium fast (or moderate fast) actions. Would a slower action rod help hook up with fish better, or a faster action (say extra fast)? BTW, the dobyns is a solid small jig rod...

[Catt]

I use a Shimano Crucial CRC-X610MH, Length: 6' 10", Lure Weight: 3/8-3/4, Line Weight: 10-20 lbs. Extra Fast Action for every thing from a wacky rig to 1/2 oz. Texas Rig.

[BASSclary]

I always use extra fast action when using soft plastics. It seems to rip the hook right out.

[Bassn Blvd]

Use extra fast for soft plastics.

Ratings differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. A  Fast or extra fast Dobyns rod will not be the same as fast or extra fast in Loomis.

[Dan-K]

Use extra fast for soft plastics.

Ratings differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. A Fast or extra fast Dobyns rod will not be the same as fast or extra fast in Loomis.

So if I am pulling the bait out of their mouths, is that due to a slower rod or faster rod? From what you said it would be due to a slower rod, but my limitied brain capacity tells me it would be from too fast of a rod. I have been around this forum for some time, and I know what you are saying is the standard. I wonder if I have a quirky hookset or something.....

[BASSclary]

DONTTry this experiment

Take a regular texas rigged worm, get it wet and form a fist around it (Dont grip very hard were simulating a fishes mouth). Now take your line and pull with a slow, steady motion. The worm will slide out of your fist never hooking you. Now try again with a very fast, sharp motion. You will probably have to go to the hospital the hook is so deep in your hand.

The extra fast tip gives you that fast, sharp hookset.

[skey44]

If you are pulling it "out of their mouth" it probably wasn't all the way in to begin with. Small fish such as dink bass, bluegill, white bass, etc. will try to inhale your plastic lure, but the larger (usually 4/0 in my case) hook will stop them from getting the whole lure in their mouth. Don't worry if the bass is big enough and inhales the lure, as they usually do, you won't miss many with an extra fast tip speed. Your hook could also be too small for a big bass ( I sometimes have this problem when fishing finesse tactics and small hooks).  Good luck!

[Dan-K]

Thanks, that makes sense, they fish were probably dinks. I was using a 4/0 gamagatsu hook with a 7.5 inch yum ribbon tail to start, then switched to a zoom ultra vibe craw. On two occasions the back half of my worm was ripped off.....

[skey44]

usually bluegill especially on craw for me. fish near the bluegill though and I have caught some of my best bass!

[Raul]

I don 't think you have a problem with the action of the rod, it 's more a problem of identification, you haven 't really identified what is biting your bait. Bluegills ---> tap, tap, tap in rapid succesion, bass  ( even dinks ) ---> tap.

[SJB1226]

DONTTry this experiment

Take a regular texas rigged worm, get it wet and form a fist around it (Dont grip very hard were simulating a fishes mouth). Now take your line and pull with a slow, steady motion. The worm will slide out of your fist never hooking you. Now try again with a very fast, sharp motion. You will probably have to go to the hospital the hook is so deep in your hand.

The extra fast tip gives you that fast, sharp hookset.

This is 100% on point! very well wrote bro!

And what Raul had to say about Gills Tap Tap Tap and Bass even small ones Tap. <<<This has much more to do with missed strikes then the rod does... XF is the only thing I will T rig with but you could do it on a crak bait rod and still hook fish... but if the hook isnt in the mouth you arent sticking them.

[moby bass]

Sometimes the bass don't even give you a tap, just pressure.

I've been fishing Sluggos a lot lately and the blueys are tap tap tap. The bass just swim away with it.  I have been watching the line and letting them go for about 2 or 3 seconds, then setting the hook.  Even with that length of time I have only deep hooked 1 bass out of the last 50 or so I've caught. Some of the bluegills have actually been grabbing the tail of the Sluggo and swimming off with it, then when i set the hook, I pull it from their mouth.  I saw one do it in the shallow water.  He was determined!

[Dan-K]

True, looking back the strikes were "tap-tap-tap" in rapid succession. This particular lake is also full of crappie. Would they strike like blue gill as well?

[SJB1226]

Sometimes the bass don't even give you a tap, just pressure.

I've been fishing Sluggos a lot lately and the blueys are tap tap tap. The bass just swim away with it. I have been watching the line and letting them go for about 2 or 3 seconds, then setting the hook. Even with that length of time I have only deep hooked 1 bass out of the last 50 or so I've caught. Some of the bluegills have actually been grabbing the tail of the Sluggo and swimming off with it, then when i set the hook, I pull it from their mouth. I saw one do it in the shallow water. He was determined!

Sure there are a whole lot of just pressure bites and then line moving off.. my dad and I crappie fish sometimes and most of those strikes are just a thump and line get heavy.. but thats live bait and jigging for them so I cant really say how they would pick up a bass lure.. Im sure I have had them grab a worm or craw before but I cant say for sure.. I do know they will slam a LC pointer 128 lol I have caught lots of them on that lure bass fishing.

[Cornsnaggler]

You may be setting the hook too hard!....Todays sharp hooks often dont require the "cross their eyes" mentality of old.

[philsoreel]

I don 't think you have a problem with the action of the rod, it 's more a problem of identification, you haven 't really identified what is biting your bait. Bluegills ---> tap, tap, tap in rapid succesion, bass ( even dinks ) ---> tap.

Huh, I must be all kind of mixed up then because for 18 years everytime I've felt tap tap tap, set the hook, and landed the fish they sure have looked like bass to me. Anyone have a picture so I can be sure?

[Dan-K]

Just an update..... I read an article here regarding using the proper hooks with soft plastics and it brought up a good point. The author explained that the angle of EWG hooks is more of a "G" shape while straight shank hooks and offset shank hooks are more of a "J" shape. Do to this the "J" hooks had a higher likely hood of hooking up with fish because it has more room between the hook point and hook eye. It made sense to me so I went out and bought some 2/0 straight shank hooks. While pitching under some trees in the river behind my house today, I hooked up with a dink bass and a palm sized bluegill......... who would have thought!!!!! BTW, these were caught on my Dobyns 683c.