Little help Please!

[goode5683]

Ok i just read a couple of old articles in here....and i saw guys giving tips to someone about line watching....now i thought i only needed to line watch in like deep sea fishing. I might be missing out on some catches then. Usaslly when i feel a hit i know it...little tug...then i set and the line starts running. Anyways must sound stupid but i just curious. thanks.

Two other questions are about technique. One is with flukes. I use them alot no weight, and i fish canals alot....cast to the other side onto grass...pull it slowly off the bank...and let it sit....i twitch two or 3 times....sit do that one more time...and bring it all the way in. does that sound right?

Last question is rat-l-traps....i hear some many good things about them......i have two....i have never caught a thing on either one....maybe one or two peacocks but never largemouths. How fast should i retrieve them.....and should i twitch?

I fish i dark water....a lot of bass, snook, and some tarpoon.

THANKS i am just dying for new advice.

[Sam]

1. Watch your line, always.  If it moves to the right, left, away or towards you a bass has picked up your bait off the bottom is is walking away with it.

First, take a deep breath; then reel in the slack; point the rod tip at the bait; and set the hook very, very, very, very, very hard.

You may or may not feel a tug.  In fact, sometimes they inhale the bait as it is falling and they will just sit there with it in their mouth. So if the bait gets "heavy" SET THE HOOK.

2. You can fish a fluke anyway you want.  I like a weighted hook sometimes on rivers.  A 1/8 or a 1/4 bullet weight can be added to get the fluke deeper.  You can use a Texas, Carolina or a Split-Shot rig to fish a fluke.  It all depends on the depth you need to present the bait.

Try the Baby Flukes, too.  They are excellent after the spawn and the baby bass are schooling.  Use the Baby Bass color.

3. You can fish a "Rat" fast, slow, with jerks, yo-yo, bounce off cover or structure and any other way you wish to attract strikes.  Just remember the new Rats have sharper hooks than the older Rats so be sure your hooks are sharp.

As for colors, a chrome with a blue back for sunny days and a chrome with a black back for overcast days can work.  Other manufaturer's "Rats" can produce for you so don't get stuck on the Original Rat-L-Trap.

Check out your tackle shop, Bass Pro Shops or the Bass Pro Shops and Cabella's catalogs for the different styles and colors of Rats that are available.

Once you hook a fish you MUST KEEP YOUR LINE TIGHT or the fish will throw the Rat-L-Trap. Keep your rod tip pointed at or in the water to stop the fish from jumping and keep him hanging onto the bait.

Let us know how you do.

[rondef]

Good advice Sam however I use many different colors of rat-l-traps not just the ones with chrome, I tend to have better luck with the shad rat-l styles.  Strike King's red-eyed shads work great as well.

[Bassn Blvd]

I rely on feel more than line watching, but that's just me.  I've been worm fishing for 30 plus years so I'm very confident in my worming.  When I feel a tap, I already have the line between my thumb and finger.  I can tell by feel wich way the fish is moving.  I also fish the ocean but mostly bottom for snapper/grouper . Line watching doesn't help much there.

[skillet]

Mostly rely on feel myself but there have been enough times when line moved without a tap that I'm REALLY serious about watching the line!

Haven't been fishing flukes a whole long time compared to other baits but I seem to do better if I keep it moving (zigzagging) pretty fast. Especially in warmer months and water when the fish are more aggressive ...

                            As Ever,

                             skillet

[goode5683]

thanks you guys. I just need some new advice...i used to do real well olut here...even in the glades i used to go an catch a bunch. i took sometime off and now i am lucky if i catch one every month or so lol. its not that bad but sometimes it feels like it. last two weeks i had huge strikes on top of the water with the flukes....but i use braided line and i was useing the old style fisheres mens knot....and every strike would slip the line. Know i was shown the palomor knot...it feels so much stronger and it wont slip.....but all i have caught since this knot was a small one. pound tops.

But i just wanted to say thanks again for the replies.

[roadwarrior]

Welcome aboard!

8-)

[Big-O]

Welcome to the group

Big O

www.ragetail.com

[goode5683]

what is this why did i get moved?  

[roadwarrior]

what is this why did i get moved?

The "topic" is fundamentally about fishing "lures" = "tackle".

-Kent  a.k.a. roadwarrior

Global Moderator

[goode5683]

ok cool thanks...just curious....sorry bout that