Help with the TAP TAP

[tonyla]

New to Bass fishing I am trying to learn how to fish a plastic worm, specificly Yamamoto Senko. I am fish texas rig no weight.

I cast out and let sink usually when I get a hit its on the way down.  I will get "tapped" but when I go to set the hook I come up empty.

what am I doing wrong?

Thanks

[Bass XL]

It may just be bluegill. That is usually the problem.

[skillet]

WELCOME to the forums!!! Are you setting the hook fast enough, it can be quick?

                       As Ever,

                        skillet

[MARSH MASTER]

Its probably perch. Try waiting till they move with it. You have to feelem out.

[roadwarrior]

Welcome aboard!

First read everything in "Fishing Articles" at the top of the page,

focusing on "Beginning Anglers". Then this will dress other Senko questions:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1121527643

8-)

[Evan Pease]

You could be using too small of a hook. I like a 4/0 ewg for the 5 inch model. If your cover is sparse I would suggest wacky rigging, you get a good hook-up percentage.

[dantatro49]

Make sure there is no slack in your line then set the hook. When I get taps it is a bass most of the time

[fretfishman]

most of my hits on a senko are tap, tap , tap - and they're bass. when I feel the first tap I immediately give the rod to the bass a bit and allow him another tap or 2 and set the hook. always works for me, but if you're trying to set the hook on the first tap - there's your problem. you can give him the tap and then slowly make your line taut to feel if the weight of the fish is there...that helps until you're familiar with what you know will be a solid bite - meaning a hookup.  you have to give them the bait first and have faith that they'll keep it for longer than the one "tap". if you lack that confidence you'll lose the fish every time - and if there's a bait you can be confident that they'll hold onto for a while it's the senko.

start with the confidence and you'll see a huge difference. if it means putting scent on your lure to develop that I'd say do it.  

[tonyla]

thanks for the replies.  I did try to set the hook on the first tap, I get nothing.  Then I tried the wait a couple taps and set the hook. It seems the only fish I get are the one that tap and take.  Those are never very big.  I am fishing a 4 inch worm with a 1 hook.  I don't have this problem when I use a 5" yamamoto with a 5/0 hook. I seem to take some good size fish(3lbs)

[fretfishman]

interesting. I guess that's your answer then. it sucks that you can't cast smaller presentations without the dink fish taking them, but that's the nature of it in some bodies of water. on the other hand, if you fish fast and efficiently you can "fish out" the small ones and then go for the big fish on the beds. a lot of anglers will do this when they want to catch that big female sitting on the bed...the male is actively protecting the fry, so you fish him out. what's left is a female that's not as experienced at protecting those fry and she will take just about anything you throw at her at that point since her male is no longer around for the job.

[Raul]

. I am fishing a 4 inch worm with a 1 hook.

A #1 hook is too small, you need at least a 2/0 hook.

[tonyla]

As for the 1/0 being too small.  I went to Cabela's and was helped by a very nice older man who picked them out for me after I showed him the senkos.  I looked at them and asked" Seem kinda small" and he replied "Nope thats what I fish all the time.  So live and learn I will replace with 3/0 .

The good news is it got me off my butt to join this forum rather then just lurking.

You guys are the greatest!!!!

[JShrock07]

One thing I would tell you is not to jump the gun and let the fish take it, if he is big enough he is usually take the bait and not give a "tap-tap".  

[dave]

I caught a 4# fish on a Senko once that took me three tries.  

Tap.  Set.  Nothing.

Tap.  Set.  Nothing.  (now getting frustrated)

Cast again.  Watch line.  Line twitches.  Set hook.  Catch fish.

By the time I felt the tap,  she had already blown it out.

[fretfishman]

I caught a 4# fish on a Senko once that took me three tries.

Tap. Set. Nothing.

Tap. Set. Nothing. (now getting frustrated)

Cast again. Watch line. Line twitches. Set hook. Catch fish.

By the time I felt the tap, she had already blown it out.

this is a good point and it really boils down to the bait you're fishing and such. i set my hook according to how long I think they'll hold onto it. if it's a senko, ika, gulp alive minnow, etc. - I have confidence I can wait and feel a couple taps. if I'm fishing anything else I will usually be a line watcher and won't reel to feel the weight of the fish, because I'm almost certain they'll spit it before I can. in which case I'd say definitely follow dave's method. also, keep in mind that dave may have had that experience with his senko, but the bass around here seem to hold onto them for some time. chalk it up to fishing pressure and awareness of the fish, I suppose.

[bassdocktor]

Last summer my fishing partener and I both discovered something. Sometimes that tap tap is actually the bass picking up and spitting out the worm. We were fishing a few clear lakes and were starting to notice that was happening. Usually we were fishing some type of senko.  

We actually watched and felt several times and there would be a tap (the pick up) almost immediately followed by second tap (spitting out the worm).

We actually discovered that 4/0 hooks with 5" senkos worked the best. extra weight of the larger hook seemed to add some extra wiggle on the fall. Some type of scent also seemed to help.