Some help in detecting subtle bites

[Siebert Outdoors]

I learned this not to long ago and may help some out in detecting those subtle bites. The fishing technique is verticle bottom bouncing a jig.  If you learn this technique I garantee you will feel more bites and land more fish.  How you ask,  this technique teaches you how to stay in contact with your bait and feel your surroundings.  If you are not familiar with Bottom bouncing it is done with a tight line and a jig heavy enough to keep the line tight on the fall.  I prefer 3/4 oz jig, good quality rod and flourocarbon line.  The trick is to keep the line as straight as possible with out letting it bend.  If you let the line bend you will never know if you have a bite in 25+ ft of water.   Drop the jig all the way to the bottom and tighten up the slack.  Then pop the jig off the bottom of the river/lake about 6"-1ft and feel the fall all the way back to the bottom.  The bit you get is usually very subtle but can be felt.  Try it and see if it helps you in feeling the bait your fishing and increases your catch ratio.

[Ben]

Not too sure I totally agree with the tight line on the fall, that kills the action of the lure, jig, tube or spoon.   I think you will get more bites if you let the rod follow the bait but not hold tension on the bait.   The trick to this is knowing where the bottom is and if the lure stops before it gets back to the bottom, which is easily seen by watching the line and if more slack comes in it, something has it so set the hook.   Even a jig dances around on the fall, unless you're fishing one the size of an anchor, and I just prefer not to kill the action on any lures fall.   My method takes a little more practice learning to watch your line and to time your rod tip with the lure fall, but once you get it syncronized and your rythm going, it catches bunches of fish.  Tubes and spoons a deadly doing this when done properly.  You don't want to feel the bait, but you don't want slack in the line until it hits bottom.  

I will agree, bottom bouncing is a great way to catch fish.  I use this method about 50% of the time during the winter and hot summer but use spoons and tubes more than jigs.  There is also no guarentees on what you're gonna pull up.  I've caught just about every kind of fish there is in Clarks Hill on 1/4 oz jigging spoons.  Makes you wonder when you pull up a bream smaller than your hand in 30 feet of water.  You may catch a bream, a couple of bounces later a stripper or hybrid, then a bass or a cat, crappie or a white pearch.   All within a few minutes of each other.

[CJ]

I really think there is alot of gray area here.

For one I notice G-Loomisman said "verticle"bottom bouncing.Does this mean you are fishing straight down?If so a tight line would still give you a verticle fall,wouldn't it?

I fish jigs on the bottom a whole bunch.Whether I'm dragging or popping it up 1-6 ft.When I am popping it up,most of the time I let my line slack enough,but only enough to give it a verticle fall.I see anglers let their line slack way to much to be able to detect a bite or catch up the slack in time to set the hook.

Sometimes,especially with smallmouth who are notorious for spitting the jig out quickly,I stay even tighter on the slack.In other words I follow the jig back to the bottom closely.

So in other words I thimk you are both right,but different condition call for change in technique. CJ

[Ben]

The technique we are both refering to is strickly vertical fishing.  The only difference is the contolled fall of the bait.  He prefers to feel the bait which eleminates the natural movement you get when the bait is allowed to free fall.  Granted jigs (which is what he was refering to) don't dance as much as spoons or tubes, but I just prefer to let if fall naturally also.  My method is basically the same as his but I prefer not to feel the bait.  There is a very fine line between his method and mine.  While I'm not feeling the bait, I'm also not fishing with slack in the line.  Like I said, it requires constant observation of the line and precise timing of the rod drop, because when slack does show, you immediately set the hook, most of the time never feeling the bite.  This is not a technique you will master in just a few trips, I've been doing this Kennedy was president.  It don't take that long to learn but it will take many hours of practice to get it down pat.  Each time you change types or weight of lures, your rythm changes but after you've got it down, it only takes few jerks and fall's to get the timing for the new bait.

[CJ]

Well I gotta admit I wasn't alive when Kennedy was president,but it has not took me that long to detect bites on a slacked line.Yeah,I know you gotta give your line close observation.I don't fish vertically much.But the technique works both ways.