Cant feel hits and dont know what to do!

[ffmedic147]

I have been using the shacky head lately and i havent been feeling the fish hit it. The only way i know they took it is i see my line start to move to the side. By this time its to late they have swallowed my hook. I am using a spinning setup with 10 pound trilene xl and a medium action 5'6" rod. I caught a five pounder and a 4 pounder today and didnt feel either of them just saw my line moving to the side. What can i do?

[Jeff H]

Here is what you can do....be happy it's your worm they are grabbing ;D  

Sometimes they just hit light like that and the best thing you can be doing is watching your line.  Sounds to me like you are doing ok.  Some of the bigges fish I've caught have hit really light like that.  I won a club tournament once with 2-4's and 2-3's and I never felt any of them hit at all and they were coming from 18 ft of water.  I just found them on there when I was checking the weight of my jig.  Just a really light bite and who knows how many others I missed that day???  Thats just how it goes sometimes.  Watch your line and keep a feel for your lure and it's about all you can do.

[jdw174]

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger.....it happens to everyone   Last week, I pitched a Senko next to a log.  The line never moved.  Lifted the rod tip....still nothing.  Lifted again, felt like I'd snagged a branch.  Started reeling...still felt like I was draggin in a limb.  Started reeling harder....rod slowly bent.  Set the hook on a screamin' 3-pounder   Never had so much as a "tap" out of that fish.

If you want to see a really wild example of this, find a copy of Glen Lau's "Bigmouth" tape.  There's an underwater shot of a LM coming up to a crankbait, opening it's mouth and sucking in the entire bait, actually CLOSING it's mouth on the entire lure, then spitting it back out.  The angler kept on cranking and never even knew the fish was there.  Elapsed time for that shot was actually less than one second

[moloch16]

That's the way it's done!  Watch your line, when it moves to the side reel up the slack and set the hook!  You want slack in the line so that your worm drops with a natural grace.  Not too much though, just enough.

[-badhabit-]

I have been using the shacky head lately and i havent been feeling the fish hit it. The only way i know they took it is i see my line start to move to the side. By this time its to late they have swallowed my hook. I am using a spinning setup with 10 pound trilene xl and a medium action 5'6" rod. I caught a five pounder and a 4 pounder today and didnt feel either of them just saw my line moving to the side. What can i do?

I agree with about everything that what was said in the posts above.

Fish don't get as aggressive when feeding in deeper water normally because more space = less competition for the food. So they will just pick it up and go on their search for more.

If you like Trilene line you may want to switch to XT because it doesn't stretch a lot like XL and that makes it more sensitive. But if you really want to feel anything that touches your line you may look into some fluorocarbon line and a rod upgrade (I would start with the line first to see if that helps).

It sounds like you are doing real well in bait selection and locating the fish!

[Jig Man]

Sometimes it doesn't matter what equipment you are using, you just can't feel the bites.  Last fall I upgraded my tube rod to a Gloomis IMX.  This spring I added braid with fluro leader.  I have been catching quite a few smallmouth in 8-12 fow and even with that setup, over half of them are getting on the bait without me knowing it.

[Guest avid]

Sometimes it doesn't matter what equipment you are using, you just can't feel the bites. Last fall I upgraded my tube rod to a Gloomis IMX. This spring I added braid with fluro leader. I have been catching quite a few smallmouth in 8-12 fow and even with that setup, over half of them are getting on the bait without me knowing it.

I agree with this statement, BUTTTTTTTTT.......

a highly sensative rod with braided line will transmit the slightest vibration or difference in feel, the rest is up to you.

for dropshotting and shakey head I like a fast but soft tip on a highly sensative rod.

I use a Loomis BSR 852 GLX with braid and leader.  I like that xtra fast light tip.  I can keep a pretty taut line, yet when the bass picks up the bait, the rod tip "gives" and they rarely detect it.

Line watching is an excellent way to detect strikes but you need to concentrate.  ANY slight twitch or unnatural movement means "fish on" .  Reel out the slack and set the hook.  with practice you should be able to detect "line watched' strikes before the fish is actually moveing away with the worm.

I have never caught a 4 or 5 lb bass on a drop shot or shakey head, so maybe YOU should be telling us about your technique.

Seriously.  I for one am very interested.  

[grimlin]

That's how it works alot of times,but i knotice you are using trilene xl and that line has some considerable stretch in it.I was using that line as well and wasn't detecting bite like i would have liked to as well.I've been told to try the XT instead...a little less stretch in it and will probably help you and me detect those bites a little better.I had one where my line started swimming toward me! Shocked me so bad i tried to reel in the slack to set the hook but the fish beat me and spit the hook before i had the chance to set it.It was like that fish knew exactly what to do.

[ffmedic147]

I am going to try a line change but surely not vanjsh. That stuff just dont work on spinning tackle. Not going through that headache agian.

[ffmedic147]

I have never caught a 4 or 5 lb bass on a drop shot or shakey head, so maybe YOU should be telling us about your technique.

Seriously. I for one am very interested.

The lake I am fishing is the same lake i spoke of in one of my first topics I started named Fishing Rock Cliffs. This lake has drop offs along all the shoreline not neccessarily all rock cliffs but drop offs none the least. It has some fishing pressure such as the two tournaments this weekend. I have been working on figuring the fish out and finally have gotten were i can catch 3 - 5 pound fish. What i am doing is pitching the shakey head rig and by just slightly moving my rod tip just enough to keep the head on the bottom and inching it not hopping it down the bank. What i am throwing is a green pumpkin trick worm. What i am due to try is a floating trick worm. This would keep the tail straight up and a little more action. I have never done much with the drop shot  maybe you can help me with that.