Detecting Line Twitches

[NCthompson]

When you look for twitches in your line where exactly am I looking? The line in the water, the air, or lined through my rod?

[razyrsharpe]

can be any or all of the above.  i generally focus on the line between the water and my rod tip.  i feel the tap, then i look for the line to "change direction".  if it begins to move in a manner that suggests free will, set the hook!

[Catt]

Look at the line that lays on top of the water  

[NCthompson]

what do you do when its windy out?the line moves in the air and the current will take the bait sometimes

[Catt]

Feel for the bite   Unless it's near dead still it doesn't do much good to watch your line

razyrsharpe says I feel the tap, and then I look for the line to "change direction".  If it begins to move in a manner that suggests free will, set the hook

Dude I've already set hook on this fish  

[Guest avid]

Your asking very good questions.

My advice is to look where the line is easiest to see.  Let me explain.  The whole line is going to move.  So you want to look at it where it is most visible.  Generally for me that is just before it enters the water.

In the beginning you may mistake a little wind gust for a strike.  So what?  you set the hook and nothings there.  Trust me, it won't be the last time.

But as you gain experience you will be able to detect "natural" movement from "unnatural" movement.

Even the silightest unnatural movement should send alarm bells ringing.  To continue with your wind example if there is a breeze blowing from east to west and your line moves a quarter inch to the North.

set the hook.

good luck and have fun.

avid

[RoLo]

I watch the line at one place only, exactly where it disappears underwater (last visible vestige).

At that point, the line is farthest from the wind and closest to the fish.

As it happens, I feel the strike ten times as often as I see it.

Roger

[Gorgebassman]

In the beginning you may mistake a little wind gust for a strike. So what? you set the hook and nothings there. Trust me, it won't be the last time.

avid

Like a old time tournament fisherman told me once "JERKS ARE FREE" I too watch the line where it enters the water but I often time feel it before I see it.

[NCthompson]

do you set the hook right when you see the twitch? or would you wait on it? this is proboaly my biggest problem.

[Guest ncbass24]

do you set the hook right when you see the twitch? or would you wait on it? this is proboaly my biggest problem.

I wait 2-3 seconds then tighten the line and see if I feel the fish. If I feel him, then I set the hook.

[RoLo]

do you set the hook right when you see the twitch? or would you wait on it? this is proboaly my biggest problem.

There's really nothing to wait for.

Bass do not have hands, so they flare open their gills to create a mini low-pressure system

that sucks the lure into their mouth. That's the "bink" sensation that we feel.

As Bill Dance once said, the second "bink" we feel is the bass spitting out the lure ;D

Roger

[David P]

Just go for feel. If you are trying to watch line, wind, dark, and many things can throw it off, learning to feel the fish on is a bit tough at times, but is more versatile. Don't get me wrong, I watch my line, but I feel the taps many times where I don't see my line move, therefore, I only watch my line because there's nothing else to look at  ;D

Feel for taps, feel for the line being tight when you go to move your lure a bit, if you feel some resistance, set the hook, soon enough you'll be able to tell weeds from fish.

[.ghoti.]

I think you have to both watch the line and aquire a good feel for what your bait is doing.

I watch the line right where it enters the water when using a tight line technique and watch the line laying on top of the water when slack lining.

Cheers,

GK

[grimlin]

I like to palm my baitcaster with my pointing finger lightly touching the line as i reel in any slack...I can feel any twitches i come across.Usually if a fish takes your lure,your line will be swimming faster or be doing something odd,rather than just drifting in current or wind.

[Sam]

Avid and the other guys nailed it for you.

As for when to set the hook?

When that line moves and your heart rate doubles and your eyes go bug-eyed and your muscles tighten just take it easy and wait 2 to 3 seconds and set the hook very hard.

Then reel in any slack as fast as possible and the fun begins trying to land the fish.

After I landed a 6 pounder I had to sit down and take deep breaths and try to clam down.  It was heart attack time but man, was it fun or what?????

[Bassn Blvd]

Feel for the bite   Unless it's near dead still it doesn't do much good to watch your line

razyrsharpe says I feel the tap, and then I look for the line to "change direction".  If it begins to move in a manner that suggests free will, set the hook

Dude I've already set hook on this fish  

Catt is obviously a worm fisherman.  Learn to rely on feel, not line movement.  Once your brain comprehends the line is moving and you reel the slack in, chances are the fish is either gut hooked or will spit the bait.  I rely soly on feel. Even if the worm is on bottom and i have a little slack in the line, I can still FEEL the bump.  This is where a good sensitive rod and line come into play.

[FishingBuds]

I like to palm my baitcaster with my pointing finger lightly touching the line as i reel in any slack...I can feel any twitches i come across.Usually if a fish takes your lure,your line will be swimming faster or be doing something odd,rather than just drifting in current or wind.

Yep, greatly improved my hook sets, Highly recommend it. its the starting point for me

[Catt]

Not only do I fish worms but I fish worms at night; years of having limited or no visibility has heightened my awareness of what is taking place below the surface. On days/nights when there is little to no wind I can feel the thump of a ¼ oz weight when it hits bottom; this is what night fishing teaches you and why I feel no need to stare at my line.

Since I've fished Texas Rigs for close to 40 yrs I was taught the ole school technique Rolo mentioned in the thread about feel bites on the fall and it is worth repeating.

"Semi-slack" line has become a household expression among fishermen, and as Avid suggested, even if the line is lying in loose coils on the water, it won't matter if you're watching the far end of visible line on the surface. Maintaining a slack line removes all line-drag and gives the lure the most seductive descent. In spite of that fact, I confess that I prefer to feel the bass strike, so I fish accordingly. Rather than use a semi-slack line, I normally fish more of a "near-tight" line, a subtle but importance difference.

Try This:

Tie on a heavy weight (say 1oz), step outside in your backyard, cast the weight onto your lawn, then slowly crank out all line-slack until the line is as straight as possible. Now drop the rod only slightly so the tip-top guide moves just 1-inch toward the weight. You will notice that one-inch of slack line has put about 8 to 10" of belly in the line, as measured from the original taut line to the bottom of the droop. It's not easy to do and takes a little practice, but as the lure is falling, if you stay just behind a tight line by limiting the line-sag to 10 inches, you will "feel" the vast majority of strikes whether it's windy or calm.

Roger

[lovecranking]

NCthompson, I have always liked to cast cranks & I'd like to think I'm pretty good with them. But starting last year & continuing into this year, I have committed 80% of my time on the water forcing myself to learn how to fish plastics. I love cranks but plastics is so much more fun and also alot more frustrating. I'm now at the point of being comfortable with everything except properly setting the hook. I fish almost 80% of the time during the night so I'm just trying to feel for when I should set the hook. I'm to the point where I can feel when the fish has the bait...I "attempt" to set the hook and it works. I would say I'm successful in setting the hook maybe 30% of the time. I've been throwing fat ikas lately and it really is frustrating when I set the hook, miss & get the ika back to the boat just to see it hanging at the bottom of the hook. I understand what Catt, Avid, Brokejew & the others are saying and I think it's great advice. So take what they are telling you & just keep at it. I figure one of these times on the water it will all just fall together. Keep at it!

[Tbender]

If the wind doesn't allow you to detect line twitch, set the hook on anything that feels/looks different, especially when punching the moss/grass with jigs or worms.

[Catt]

I totally do not understand this need of waiting to set hook; what on earth are y'all waiting for?  

As it has been said on many an occasion bass do not have hands so if at any time you feel a noticeable tap, tug, line tighten, heaviness, or see line movement without hesitation drop the rod, reel the slack, and set the hook.

[grimlin]

I totally do not understand this need of waiting to set hook; what on earth are y'all waiting for?  

As it has been said on many an occasion bass do not have hands so if at any time you feel a noticeable tap, tug, line tighten, heaviness, or see line movement without hesitation drop the rod, reel the slack, and set the hook.

I thought i was the only one who doesn't wait for hook sets...lol.

Now topwater lures,that's a different story.