how to tell when its a bass strike or weeds

[Luke at Gouldsboro]

Hey Everyone, I just started bass fishing and I have a question. I usually use lipless crankbaits or jointed minnows, and the whole lake has tons of weeds growing from the bottom. I'm having a hard time telling the difference between a fish strike, and a quick weed snag. If anyone has any hints or tips, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks

[bigtimfish]

the way i tell is, if it pulls back its a fish.

[Big Country]

In my experience with crankbaits of any kind I've found that when a fish strikes at it there's not a whole lot the fisherman has to do, as long as the hooks are sharp. 9 times out of 10 the fish I catch on crankbaits usually end up hooking themselves, and it's not unusual for me to accidentally foul hook fish either. My last trip out I had white bass wanting to bump my Rapala Glass Rap, but when they did they ended up getting a nice, sharp barbed treble hook in the side. I caught 3 fish in this manner, and not b/c I wanted to. My advice...try to find that fine line where your crankbaits run just over the top of those weeds and wait for those monster bass to come up out of them and hammer you lure!!!  8-)

[roadwarrior]

the way i tell is, if it pulls back its a fish

Well...it's really that simple. Setting the hook is kinda fun,

but unnecessary. The key is maintaining pressure, a tight

line. Never let the fish stage, it should be pulling drag or

coming your way.

8-)

[fishfordollars]

Any change in the feel of a lure could be a bite. If you are fishing the tops of grass with a trap you will feel it as it contacts the grass. You need a rod with enough backbone to free it by ripping it from the weeds and this usually will cause a trailing fish to load up on the lure. I have caught plenty of fish that hooked up that I thought was grass. Just depends on the mood of the fish and how they attack the lure that day.

Good luck,

Jack

[Catt]

When in doubtSet Hook

[Chris]

When in doubt set the hook if it fights back 10 to one its a fish.

[Big Mike in Fl]

well, my best advice is that when you feel that bump that could be either, rip your bait as quick as possible, if it is a fish, it will set the hook well,if it is grass, you'll most likely pull through it clean, and it may cause a reaction strike from any fish sitting close by, this is a tried and true technique by many many bass fisherman out there.

[Branuss04]

When in doubtSet Hook

Hooksets are free  

The more experience you get, the better you can tell if it's a fish or not.

I learned this last year when throwing a 8" hudd for the first time.  When your dragging a 5oz bait on the bottom of a rocky lake, every little stone feels like a bite.  Being new to this bait, I could hardly tell if it was a fish or not... So I started setting the hook on just about anything.  I ended up with 35.1#'s for 5 fish.  a 9.1, 7, two 6's and a bunch of 3-5 #'s.  

You'll learn pretty quick with lots of practice.  Good luck

[bigfish88]

as roadwarrior said above, with cranks and a nice pair of treble hooks you dont really need to set ur hook. so just dont let any slack in your line and if u thinks its grass or fish just reel a little faster and ull find out if bass or fish without taking ur crankbait out of the strike zone by setting the hook.

good luck!

[JiggaMan512]

When in doubtSet Hook

x2

[Catt]

Do I set hook on weeds, stumps, brush, limbs, or an occasional Bream you better believe it!

But I set hook many times and it was a bass when I thought it was grass!

Set hook with the same enthusiasm every timeno wimpy hook sets in my boat

[grove83]

I started fishing lipless cranks here recently and I was having the same problems.  Like the others said in the forum.  Hook sets are free, so....SET THE HOOK.  I do anytime my bait feels like it is running different, or I "hit" stumps, logs, weeds, etc.... you get the point I'm sure.  Good luck and tight lines.    

[CWB]

Any change in the feel of a lure could be a bite. If you are fishing the tops of grass with a trap you will feel it as it contacts the grass. You need a rod with enough backbone to free it by ripping it from the weeds and this usually will cause a trailing fish to load up on the lure. I have caught plenty of fish that hooked up that I thought was grass. Just depends on the mood of the fish and how they attack the lure that day.

Good luck,

Jack

X2

When in doubt, rip it!. If it's a weed, alot of times this will cause a following fish to hit. If it's a fish, he's on.

[Sam]

Who knows?

Set the hook and see what happens.  

[DINK WHISPERER]

The hardest of bites to feel is a worm/jig bite to me. You will either see your line leaving one way or another, feel the tap tap or the "mushy feeling". It has been my experience that the fish will react to the lure moving by trying to flee the area. For example, you pitch/cast your worm out, let it settle then lift the rod up and feel resistance. You are unsure if its a fish or a snag, well what i do is pull slightly and if it's a fish 9 times out of 10 the line will start moving away.

[Catt]

When in DoubtDrop the RodReel the SlackSet the Hook!

It's that simple Y'all

[JuniorFisherJJ08]

When in doubt set the hook if it fights back 10 to one its a fish.

eithet that or a ticked off swimmer/diver.. lol ;D

[JuniorFisherJJ08]

Well if ur fishing a crank, 99% of the time there will be no doubt its a fish. if ur getting a slight tap your either catching weeds, reeling to fast, or its a small fish.

[CRFisher]

Set the hook regardless, many times it will shake off the weeds.

[dale]

Every year I force myself to sit in one spot with scattered grass. Then I'll throw a crank bait to locate the weed clumps. (you will know when it comes back after hitting grass). Anyway after I locate the weed clumps I'll take out one of each type of baits and fish around till I get the feel for each bait. This might sound boring but a day of getting the feel down can and will increase your catch rate.

Hope this helps let me know how you make out!

[backpain...]

Set the hook regardless, many times it will shake off the weeds.

Or trigger a strike if it wasn't one in the first place

[NBR]

I'm with Catt and others. Set the hook it might be a fish or the yanking the lure loose might trigger a reaction strike. This topic reminds me of fishing with a good friend who was a good fisherman in an area with scattered cabbage. I asked him if he had a fish on when he answer, "No just some weeds". Just then I answered him, "Your weed just jumped out of the water dragging a bass".

We laughed for years at his expense over that issue.

[Catt]

NBR, that's funny right there

Seriously though this is without a doubt the biggest problem with most anglers who are less than productive or should I say not as productive as they could be.

I'm teaching my youngest of four sons to fish a Texas rig, when he isn't 100% sure what he feels is a bite he does this wimpy hook set. I scream at him, dude you're 6' 280 lbs set the dang hook like you want to break some thing. Have I set hook on stumps, logs, branches, twigs, grass, you better believe that but I've also set hook on 8,10, and 12 lb bass that I thought were hang-ups.

Traps aint the only lure that is productive when using this technique of ripping around vegetation. When fishing matted vegetation with Texas rigs or Jigs I cast/pitch to the sparse outer edge, sake my lure in place, then try to hop it; if it hops fine if not I'll hold my high at the 11 o'clock position and rock it back and forth until it moves. I do this all the way until my lure completely clear all vegetation then reel up and do it again.

[HAMMER23]

NBR, that's funny right there Seriously though this is without a doubt the biggest problem with most anglers who are less than productive or should I say not as productive as they could be. I'm teaching my youngest of four sons to fish a Texas rig, when he isn't 100% sure what he feels is a bite he does this wimpy hook set. I scream at him, dude you're 6' 280 lbs set the dang hook like you want to break some thing. Have I set hook on stumps, logs, branches, twigs, grass, you better believe that but I've also set hook on 8,10, and 12 lb bass that I thought were hang-ups. Traps aint the only lure that is productive when using this technique of ripping around vegetation. When fishing matted vegetation with Texas rigs or Jigs I cast/pitch to the sparse outer edge, sake my lure in place, then try to hop it; if it hops fine if not I'll hold my high at the 11 o'clock position and rock it back and forth until it moves. I do this all the way until my lure completely clear all vegetation then reel up and do it again.

The perfect answer " set the hook like you are trying to break something"