sensitive hands a gift or a learned thing?

[aceman387]

i had a question on hand  sensitivity and was wondering is this something one is born with or is it picked up or learned  i mean does one get better at feeling the fish with time being put in on the water or basically you got sensitive hands or not. case in point right know i have a st croix legend elite 7 ft medium action with power pro braided line and i don't really notice any super sensitivity  for the price, is this because i haven't fished a long time ( 2 yrs) i have had this rod for a couple months my first high end rod or  its because I'm not blessed with sensitive hands .  

[aarogb]

    It's a learned thing.

     

[Dalton Tam]

IMO, it's a learned thing that takes time to master and get better at... on the other hand I do think that some people are born with better talents than others, not to say someone that was not born with the talent cant become as good as them with plenty of practice.  Some people are born with the ability to sing, but anyone can become better at singing with the more practice that they have.

[bigtimfish]

I do not know how you are fishing with that rod. But if you are jig fishing, this is how I usually feel the subtle bite. SIMPLE,I put my index finger or finger and thumb on the line before the level wind on the reel. Basically the hand I am going to use to reel with is the one I am going to use for this. Other than jig type bites sensitivity has never been an issue.

[BadKarma42]

A little from column A and a littel from column B.

[crw]

A little from column A and a littel from column B.

X2  It can be learned, but you will never catch up with the person that has it naturally and then work at it.

[jimmieO]

Just like those other guys said....

Some people are lucky enough to be uber-talented and/or gifted to have sensitive hands.....but you can improve your sensitivity greatly with some work and some serious focus.

Just like in baseball though...some people are natural hitters. They don't have to work nearly as hard to be a 300 hitter. Some people are not naturally gifted and have to work twice as hard to hit 250.

[DINK WHISPERER]

A mixture of experience and good equipment IMO

[SammyLee]

Do you have average sensitivity otherwise?  Can you feel small, soft and subtle things?  I think if you do have average sensitivity you can learn what a fish feels like on the rod and line you are using.  I also have a St. Croix rod and it feels much, much better to me than low end rods.  I think without the hours on the water it would not.

Having said that, it took me some time to learn to focus on those subtle taps and vibrations that occur when a bass picks up a worm.  Sometimes I don't and just see the line sliding to the side, then BANG, hookset.  

Did I say focus?  Yeah, that's a big part for me.  When I fish, I'm not eating, scratching or fooling around.  My tag line says "Fish for fun" and I do but I am FOCUSED on fishing.  That makes it more fun for me.  I can be so focused that time looses its meter.  What? It's two hours later than I thought?  When you're that tuned, one tap, two vibrations can trigger a million neurons.  

Your mind "Sees" what is happening down there, or at least well enough.  When to set the hook?  Deliberate practice will give you the intuition to know.  This time, too early.  The other time, too late.  It teaches you.  Some say instinct, I say learned behaviour. (IMHO a great rod will have you setting too soon at first, at least it did for me)

Catch and release a hundred bass (maybe you already have) with that new rod and I'll bet you'll sing a different song.  Maybe not, maybe I'm full of baloney. I am the least of the masters here.

[roadwarrior]

A little from column A and a littel from column B.

Ain't that the truth?

;D

[Muddy]

Man I knew a Masseuse with the most sensitive hands. She got closed down, something about rubbing a cop the wrong way

[Catt]

A little from column A and a littel from column B.

Along with a little from column Cyour brain & interpreting what your feeling

I find in most of my students feeling a worm/jig bite is more of a phobia or mental block, having heard how hard it is to feel a worm/jig bite their brain immediately locks up.

When I have a student that is struggling with feeling the bite with either lure I take them out night fishing in the total darkness of a new moon. Limited or no visibility will heighten your sense of feel and believe me you will feel what is taking place below like never before.

It will almost be scary how magnified even the subtlest bite will feel!  

[steezy]

Its like anything else, your skill level will improve with more experience. The use of a high quality rod should help but nothing is guaranteed in fishing.

I can feel a subtle bite with both a cheap and expensive rod but with the high end rod I can feel when the fish just touches the bait which sometimes leads to a premature hookset attempt and I miss the fish. I often have to force myself to wait a sec before I hook the fish.

I have also found that the way I hold the rod matters, if I put a death grip on it the sensitivity decreases vs a more relaxed grip. I palm my reel kind of high and sometimes place a finger on the portion of the rod just above the top part of the grip.

[Fishing Rhino]

Sensitivity.  Since it involves the nerves it is something we are born with in varying degrees.

Can you develop the trait?  Good question.

What you can develop is your concentration.  Shut out distractions.  There may be habits that inhibit "feel" or sensitivity.  Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco come to mind.  Preoccupation (distraction) is another.

So, make the most of what sensitivity you have by eliminating those things which can inhibit it.

Now, we come to another facet involving sensitivity.  Interpreting what you are feeling.  Is it a fish, as stone, vegetation, etc.

Interpretation comes only with experience, providing you pay attention to what you are feeling at the end of the line.

Sensitivity, without the ability to interpret or comprehend just what you are feeling, is like a hammer w/o a nail, or vice versa.

You need both to get the job done properly.

[SammyLee]

After I made my supper time reply, I put on my rain gear and hit the lake at about 7:30.  Hard drizzle to pouring down and getting dark.  I got five, two of them pretty nice for me.

After the first hour, it was so dark I could not see the line or the lure (5" plastic worm) when it landed on the water.  All feel at that point.  I am almost sure that I missed the biggest one because after a little rod tip lift, I thought I was stuck in brush so I just focused on getting it out.  There was not really a tap or vibration until the last second when the worm cleared the "obstacle" which then pulled and shook.  The hookset (way too late) was nothing, he had already spit it out or I simply pulled it out of his mouth.

I used to argue that hooksets were not free because I have set the hook into a log and lost gear.  Man, I wish I set it on that fellow.  Worm, bullet weight, hook, two dollars.  A trophy bass?  Priceless.

Clearly,  Mr. Smarty Pants (me) needs more deliberate practice.  BTW, Mike (Ike) had his 10k hours by the time he was out of high school, from what I gather from his book. "Fishing on the Edge".  He says he had to practice more and work harder than his more talented competitors.

[D4u2s0t]

I think it can absolutely be learned and developed, just as anything can, with practice and time on the water.  One of the things that took me a while to learn was did I have a bite, or was it just a weed or a rock.  With enough time on the water, you'll be able to tell the difference.  Also, don't squeeze the crap out of your pole.  You want to be calm and relaxed, but at the same time focused.  If you're just fishing the bottom, you can also lightly put a finger over your line to get a better feel.  How do you know it's a fish?  a rock doesn't pull back.  and watch the line.  "Feeling" a fish is much more than just feeling your rod pull.  Watch what the line does, move the pole slightly, and if there's any doubt set the hook!

[Daniel My Brother]

Man I knew a Masseuse with the most sensitive hands. She got closed down, something about rubbing a cop the wrong way

Hmmm...I thought this story would have a happy ending.

[EastMarkME]

A little from column A and a littel from column B.

Ain't that the truth?

;D

Id like the opinion of the seasoned guys if a finger on the line is needed or recommended or a good sensitive rod is all you need...or if both is neccesary while worm/jig fishing ?

RoadWarrior ? Catt ? Others ?

Thanks Mark

[roadwarrior]

Not me, never for any technique or species.

8-)

[D4u2s0t]

While I wouldn't consider myself "seasoned" from my experience it was a good learning tool to use a finger on the line just to get a feel for everything.  Once you know when you hit a weed, or hit a rock, or get a bite, and take note of what happens, as long as you're not using a telephone pole for a stick you should be able to tell what's what after a while.  Only time I ever still touch the line is if i'm letting something sit on the bottom.

[slider head]

I will agree with both column A and B

Also, IMO......sight is very important. Watch your line! I guess I am a finesse guy. Lite line, soft plastics and as little weight as I can get by with. Most of the time I am setting the hook with the slightest line tick on the fall!

I am very interested in everyones opinion on this finger on the line thing. Every since I was little I have done it this way. I have tried hard the last couple years to break this habit but still every once in awhile catch myself doing it again.

[D4u2s0t]

I will agree with both column A and B

Also, IMO......sight is very important. Watch your line! I guess I am a finesse guy. Lite line, soft plastics and as little weight as I can get by with. Most of the time I am setting the hook with the slightest line tick on the fall!

I am very interested in everyones opinion on this finger on the line thing. Every since I was little I have done it this way. I have tried hard the last couple years to break this habit but still every once in awhile catch myself doing it again.

I don't think it's a bad habit.  If you find it easier that way, keep doing it!

[Brine]

I've learned the hard way that while braid is ultra sensative, it is useless for detecting a stike if there is any slack in your line. If you are in the habit (as I was) of moving your bait by raising your rod tip and lowering the bait on a slack line with braid, you won't feel many of the bites. Once I switched back to mono or even flouro, I felt I was able to let the bait drop more naturally while keeping contact with the bait. That drop is 90% of when I get bit and using braid took feeling those bites away from me. I wouldn't be suprised if someone contradicts this, but that's how it works for me.    

[WRB]

Like a skilled safe cracker learns to feel the lock tumblers move by sanding his finger tips; it;s a combination of skills.

Some of the best worm fishermen sand thier index finger tips for better line feel when bass are neutral and softly picking up the worm.

Active bass tend to be more aggressive, then it's more line watching then line feeling.

Today's bass fisherman would be amazed to learn the highest priced, high modulus, light weight rod doesn't transmit line vibrations any better than the rods 40 years ago. Do you wonder how we ever caught bass with those old fiberglass rods? We felt and watched the line for movements in the same manner back then as we do today. The modern rods are fabulous technology and light weight, buts it's the line that is connected to the lure that we feel move.

Line doesn't transmit vibrations well underwater, unless it has some tension applied to it. The line runs through very low friction rod guides that further reduce line drag.

We can feel changes in line tension and line movement much better then the older rods and even better with tomorrow's technology.

Sensitive hands are a gift that good surgeons have, all fishermen need is sensitive finger tips without a numb skull.

WRB

[Catt]

I do not have a finger in contact with my line but I think it's a good thing to learn and no I aint gonna learn it.

My worm set up

Shimano Crucial CRC-X610MH

Length: 6' 10

Line: 10-20 lb

Lure: 3/8-3/4

Power: Medium Heavy

Action: Extra Fast

Shimano Calcutta CT100A Gear Ratio: 5:8.1 Weight: 8.8 oz Bearings: 2+1

Berkley Big Game 15# Mean Green

¼ oz Bullet Weight Black with a Mustad 3/0 Straight Shank Denny Brauer Flipping Hook

My jig setup

Daiwa TD-V701MHRB Team Daiwa-V

Length: 7' 0

Line: 10-20 lb

Lure Weight: ¼-1 oz

Power: Medium Heavy

Action: Extra Fast

Shimano Calcutta CT100A Gear Ratio: 5:8.1 Weight: 8.8 oz Bearings: 2+1

Power Pro Spectra Braided Line Moss Green 65#

Oldham's Lures Trailer Hitch Jig, 3/8 oz Black/Blue, Gene Larew Salty Hawg Craws in 6 with 2 ½ cut off the tail