Was this a (swimbait) bite?

[deep]

Date: today, air temp: 60 F, water temp: around 50 F, 10 - 15 mph winds.

Swimbait noob here. Starting this year, I have been trying pretty hard to catch a soft swimbait fish, and put in about 25 hours fishing SBs at a local lake where they stock trout.

A little background info: I caught plenty of good fish last year, on non-swimbait lures, from this lake. I never caught a soft swimbait fish, ever; or felt like I have a bite. But I was told when I get a bite, I'd know it. Today, among other locations, I was fishing the outside of a spawning flat, where the best fish (6 lbs, good by my standards) came from last year. That was in late May, and a fat female.

Anyway, I was throwing a Mattlures soft bluegill, sort of bottom-bumping with jerks and erratic bursts; almost like I'd fish a Hudd, but not quite. Also, I was retrieving it about 1.5 times as fast as I retrieve a Hudd. I know what getting snagged feels like. Hell, I've lost 5 baits already to snags.  The supposed bite was a tap, a slight pause, and then a tap-tap-tap. I think it came while I was steady retrieving, with about 40 feet of line out. I reeled in as fast as I could, and did a side-sweep hookset, and the line (17 lb Sufix Siege) comes flying back at me without the lure. That's strange. This line is sickly strong btw. I have serious trouble breaking the line when I snag. I'm pretty sure there are no toothy critters in this lake, other than maybe turtles. The tag end of the line was also pretty badly nicked, but I'm sure it was fine before the cast. I'm also sure the line broke above the knot.

When the line broke, it felt like someone cut it with a pair of scissors, it was that abrupt. So what's going on here? And, was this a bass?

[Randall]

I would never have used that line for fishing the way you were. Soft mono nicks too easy on the bottom  and comes back on the hookset way too often without the bait. If I feel I need line that light it will be a good fluro because of the durability of the line. Most of the time I use 20-25 lb fluro for that style of fishing and it's very rare that I break off on the hookset swimbait fishing. If I use mono it will be 25lb test.

[deep]

I would never have used that line for fishing the way you were. Soft mono nicks too easy on the bottom and comes back on the hookset way too often without the bait. If I feel I need line that light it will be a good fluro because of the durability of the line. Most of the time I use 20-25 lb fluro for that style of fishing and it's very rare that I break off on the hookset swimbait fishing. If I use mono it will be 25lb test.

Randall, of course you are infinitely more knowledgeable than me (I know precisely "nothing" about SBs), and before the next SB trip, I'll be respooling with 20+ lb fluoro just to be safe; but I don't think it's the line that's at fault. I have dragged the bottom of this lake (very little cover to speak of), have set hook on numerous snags, and I almost never found a nick in the line, nor did the line ever break instantly on hooksets.

[Rangerphil]

Are you sure there are no toothy critters in there? Sounds like a musky to me!

[J Francho]

I use 25# CXX.  Same difference, as far as abrasion goes.

[Hamby]

Sounds like a toothy critter to me. That's exactly what often happens when an esox gets the whole lure and the line is on their teeth. Think about all those teeth. It's basically like hooking your line on a knife point and yanking...slices easily. 

[fishingkidPA]

i bet its a gar

[Missouribassman95]

i bet its a gar

I don't think there are many gar in virginia. Could be wrong though.

[fishingkidPA]

i bet its a gar

I don't think there are many gar in virginia. Could be wrong though.

there might not be, i didnt think there were any up here in PA but some guys illegally put them in muliple ponds/lakes, could be the same for you.

[Bassnajr]

Are you sure there are no toothy critters in there? Sounds like a musky to me!

....or Pike or big Chain Pickerel....both pretty active in colder water.

[deep]

Are you sure there are no toothy critters in there? Sounds like a musky to me!

....or Pike or big Chain Pickerel....both pretty active in colder water.

There's no way (for me) to know. Never seen or caught any of these in this lake, and I fished it pretty extensively last year.

[dhami013]

i bet its a gar

I don't think there are many gar in virginia. Could be wrong though.

there might not be, i didnt think there were any up here in PA but some guys illegally put them in muliple ponds/lakes, could be the same for you.

There are plenty of gar in Va, I see them all the time in the Chickohominy and in Westmoreland. A buddy of mine caught a 4 footer in the Rappahannock.

[hookingem]

i bet its a gar

I don't think there are many gar in virginia. Could be wrong though.

there might not be, i didnt think there were any up here in PA but some guys illegally put them in muliple ponds/lakes, could be the same for you.

There are plenty of gar in Va, I see them all the time in the Chickohominy and in Westmoreland. A buddy of mine caught a 4 footer in the Rappahannock.

Yeah there are a ton of gar in Va I've even heard of them in alot of VA ponds

[gobig]

IMO the line you were using is not heavy enough. 20lb is the lightest line I throw swimbaits on. You do not really have to worry about the fish being line shy. As far as the type of line I use mono or co-polymer. You can use florocarbon on soft baits but when you change up to a hard bait it fouls in the hooks to easy for my liking. I use CXX and Maxima.

What you described sounds like you got bit to me. In my experience most of the bites you get slow rolling an ultimate gill feel like a solid tick. Kinda like a violent jig bite. Set the hook right away, the big girls will spit a swimbait fast. If you swing and miss go right back to swimming the bait. Often times they will hit it again. You either had a nick in your line or a toothy fish got a hold of it from the sounds of it. Constantly check your line looking for nicks or abrasions when you fish swimbaits along the bottom. Also retie fairly often there is a lot of stress on that knot.

[WRB]

Matts U2 Gill is only about 4" and weight less than an 1 oz; your 17 lb mono should be OK. Are you fishing 6" Huddleston Delux or 8"; you are OK with 6" and 17 lb, the 8" use 25 lb mono and a heavy swimbait rod. I don't see any reason to use a big swimbait for northern LMB, they will eat a 6" or 7" faster than a 8"+ swimbait and easier to fish.

There is all kinds of bottom structure that can cut any type of line easily; sharp rocks, fences with wire, mussels or even a set line can feel like several ticks as the line skips over the objects.

A big fish usually creates a swirl in the water when you set the hook, unless fishing deep. Lots of cridders eat blue gills.

It sounds like you need a good lure retriever! Also go over the spot you broke off on and check what is down there. If you can't meter any rocks or other snags, then it was a something trying to eat your lure.

Bumps are very common with bass striking a swimbait; reel fast and sweep set just like you did.

Bass slamming a swimbait doesn't happen very often and you will know it when it does!

[Missouribassman95]

i bet its a gar

I don't think there are many gar in virginia. Could be wrong though.

there might not be, i didnt think there were any up here in PA but some guys illegally put them in muliple ponds/lakes, could be the same for you.

There are plenty of gar in Va, I see them all the time in the Chickohominy and in Westmoreland. A buddy of mine caught a 4 footer in the Rappahannock.

Yeah there are a ton of gar in Va I've even heard of them in alot of VA ponds

I guess I was wrong then lol.

[deep]

gobig and WRB,

I was confident in my 17 lb line until this happened. I'll switch up to 20 lb before next trip.

All my swimbaits weigh less than 2.5 oz. The hudds I have are all ROF 12 six inchers.

The lake this happened at is a put-and-take trout fishery, and shore fishing only.

The reason I have mono on it, and not fluoro is that I got only one SB setup, and I want to throw both hudds and lunker punkers on it. I know it's far from ideal, but I have to make do with what I got.

[Nibbles]

I doubt it's a gar. I've caught plenty of gar and have yet to see them damage my line like a pike can.

[WRB]

gobig and WRB,

I was confident in my 17 lb line until this happened. I'll switch up to 20 lb before next trip.

All my swimbaits weigh less than 2.5 oz. The hudds I have are all ROF 12 six inchers.

The lake this happened at is a put-and-take trout fishery, and shore fishing only.

The reason I have mono on it, and not fluoro is that I got only one SB setup, and I want to throw both hudds and lunker punkers on it. I know it's far from ideal, but I have to make do with what I got.

The best line is the one you have confidence in.

Tom

[.dsaavedra.]

sounds 100% like a pickerel to me.