Getting Bit But That's All I Been Getting

[LWD]

Hey y'all,

I swear my past three fishing trips has been all bites and no hook ups. Before it was tap tap bam! There would be a fish on but it hasn't been happening like that recently. I wonder if it's just the attitude of the fish or the hook up luck. Thanks and good fishing to you.

LWD

[Avid Angler FL]

Hey, sorry to hear about your bad luck. The good news is, you're getting bit! This is automatically a good thing because it means you're where the fish are! Try downsizing your baits, or switch up the presentations. Not sure where you're located, but if the water has been experiencing a lot of extended heat, they may be a bit more sluggish and they may just be short striking it. Try adding trailer hooks to spinnerbaits, and make sure you're giving the fish a second or two between the strike and the hookset. Hope this helps!

[Bluebasser86]

What type of baits/rod/reel/linehooks are you using? All those things can be big contributing factors to why you aren't hooking up.

[LWD]

Hey y'all I think they were short striking. One bit the tail off a lizard I was using. What's that switch called on your reel that switches left to right? I know I could of had one for sure but I left the switch in off position and my line went with the fish before I could set the hook. It is similar to a drag but the bail spins as well. It could be the extended heat too. There's always extended heat down here in middle Georgia been drought like weather for years little rain. Well y'all tc and thanks for the help. Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow.

LWD

[Avid Angler FL]

Hey y'all I think they were short striking. One bit the tail off a lizard I was using. What's that switch called on your reel that switches left to right? I know I could of had one for sure but I left the switch in off position and my line went with the fish before I could set the hook. It is similar to a drag but the bail spins as well. It could be the extended heat too. There's always extended heat down here in middle Georgia been drought like weather for years little rain. Well y'all tc and thanks for the help. Hopefully I'll have better luck tomorrow.

LWD

That switch is called the anti-reverse switch, and I don't even know what it's purpose is actually. I mean, the reel has to have an anti-reserve feature, but it's not very "anti" when there's an option to turn it off, which could doom you if a fish hits and you're not prepared. Best advice is to keep the switch on so it doesn't spin and you should be good!

[BASSclary]

Could just be dinks too. they like to just bite a part of the bait and swim away with it.

[Catt]

When in this scenario I’ve found something as simple switching colors solves it

[deep]

That switch is called the anti-reverse switch, and I don't even know what it's purpose is actually. I mean, the reel has to have an anti-reserve feature, but it's not very "anti" when there's an option to turn it off, which could doom you if a fish hits and you're not prepared. Best advice is to keep the switch on so it doesn't spin and you should be good!

If you guys are talking about spinning reels, then there are (at least) two ways to fight a fish..

One (and the more common) is to turn that anti-reverse thing on, and adjust the drag to one-thirds of line breaking tension or whatever, so that if the fish runs, it does so against the drag.

The other way is to turn the anti-reverse off, so that the reel handle turns either way, and tighten the drag all the way up. When the fish wants to run, you let him take line by backreeling (reeling in the other direction), keeping a constant tension with the rod.

Hope that didn't sound too confusing.

[WRB]

Sounds like you are fishing with a spining reel, what rig are you using? Georgia has spotted bass, are you targeting spots ot largmouth?

Shell crackers (red ear sunfish) will also tear soft plastic worms apart. Smaller bass tend to pick up a worm and move off with it to get away from other bass. Spotted bass can be extremely aggressive at times and can also peck at crawdad looking soft plastics.

Changing color and/or size can often help. Another observation you can make is; look at the soft plastic for sand paper like teeth marks that indicate bass are biting your worms.

The old saying bass don't have hands applys; if you feel the slightest line movement or pressure set the hook. If that doesn't work then drop the rod tip, take up slack line and then set the hook.

Tom

[SirSnookalot]

I wouldn't have the anti reverse turned off, it's a recipe for some bruised knuckles. The handle can spin pretty fast even with slower swimming fish, I believe a LMB swims about 10-12 mph at full tilt.

[Hyrule Bass]

sounds like bluegill biting the tails off your lizards, its a common thing with soft plastics like curly-tailed worms and lizards...

[NBR]

X 2 on the bluegill or other pan fish. Spinning reels I have the antireverse off 100% of fishing time and back reel. Baitcaster I set the drag rather light and use my thumb as an instant drag adjuster.

[James Yalem]

Getting short strikes is what happens when the bass are not biting. Sometimes changing colors or downsizing helps, but most often it doesn't. When this happens and after a couple of hours all I get is short strikes or really small <12" bass, then I just quit and try again another day.

[Jigfishn10]

Try a follow up lure.

I've been getting bit on a 1/4 oz spinnerbait, but no hook up. Now I follow it up with a tube and have been getting hook ups. That spinnerbait is turning into a bird dog lure which is fine with me, as long I can get em.

[Wisconsin Heat.]

i had the same problem earlier, i had a fish swim a way with my bait and boom! nothing....cast to the same spot, deadsticking my trick worm, i waited a hefty 10 second.. boom! nothing.. next time, i felt the fish grab it and again swim away, i opened the bail of my spinning rod and gave that fish a good 15-20 second run. and i finally got him! turned out to bee a 13 in bass, idk why it was eating it like that though