CTFishTalk.com: hook setting while fishing plastic creatures?? - Connecticut Bass Fishing ( CT Bass Fishing ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

bigh1590 · Joined: 12 Apr 2013 Posts: 25

First off I've been catching bass for years on an assortment of hardbaits ie: poppers, shallow diving crankbaits, jerkbaits but mainly original floating Rapalas of various lengths and colors with great sucess. However i was fishing tuesday on my lunch break at a pond behind my work and put a Rapala "clanking crank" in the trees on my first cast. Spent like 20 min looking for it, finally found but didn't cast it agian for fear of loosing it. The spot I was fising was really covered with trees. So I went back today with a weedless lizard, had three bites but couldn't set the hook right. I'm use to setting a hook quickly with a hardbait but was wondering if one should wait for a bass to take a plastic or should a hook be set quickly? I've fished weedless and carolina rigged Senkos and jigged up craws with moderate sucess over the years but always had monster strikes on them. Also is there a way to rig a second smaller hook on the back of a long creature or worm and if doing so will it ruin the action while swiming? Could my hook size be wrong? Should I use a offset hook or extra long extra wide hook help instead of the regular wide gap 4/0 hook im using now? Thanks for the advice!!!!

anointed130 · Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 11:18 am Post subject:

You could be doing everything right, could be just the time of the year, sometimes in the spring and fall the bass don't smash the soft plastics but pick it up very lightly. A good brand of hooks are Gamakatsu, they always work really well, I use a size 1 or 2 G lock a a lot, they seem to work well for me.
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billysenko · Joined: 07 Apr 2013 Posts: 126

I agree, the bass are hitting real light right now. Most of my hits this week have been on the back end of my baits. They are not hitting them hard yet. When the water warms up more they will hit them harder. I watched a few bass come up and just hit the back end of my jigs and grubs.

billysenko · Joined: 07 Apr 2013 Posts: 126

I agree, the bass are hitting real light right now. Most of my hits this week have been on the back end of my baits. They are not hitting them hard yet. When the water warms up more they will hit them harder. I watched a few bass come up and just hit the back end of my jigs and grubs.

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

This time of year you need to wait for the line to start going out and get a feeling of the bass running with it.

As others said, this time of year they take it light and take their time putting it in their mouth. They drop it a lot this time of year too.

hoppy · Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 393 Location: congamuck

There arent any penalties for swinging and missing in fishing. If you think its a bite.......set the hook. What size/type of hooks are you using? I mainly fish creatures and worms and mostly use 3/0 EWG hooks. Youll stick one soon. Just got to keep at it and keep trying it. Sooner then later youll know what that "bite" feels like. Im a line watcher....most of the time I see the bite in the line. Nice thing about worms and creatures is they will get smashed on the drop now and then so stay on your tows and be ready. I do believe the rod makes a difference........what are you using?

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

I'm the same way with soft plastics like hoppy said, which is a line watcher. On the pause, keep a close eye on the line to see if anything's playing with it and if a fish starts running with the lure.

Another thing to do is play a bit with the line by using the hand you reel with. You can easily feel the hit that way too.

anointed130 · Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 11:03 pm Post subject:

Echoing hoppy I noticed a couple years ago how a nice rod can determine hook up ratio. Caught a lot more fish after leaving the low end stuff and using certain rods for targeted species
_________________
"Come after Me, and i will make you to become fishers of men"

Can i be a fisher of fish too?

~Tony~

flippy · Joined: 25 May 2008 Posts: 1150

LOL,,First of all,,,What kind of rod are you using?? You might be using a real wimpy rod,,you want something with some backbone,,and if your using a wimpy rod with mono line, you are giving that fish a chance,,How are your hooksets,,I am pretty violent,,I think I cross there eyes,,but too much stretch and a wimpy rod spells for a weak driving hook which means lost fish,,

Megaman · Joined: 08 Nov 2010 Posts: 85 Location: Central CT

my 2 cents...right now its still too cold for LMB...i did already catch a few BIG pickerel fishing very very slowly mind you ..but pickerel love cold water.

.Ive also not had much luck with Bass yet..i believe it has to do with this ridiculous weather/cold temps/rain..it has not been much of a spring..once it starts warming up you WILL see the bass become aggressive. I caught a 5lb LMB at this one spot last summer,been to same spot 4 times already.. yet have not gotten any bass..check weather reports/water temps and hopefully it f starts to warm up...
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RaMPaGeBaSsMaN · Joined: 02 Feb 2008 Posts: 100 Location: West hartford

I rarely ever miss a fish on soft plastic anything. I watch that line carefully when i see it take off i set it! Basically all the tips everyone have given are spot on.
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bigh1590 · Joined: 12 Apr 2013 Posts: 25

thanks for the advice guys... gonna try a harder hook set today. yea been using ugly stick of various lengths mainly 5"4 with 6pound spider mono (which sux wicked bad and down to a couple cast lengths) so im changin it maybe to florucarbon and a 6 footer that I was using when I missed´em with 8pound mono using gamakatsu 4/0... should I be using a bigger or offset hook. I like a shorter rod cuz I fish in my canoe alot also anyone ever use a sigle or a treble hook with one hook cut off rigged to the back of a softy

bigh1590 · Joined: 12 Apr 2013 Posts: 25

aalso I was just think since it was a lizard I was fishing and lizard r a beddind bass worst enemy I heard they slap it with there tail as protection also could have been blue gills trickin me

Michael · Joined: 28 Jan 2012 Posts: 3823 Location: Bridgeport

NateD · Joined: 02 Feb 2013 Posts: 57