Speed as a trigger

[Oldfart9999]

How many of us think of the speed a bait moves, horizontally or vertically, as a trigger for bass? We use it for depth control but  as a trigger, I don't really think so. I keep reading about jigs, for an example, using heavier jigs for deeper depths or when the wind is blowing or to crash through heavy grass. Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you are reeling a jig back to make another cast you get bit at the boat or as you get past the cover you're fishing? We all know it happens but does the light bulb go off? I've seen times when it took a jig  falling so fast the bass don't get a chance to see it, it's hit it or lose it, a reaction bite.
Add to that we can use a skirt to change fall rate, thinner skirt equals faster fall rate, trimmed skirt equals faster fall rate, even the trailer can make a difference. A bulky trailer will slow a jig down a smaller or  more streamlined trailer will allow a jig to fall faster, line size has a bearing also, the thinner the line the faster the fall rate, the thicker the line the slower the fall rate.
It's a lot to digest but I think fall rate may be as important more often than color or shape at times, I know it's something I need to experiment with more, perhaps all of us need to do. Listen to someone like Randall Tharp, a very good jig fisherman, he starts out with a 1/2 ounce jig mostly and goes from there, and he may go higher even though he is fishing shallow and he may go lighter even though he is fishing deeper, He is experimenting, same with Greg Hackney, these guys experiment with weight then color and trailer as do other pros, we should listen a bit more to them.
Rodney     

[Capt. BassinLou]

I can't speak of traditional jig fishing in this particular example since I do not fish jigs too often, but in other techniques, speed as the trigger to illicit strikes is critical. That fleeing response drives bass crazy if you time the situation just right.

[Mike Cork]

I believe speed is critical, horizontal or vertical. Lipless cranks are a perfect example of a horizontal. Here in the winter one would think that a slower retrieve would produce best in the cold water. And sometimes it does, however more often than not, ripping or burning a lipless crank will draw more strikes. Reaction Strikes.

Vertical, punching comes to mind. Most punching anglers will tell you to use as light of a weight as you can get away with and still get through the vegetation. Over the years I've experimented with this and their are times that a 1.5 ounce weight will catch more and bigger bass, when a 3/4 is enough to get through the grass.

As you said, experiment to find out what the fish want that day. Bass are finicky and change their minds hourly...

[merc1997]

very well put.  i have stated time and time again that fish the correct depth at the correct speed to TRIGGER  bites.

thanks for reminding everyone.

bo

[Oldfart9999]

I was using jigs just as an example, it's true for all baits, hard and soft.
Rodney

[analfisherman]

I'm BIG on 'speed'.
Often I'll have two three rods with almost identical jig set ups on....only difference is weight.
Next is trailer.

Catching Bass as you swim a jig back to the boat.....EXACTLY what Tom Moonsor realized and shared with us when I was just in my tweenties.
Reason he started his 'Swim Jig' business.

I was using jigs just as an example, it's true for all baits, hard and soft.
Rodney

Ya, I do it on EVERY type of lure/technique I fish.
From Straight Senkos (weighted or un-weighted), wacky rigging, Lipless Baits, Swim Baits, Cranks, Spinning Baits......you name it....I vary the retrieve/size/action with it.

GREAT THREAD RODNEY!!!!!! 

Fact, BO and I were just TALKING about that very SAME THING just yesterday. 

[D.W. Verts]

I think it's the CHANGE in speed many times that gets it done. I rarely fish a bait with a steady retrieve.

[analfisherman]

I think it's the CHANGE in speed many times that gets it done. I rarely fish a bait with a steady retrieve.

AGREED!!!!!
Other than vertical presentations and flipping/pitching.

[TheLastRodBender]

This is absolutely something I need to work on.. I struggle fishing heavy baits in skinny water, especially jigs in <2 feet, but its a game changer.  I can't wrap my head around it sometimes, flipping a bait that shallow and seemingly not letting the fish get a good look at it, but I personally often underestimate the agility of a fish.  Acceleration, speed, reaction ability, all traits that members of the bass family have excelled at which allows them to be the predatory monster they are.   Team these traits with anger and aggression and their ability to load up on a very fast moving bait is amazing.

[Oldfart9999]

very well put.  i have stated time and time again that fish the correct depth at the correct speed to TRIGGER  bites.

thanks for reminding everyone.

bo

Bo, I know you mention it every so often and like most I see it, go uh huh, that's right and a week or 2 later it flies out of my head. I just happened to remember a couple of times when I sped up to bring a bait back for another cast and then caught a fish, I've learned to write it down so when this season starts  I'll remember to try it out.
Rodney

[merc1997]

and rodney, when you mentioned speeding up to make another cast and you catch one, that is paying attention to detail.

bo

[WRB]

ROF; rate of fall is so critical it marketed on swimbaits. There are times when a 1/4 jig out performs a 1/2 oz simply because it's ROF is slower, or the opposite the faster falling 1/2 oz is the key. Senko is the lure I think of to point out how important a Very slow ROF can be, structure spoons being the opposite falling much faster.
Speed change can be defined as cadence, the pace you retrieve lures with changes of speed. Jerk baits are the most obvious in cadence changes buy this applies to all bass lures. ROF and cadence changes throughout every day on the water and if you don't adjust it's a long day.
Tom

[SteveTX]

This is absolutely something I need to work on.. I struggle fishing heavy baits in skinny water, especially jigs in >2 feet, but its a game changer.  I can't wrap my head around it sometimes, flipping a bait that shallow and seemingly not letting the fish get a good look at it, but I personally often underestimate the agility of a fish.  Acceleration, speed, reaction ability, all traits that members of the bass family have excelled at which allows them to be the predatory monster they are.   Team these traits with anger and aggression and their ability to load up on a very fast moving bait is amazing.

I fish like this probably 75% of the time. I love it as I regularly pitch 1/2 oz jigs up next to cattails in less than 12" of water and its a blast to see the insane quick reactions bass have. I couldn't tell you how many times I literally don't think my jig touched the water and it was attacked. I even had a catfish do this once. Also so many times I've pitched it up there and the boil from the bass turning and attacking the jig was amazing. When I'm pitching I am so close to the action its exciting because you  see how they attack. I had one instance I threw a 12" worm up close to the bank near some weeds and the water looked like a commercial toilet was stuck. It was a 5.7 lb bass though.

As for speed I had a spot I pitched to about 20ft away the other day and got bit. I was trying to take up slack with a 7.5:1 reel it has a 31" IPT. I literally could not catch up to that fish. I was cranking that reel like a well oiled machine. That fish flat ran strait at me and went right under my boat. I never had a chance to set a hook and he was gone. I think that was the fastest fish I ever had on my line. I was pulling almost 3ft a crank on that handle and was losing ground. I literally was amazed what had just happened and had to sit and think about what went wrong before I went back to fishing.   

I almost always throw a 1/2 oz jig and have been using a fairly compact trailer like a Havoc Rocket Craw  or a Ultra Vibe Speed Craw. Where I fish a 3/8 oz or even a 3/4 all work well most of the time. I really haven't seen a lot of difference in ROF making a difference. I'm not saying it couldn't make a difference I just haven't seen it where I could 100% verify that on the exact given day a 1/4 oz was the only one they would have hit. We all know 1/2 the battle with fishing is in the anglers mind anyway. 

[D.W. Verts]

SteveTX- "We all know 1/2 the battle with fishing is in the anglers mind anyway."

Probably one of the most truthful and insightful comments that I've seen on the inter-web. Except that "1/2" probably isn't enough.

[Smallie_Stalker]

Bo, I know you mention it every so often and like most I see it, go uh huh, that's right and a week or 2 later it flies out of my head. I just happened to remember a couple of times when I sped up to bring a bait back for another cast and then caught a fish, I've learned to write it down so when this season starts  I'll remember to try it out.
Rodney

Rodney you need to write this one down in one of your notebooks while you are eating a sandwich.