Trouble Detecting Bites with a jig

[Gangly]

I have been dedicating considerably more time to jig fishing recently, which finally paid off with my first jig'd LMB.  However, I am having a great deal of trouble determining what is a bite and what isnt.  The large pond that I do most of my fishing on has numerous laydowns that go as deep as 10 feet, but the water isnt clear enough to see them and I don't know where all of the laydowns, or possible wood piles are located.  Because of this, I cant tell when I am bouncing off of a tree llimb or getting a hit.  I have set the hook numerous times into what I thought was a bass, but wound up spending the next 5 minutes getting my jig unstuck from a limb.  Other times, i will be bouncing the jig through a brush pile, never feel a thing, and just see my line start moving whereupon I set the hook but the fish has already spit it out.  I have yet to experiance a THUD on the line with a jig. I have had numerous bites, but I have only landed one.

What are some things that you all look for or feel for when trying to determine if its a bass or not?

What type of hooksets do you all employ?

Being a very patient and methodical fisherman, I really do enjoy the jig, I would just like to have better landing percentages with it.

Thanks in advance for any and all information.

[greg hall]

feel comes with experience,Flourcarbon helps too.

[Gangly]

Im using a 14lb flouro leader on 20 lb mono, is that too large for good sensitivity?

[catt]

The art of feeling a worm/jig bite is a fine combination of watching your line and feeling for unnatural sensations of what your bait shouldn’t feel like. Some times you will feel that classic “Tap”, some times you’ll only see line movement, some times your line will simply go slack, but some times there will only be a feeling of heaviness that is almost like your line will not move. The bites where the bass moves after inhaling you bait are the easy ones to feel because there is line movement, the bites where the bass simply inhales your bait and just sits there are the hardest to feel. Feeling a worm/jig bite requires keeping a certain amount of tension on your line while at the same time keeping a certain amount of slackness in your line. To the average angler this makes no sense at all but the worm/jig angler it makes total sense.

Maintain contact with your lure at all times, allow the lure to free-fall unrestricted, but without letting slack form in the line; follow your lures down with your rod tip.

Pay close attention to the depth you're fishing, any sudden change in the amount of line you're using could mean you’ve been bit. For instance, if you're fishing 6 feet of water and the lure suddenly stops at the 3 depth, it's possible a bass has taken the bait. If you're fishing 3 feet of water and 6 feet of line sinks beneath the mat, chances are good a bass is traveling with the bait. This is extremely true on the initial drop and no line movement maybe noticed.

Strikes will sometimes so subtle with no line movement that they can go unnoticed if you feel is a spongy sensation, as if the line suddenly got heavy set the hook.

The hook set is the only part of this sport that is still free so when in doubt drop the rod, reel the slack, and set the hook.

[Bassthumb]

My first comment would be what rod are you using?  You can have the best jigs and the best line, but the rod may be affecting your sensitivity.

Second would be:  The jig is a one-gulp bait for a bass (most times).  It would feel like a tick or a thump, or could even be "feel-less" because the fish will hit it over 75% of the time on the fall (on slack, or semi-slack line).

I would say if you are fishing brush exclusively, and are new to Jig fishing, get rid of the mono and either go all fluoro or if your water is stained to muddy, go straight braid which will increase the sensitivity a lot.

And, when in doubt, set the hook.  (you can always pick up cheaper jigs to learn with, and losing one here and there won't be so painful) until you get that "muscle memory" ingrained and can separate the ticks on limbs from the bites.

OBTW, I am just jealous that you can still be fishing...I have winterized and stored the boat already...cause deer season is just around the corner.

BT

[-Shawn-]

My very first Suggestion would be to Dump the Mono. That is taking most of your sensitivity away.  I fish Stained water 90% of the time and I fish my jigs on Braid. If I feel the braid is hampering the bite then I will use a Flouro leader but that is very seldom.   

Like was metioned above, You really need to be a line watcher when fishing a Jig. With time and practice you will start noticing the suble  things in your line movement that will tell you you have had a bite. Untill then. Hooksets are Free!

[Gangly]

My first comment would be what rod are you using?  You can have the best jigs and the best line, but the rod may be affecting your sensitivity.

Second would be:  The jig is a one-gulp bait for a bass (most times).  It would feel like a tick or a thump, or could even be "feel-less" because the fish will hit it over 75% of the time on the fall (on slack, or semi-slack line).

I would say if you are fishing brush exclusively, and are new to Jig fishing, get rid of the mono and either go all fluoro or if your water is stained to muddy, go straight braid which will increase the sensitivity a lot.

And, when in doubt, set the hook.  (you can always pick up cheaper jigs to learn with, and losing one here and there won't be so painful) until you get that "muscle memory" ingrained and can separate the ticks on limbs from the bites.

OBTW, I am just jealous that you can still be fishing...I have winterized and stored the boat already...cause deer season is just around the corner.

BT

6-6 Castaway Medium-Heavy Fast Action
78 degrees yesterday evening :-D

[-Shawn-]

That Rod is sensetive enough, I think it is The Mono that is taking away from your feel for the Jig.  The Zero stretch of braid will help alot.

[Bassinkorea]

All the previous replies are great, but I just wanted to stress the word "Braid" once more. All my jig rigs are fished with braid from 30lb to 70lb, and with NO leader.
The braid helps with bite identification through sight and feel.

[Gangly]

My very first Suggestion would be to Dump the Mono. That is taking most of your sensitivity away.  I fish Stained water 90% of the time and I fish my jigs on Braid. If I feel the braid is hampering the bite then I will use a Flouro leader but that is very seldom.  

Like was metioned above, You really need to be a line watcher when fishing a Jig. With time and practice you will start noticing the suble  things in your line movement that will tell you you have had a bite. Untill then. Hooksets are Free!

I have a spool of 30lb Power Pro sitting right now, is that sufficent?

[Bassinkorea]

I have a spool of 30lb Power Pro sitting right now, is that sufficent?

Absolutely 

[-Shawn-]

30 lb is definately sufficient but tends to be a little smal for ease of use on baitcasters.  The rule of thumb on braid is to use the same size diameter that you would mono.

Example 50lb power pro is equal to 12lb mono.

I use 50lb for most al my braid fishing. but if I am in Really knarly stuff I use 65lb.

[-Shawn-]

I wanted to add one more thing.  If you haven't fished with braid in the past, Give yourself time to get used to it.  It is noisy and it is different to handle on the reel than mono.  Most folks I know thought they hated it right at first  because of the noise and feel of it running through the rod guides but once they got used to it they love it. 

[coldfront]

I, likea lot of folks on here, learned to jig fish with mono.  Fact my first 'jig' rig was a 1/8 oz Charlie Brewer snagless slider head with a t'rigged 4" Berkeley finesse worm (straight tail; pumpkinseed)....could work this through weeds, timber, rocks...caught a lot of fish from 10 inch dinks up to 5 pound full-grown...on a 6.5 Medium action quantum ($35 at Walmart back then), 10 lb mono...  plenty of stretch...not a lot of 'high sensitivity modulus there'...

don't make it too hard.  one of the ways to tell the difference between a limb and a fish is that the fish will pull back   

when fishing through the cover, use a trailer...and put some scent on it...this'll help the fish hold on a bit longer so you can 'learn' how it feels.  another option:  fish a t-rigged plastic that's been pegged.  This is, for all intents and purposes 'a jig' (fixed weight)...

don't hesitate to downsize...right not, repetitions will help you build feel/confidence faster than anything else you can do...and learn what your lure 'should' feel like...

I can't tell you 'why' I set the hook about half the time...some combination of 'that doesn't feel right' and 'that does feel right' just sets my reaction off.

If you're fishing close quarters, mono will stretch...but that'll not be that big an issue with shorter lines 'out'...

Get more reps...it'll come. 

Play a bit...when a fish takes your bait...don't 'blow up'...just pull back gently...see how long that fish'll hold on to it...you'll be surprised at how much time you really do have...sure, there'll be days when they'll bump/spit it in one motion...but by and large, in stable conditions, those fish will grab and hold on...

you're doing fine.

[n8sbassin]

I totally agree with coldfront!  If your not sure if your feeling a bite, or a stick, just apply a little pressure, and usually a bass will give you a little nudge!  I can't tell you how many I have slowly pulled all the way to the boat just to look at the size of the bass.  We do that alot when prefishing for tournaments.  we'll try to slowly ease them up to the surface so we can get a good look at em'.  Very few spit it, usually have to shake them off!
Just my 2 cents

[Gangly]

I wanted to add one more thing.  If you haven't fished with braid in the past, Give yourself time to get used to it.  It is noisy and it is different to handle on the reel than mono.  Most folks I know thought they hated it right at first  because of the noise and feel of it running through the rod guides but once they got used to it they love it. 

I am very familiar with it.  I have braid on all my frogging setups and love it.  Thanks for the reply

[calincalif50]

just to add...having crappy eyesight hampers seeing the line move, if it made noise while moving...I'd still be crappy, gotta learn to feel.  Use the force   

[Baron49]

Got to love jig fishing...   Jigs will catch fish all year round and there is no limit to the ways you can fish them and the types of jigs and trailers.  I think everyone has you on the right track with the braided line.  I fish crystal clear waters up and down the East coast and have not seen were braid has effected the number of strikes. 

My tip da jour would be to become a line watcher.  Even with braid you may not feel the initial strike or pickup by a bass.  When a bass flares his gills to suck the jig in you will usually see a little jump in your line. SET THE HOOKS!  If the line starts to slowly move off.  SET THE HOOKS!  If the bait did not seem to get all the way to the bottom.  SET THE HOOKS.  I see more of the jig strikes then I feel initially.  Hook sets are free and when you do get the hang of line watching you will see an increase in the size of the fish you will catch.  Normally those big lunkers just suck the jigs in and rarely run off like the little ones do.

[coldfront]

SET THE HOOKS! 

baron, do we need to have a talk about the jigs you use...one hook or multiple?   
 

[bassjunkie12]

Defiantly switch to braid and just practice practice practice!!! It took me awhile to get used to fishing a jig.