Heavy wrote:
Could those taps be from small fish? Bluegills,very small bass and the
sort? I have had those bites as well and in most cases I've found it
to be small fish. Just my 2 cents?

Heavy





Bob La Londe wrote:

There have been a few times when working a bait very very slowly

across the

bottom I have gotten a very quick tap tap. Then nothing. I was

using a

heavy fast rod in most of these cases. Usually with braid or

flourocarbon.

Sensitivity is definitely not the issue. I am sure a fish picked up

the

bait and then immediately spit it out. Those were the two taps I

felt.

Basically in the same breath. What do you do? Leave it sit dead

stick and

hope they will pick it up again? Keep moving the bait very very

slowly?

Reel it in and cast back trying to cross the exact same spot again?

Try a

different bait in the same place?

I know the ideal thing to have done was be more aware and hook the

fish on

the first tap, but my reflexes just don't seem to be up to it. A

couple

days those have been the only bites I have gotten. I'ld sure like to

figure

out how to optimize my hook ups on fish that hit like that. When

those are

the only bites I am getting the tend to be few and far between so it

really

hurts to miss one.

Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com


Kev,

That is the same question i was going to ask. I have swung and missed
big time when I was getting short taps, but I have also gave a half ass
attempt at a hookset only to come up and have a 3 or 4 pound fish be there.
I have witnessed bass first hand sit and tap at a bait, as well as
sunfish. The taps are hard to tell apart, so when all else fails set
the hook. You really don't have another choice. You could drop a
smaller bait maybe fitting the mood of the fish, or maybe switch colors,
maybe add some scent.

Chris