Senkos....

SimRacer wrote:

I understand the theory of patience. If you ever want a sure-fire way to
train yourself to wait on a fish to have and truly take your bait prior to
setting the hook, try flounder fishing sometime. That, to me, is the
ultimate in patience training, since they'll pick it up and play with it
awhile before trying to eat it, all has to happen before you can set the
hook on one of those bad boys. There are times that between feeling the fish
and setting the hook on a flounder, it can actually feel like minutes have
gone by - even though it may have only been 30 seconds to 1 minute.


You must be speaking of "winter flounder" with the small mouth and no
teeth, and the eyes on the right side of its head, as opposed to the
fluke or summer flounder, of the larger mouth, nasty teeth, and eyes on
the left side of its head. The former is a nibbler. The latter is not.

When a partner says a bass is "playing" with his worm and has not taken
it, I always ask which hand the bass is using. Every bass I have
watched take a bait they suck it into their mouth by flairing their
gills - it is either in their mouth or not. When I feel anything I set
the hook. Never hooked one in the hand.

Old saying around here - first tap fish has the bait in its mouth,
second tap is when it spits it out. Third tap is the fish tapping you
on the shoulder saying - you missed me.

Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

SimRacer wrote:
"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
.. .
Ok... I thought I was a decent senko fisherman, but yesterday I got
schooled seriously.

Lannes Brock invited me to fish Yuma Bassmasters with him. His regular
partner was busy with something else. Anyway. Lannes pretty much fished
a
t-rigged senko all day long with a brief respite while he fished a fluke.

We ran through an area and the wind was whipping down along with us for
hours. He was feeling fish constantly and putting a fish in the boat
regularly while I stood there and watched. I'm sure I was getting bites,
but I was oblivious to it. Basically Lannes was dead sticking a senkos
and
then very slowly dragging it. Every once in a while he would say, "I'm
getting a bite." Then he would let the fish swim around a bit and set the
hook.

When I finally focused I caught a coupel also. Wow. I'm a line wather
mostly, but if you had seen me yesterday you would have thought I totally
forgot how to fish by feel. I used to be pretty good at fishing by feel.
In fact back when I bait fished I would read a book and fish totally by
feel
with the line lace between my fingers, and I always caught more fish that
way than anybody else bait fishing. Maybe I should take a couple days
sitting ont he bank to get my touch back.


--
Bob La Londe
Fishing Arizona & The Colorado River
Fishing Forums & Contests
http://www.YumaBassMan.com



I understand the theory of patience. If you ever want a sure-fire way to
train yourself to wait on a fish to have and truly take your bait prior to
setting the hook, try flounder fishing sometime. That, to me, is the
ultimate in patience training, since they'll pick it up and play with it
awhile before trying to eat it, all has to happen before you can set the
hook on one of those bad boys. There are times that between feeling the fish
and setting the hook on a flounder, it can actually feel like minutes have
gone by - even though it may have only been 30 seconds to 1 minute.




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Marty" wrote in message SNIP


I rarely feel hits with worms, Senkos or soft jerkbaits, so I have to
watch my line to detect hits. Without the line-watching, I'd either catch
far fewer fish or catch many more gut-hooked fish.

I'll readily concede the possibility (probability?) that I lack what it
takes to detect hits by feel (even with Fireline). But I am what I am, and
whatever that is, it requires me to carefully watch the line.


Two of the reasons why you're not feeling the hit is because of either the
rod itself, or the way you're holding the rod. On spinning tackle, I
changed my grip to ahead of the reel foot. Then, I can easily extend my
index finger and keep it on the rod blank itself. The handle set on most
rods really dampens the feel, so keeping your finger on the blank really
helps to feel more bites. Of course too, it helps to use a good blank in
the first place.

I cut my teeth fishing walleyes on livebait rigs. If you want to fish a
frustrating, picky and finicky species of fish, try fishing walleyes! Bass
are easy to feel in comparison.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"RichZ" wrote in message
...
SimRacer wrote:

I understand the theory of patience. If you ever want a sure-fire way to
train yourself to wait on a fish to have and truly take your bait prior
to
setting the hook, try flounder fishing sometime. That, to me, is the
ultimate in patience training, since they'll pick it up and play with it
awhile before trying to eat it, all has to happen before you can set the
hook on one of those bad boys. There are times that between feeling the
fish
and setting the hook on a flounder, it can actually feel like minutes
have
gone by - even though it may have only been 30 seconds to 1 minute.


You must be speaking of "winter flounder" with the small mouth and no
teeth, and the eyes on the right side of its head, as opposed to the
fluke or summer flounder, of the larger mouth, nasty teeth, and eyes on
the left side of its head. The former is a nibbler. The latter is not.

Whatever we have here in NC is what I was talking about. I've never heard
"winter flounder" used to describe any of them, though that may be what they
are. We do call the more aggressive ones "Summer Flounder", but I think we
tag the other ones simply as "Southern Flounder", and is what we seem to get
the most of where I fish for them - from the port walls at Morehead City NC
out the Beaufort Inlet and into the ocean just a little bit, usually a mile
or less offshore, right along the shallow ledges of the deep water inlet.

It's not very often that we get into any aggressive flounder, and is why we
have to take the patience route. So I guess even though they are native to
the waters I frequent, we don't seem to find them - Summer Flounder/flukes -
nearly as often. Maybe that's why they're (also) called flukes? lol

"Ronnie" wrote in message
oups.com...
When a partner says a bass is "playing" with his worm and has not taken
it, I always ask which hand the bass is using. Every bass I have
watched take a bait they suck it into their mouth by flairing their
gills - it is either in their mouth or not.

I have had the good fortune to fish aggressive bass few times in shallow
clear water. Most of the time I would agree with you, but there are
exceptions.

I've watched bass pick up the tail of a bait and then a moment later suck up
the rest of it. Often this is with things like long rubber worms witht he
nose dfown in teh dirt, but I have seen a big (8-9 pounder) grab the back
half of one of Gilbert's rubber waterdogs and just sit there for a minute
before sucking it all the way in. I was watching another angler show me how
to fish those baits.

An associate of mine who fishes those type waterdogs a lot told me that
often he will see a big girl pick it up and acually turn to swim away before
slurping it in all the way.


--
Thanks
Bob La Londe
http://www.YumaBassMan.com



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"RichZ" wrote in message
...
Marty wrote:
"Olebiker" wrote in message
oups.com...

RichZ wrote:

Try keeping a finger in contact with the line, never move the bait with
the reel, and always "weigh" the lure before moving it.

Thanks Rich, I'll see if that makes a difference.

Steve wrote:

Two of the reasons why you're not feeling the hit is because of either the
rod itself, or the way you're holding the rod. On spinning tackle, I
changed my grip to ahead of the reel foot. Then, I can easily extend my
index finger and keep it on the rod blank itself. The handle set on most
rods really dampens the feel, so keeping your finger on the blank really
helps to feel more bites. Of course too, it helps to use a good blank in
the first place.

Steve, I hold the rod such that the reel stem is between my third and fourth
fingers. I'll give your suggestion a shot too.