When is the right time to strike?

[marshy07]

I was fishing yesterday and I must have missed half a dozen decent bites through not striking at the right time and / or in the right direction. Is there a general rule to follow? There were times when the float clearly bobbed down then back up & I wasn't quick enough. My excuse was that the fish might have been playing around and not actually got it inside its mouth.

 

Can I actually strike in the wrong direction ie pull it away from the fish?

[Rich Habbershaw]

I was fishing yesterday and I must have missed half a dozen decent bites through not striking at the right time and / or in the right direction. Is there a general rule to follow? There were times when the float clearly bobbed down then back up & I wasn't quick enough. My excuse was that the fish might have been playing around and not actually got it inside its mouth.

 

Can I actually strike in the wrong direction ie pull it away from the fish?

 

Possible though you may find it's not so much the speed but how much slack line there is between the tip of the rod and the float.

 

Are you sinking and retrieving the line to tighten up?

 

I seem to have a better strike rate when striking towards my opposite shoulder to the hand holding the rod ... almost a 45 degree angle.

 

It the float is dipping, see if there is a pattern to it. Quite often I have found the first dip to be a mouthed bait, with the second being the time to strike .. not fool proof tho'.

 

BTW ... it's possible to be too quick and strike too hard, potentially ripping the hook from the fishes mouth.

[gozzer]

I was fishing yesterday and I must have missed half a dozen decent bites through not striking at the right time and / or in the right direction. Is there a general rule to follow? There were times when the float clearly bobbed down then back up & I wasn't quick enough. My excuse was that the fish might have been playing around and not actually got it inside its mouth.

 

Can I actually strike in the wrong direction ie pull it away from the fish?

 

As Rich said, one of the mistakes beginners make is having too much slack line between rod and float. You have to take up all this line before you make contact.

 

Re your other post, I'm assuming that you are fishing the whip, with ready made rigs. What's the length of line between tip and float?

Are the rigs shotted right for the conditions? Do you adjust your shotting, to try and reduce the number of missed bites? What size hook are you using, is it too big, or too small for the bait?

Does your bait look as if it's been touched/sucked when you bring it in? If not, it could be line bites, as the fish take the free offerings, and brush your line.

There are a number of things you can look at, to reduced the number of missed bites.

We can only offer guidelines, without actually being there, and seeing for our selves.

 

John.

[marshy07]

As Rich said, one of the mistakes beginners make is having too much slack line between rod and float. You have to take up all this line before you make contact.

 

Re your other post, I'm assuming that you are fishing the whip, with ready made rigs. What's the length of line between tip and float? I did alter that and made it as short as possible as I didn't want all the slack line. The ready made rigs are set to 10ft so I end up hacking a load off I end up with 6-8 inch from tip of whip to float.

 

Are the rigs shotted right for the conditions? Do you adjust your shotting, to try and reduce the number of missed bites? What size hook are you using, is it too big, or too small for the bait? on this occasion it was a size 20 hook but I did put sweetcorn on it. I have been advised now to try a 16 if fishing with sweetcorn.

Does your bait look as if it's been touched/sucked when you bring it in? If not, it could be line bites, as the fish take the free offerings, and brush your line.

There are a number of things you can look at, to reduced the number of missed bites.

We can only offer guidelines, without actually being there, and seeing for our selves.

 

Cheers guys. I guess it just a case of trial and error

 

One final thing, the bit of line I have free between rod & float, what method can I use to sink it rather than it dangling on the top of the water.? I had heard to coat line in washing liquid, but I am concerned about doing that as I don't want to polute the water.

 

 

 

John.

[gozzer]

I'm no expert on pole fishing, but 6-8ins seems too short to me. Maybe one of the match men on here could help with that one.

 

You can degrease your line with washing up liquid to make it sink, but if it's only 6-8ins, I wouldn't bother.

Making the line sink for float fishing, is done to reduce the effects of the wind on the float, (dragging it out of position). This shouldn't happen if you're fishing at the end of the pole.

 

John.

[kleinboet]

Marshy, I am going to argue with these guys. DON'T strike when your float moves. I was taught to wait until it goes under, and THEN say "one hundred and one, one hundred and two, and THEN lift into the bite (never strike!)

[gozzer]

Marshy, I am going to argue with these guys. DON'T strike when your float moves. I was taught to wait until it goes under, and THEN say "one hundred and one, one hundred and two, and THEN lift into the bite (never strike!)

 

Where you fishing Kleinboet?

 

Most of the waters I know, if you do that, it means a deep hooked fish or a missed bite.

 

John.

Edited August 24, 2007 by gozzer