Am I in tune, connected, familiar with my bait?  Is it even important?  These are questions I will raise with our high school teams during a coaching seminar  in a couple weeks.

 

My stance or position is being familiar and having a connection with your lure is very important if you hope to detect a strike or bite.  Being visually connected is pretty easy if you’re attentive. Watch your line. But you still have to be familiar with the manner in which your line moved. Anyone ever been told you just got bit and might want to set the hook. Maybe you are the parter who said it.

 

When it comes feel, familiarity with lures takes on a new priority.  Bottom contact baits that bump and come into contact with different surfaces tell me a story.  I need to be connected.  Familiarity with the different sensations and vibrations is important so I have a base line to differentiate the strike or bite.  Ever say your snagged and then the snag pulls back?

 

Finally, how important is my being in tune, connected and familiar with moving baits?  When you’re looking for fish, a missed strike is very important.  I am convinced that being connected with a crankbait is important and the vibration of a crankbait.  Changes in that signature vibration may be caused by a fish “pushing” the bait.  That is a clue to change retrieve, silhouette, sound or color.  The same principle applies to spinnerbaits a vibrating jigs.

 

Well I guess I just shared my lesson plan.  Anything I need to add?  Let me hear from you.

 

CC

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Good write up. I also think it’s important to get to know your gear  spend some time with it and know. what things in your local waters feel like. Like what a jig or t rig feels like when it comes through the veggies on your rod. Or what it feels lime to bump a log or rock. Not starting a sensitivity topic. Get to know whatever gear you have and what thing feel like on it. 

It’s all part of being in tune with what your doing. 

It's natural to realize that you have to swing hard when your lure becomes suddenly or gradually HEAVIER.  You have to "train your brain" (thank you John Madden) to react instinctively when your lure suddenly or gradually becomes LIGHTER.  

One must be "in tune" with every lure ya throw!

Just now, Catt said:

One must be "in tune" with every lure ya throw!

Totally agree.

18 minutes ago, Catt said:

One must be "in tune" with every lure ya throw!

I'd say I am most in tune with a Jerkbait.  What about you guys?

I've got to work on the jig some more, gotta turn the mushy feel into fish in the boat.  

On 10/15/2021 at 6:49 PM, HaydenS said:

I'd say I am most in tune with a Jerkbait.  What about you guys?

I've got to work on the jig some more, gotta turn the mushy feel into fish in the boat.  

I’m in tune with just about any lure I use except the jig. I think you have a nugget there. We might be more in tune with some lures more than others. I’m with you on the jig. I still have never caught a bass on a traditional jig (ie, skirted jig) and trailer yet. As much as I try to stay in tune with it, feeling everything it’s dragged on, hopping it and anticipating the take on the fall, pitching it into a hole among a patch of lily pads, working it in the grass, swimming it above the grass, smackin’ it, flippin’ it, ribbon’ it down, oh no! I still can’t buy a doggone strike, ?. Hopefully sooner than later. 
 

Incidentally, I’ve had success with other jig setups, like a round ball jig head with a plastic, and for other species, feathered jigs.  Go figure. 
 

@Columbia Craw: looks good to me. Sure would be nice to attend your seminar. ?

11 hours ago, islandbass said:

I’m in tune with just about any lure I use except the jig. I think you have a nugget there. We might be more in tune with some lures more than others. I’m with you on the jig. I still have never caught a bass on a traditional jig (ie, skirted jig) and trailer yet. As much as I try to stay in tune with it, feeling everything it’s dragged on, hopping it and anticipating the take on the fall, pitching it into a hole among a patch of lily pads, working it in the grass, swimming it above the grass, smackin’ it, flippin’ it, ribbon’ it down, oh no! I still can’t buy a doggone strike, ?. Hopefully sooner than later. 
 

Incidentally, I’ve had success with other jig setups, like a round ball jig head with a plastic, and for other species, feathered jigs.  Go figure. 
 

@Columbia Craw: looks good to me. Sure would be nice to attend your seminar. ?

Just gotta stick with it! 

Well I’m young myself and I think that’s pretty good! I think ‘being in tune’ with your lure is always good. I think also that being in tune with regards to feel is most important. I can see my spinnerbait a lot of the time and know what it’s doing just by my eyes. But if I set the hook on sight, I’ll risk missing that fish. If I set the hook on a solid feel, my odds are better. 
 

We’re so visually oriented nowadays. It’s nice that fishing teaches us that feel and hearing are so important as well.

I think you are on the right track..being in tune with your gear and lures and how they feel in different surroundings i.e open water, weeds, rock or wood is extremely important in how it pertains to bite detection. Bite detection may be the hardest thing to teach and learn. Anybody can tell a bite when they hammer it..I mean a solid thump is hard to miss. But so many times the bait just feels different...with moving baits alot of the time you feel the bait wobbling or thumping and you just kinda lose track of it so to speak.