What is your favorite part of the fish catching cycle? That is... from the time you tie on a lure to the time you release the caught fish.

 

For me, it is the nibble when using a plastic worm. Drag a worm across the bottom, feel a nibble, then move the rod to feel the weight... no weight and another nibble... darn bluegill! Then a nibble... and you feel weight... set the hook!

 

I think I'd rather fish a plastic worm than anything else because of that nibble. Second so far for me is the strike on a crankbait.

I like the thunk when they grab a jig.

My 'Favorite" part(s), 

begins well before I get to the Lake.

For me it revolves around Map study, weather hawking, Lake selection, the area I chose to fish, the technique I employ and then being there at the right time.

All just to get a shot at One or perhaps even two Special Fish.

Admittedly, there's quite a bit of trial & error and has been for a few decades.

No doubt that will continue. 

But that's what makes it so special when it all comes together. 

Perhaps it's that gratification that's my favorite part.

Never hurts to get a little lucky either.

Fish Hard.

A-Jay

 

 

It used to be a bass exploding on a surface lure, but I think it's now Bazoo's fav, the nibble, because you have a sec to charge up with adrenaline. I just wish I sounded like Iron Man does when charges his Repulsors before firing them. 

just figuring out the cadence of pulling in a crankbait, trying to imagine what my lure looks like down there, kind of me connecting right to its actions......  feeling how the lure acts underwater, and watching what my line is doing. that's y i crank, instead of slower methods where's there more waiting involved

Easily watching them swim away full of vigor and fight.   If that doesn't happen, the whole experience is soured, so that's the most important part.   

For me its about the hunt, the bite validated I did my part.

 

Techniques & lures is like picking which rifle I'm gonna shot a deer with. 

My favorite part is that anticipation at the boat launch at sunrise. Calm, foggy lake with so many possibilities. Then that first blowup on the popper. 

waking up.........knowing I'm going.....the whole 9 yards.....

Interesting discussion. For some reason I was thinking of @ol'crickety when I posted this. Maybe it's because we both love the nibble, or perhaps we both fish more simple than those with a decked out bass boat.

 

I enjoy researching a new technique, then being able to employ it and have success with it.

Putting everything together when sight fishing…

Bait choice

Color

Approach

Flip or pitch entry angle

Working the plastic 

Plus the most important of them all, reading and reacting to her actions with each presentation. Or Not
 

Trying to match wits with a predator is the ultimate mind game 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

Flipping into laydowns and feel the bait being taken then the fight to get them out.if the fish is big it's even better.

4 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Easily watching them swim away full of vigor and fight.   If that doesn't happen, the whole experience is soured, so that's the most important part.   

 

I also enjoy when you ease them back into the water and they explode out of your hand. 

I like when they bite your finger during the release. Kinda like one last hoorah.

The process

Nibble? Bass don’t nibble they engulf prey.

I like everything about fishing except getting up at 0 dark 30 to go.

Tom

Catching is the most exhilarating part. Successfully putting the puzzle together is the most satisfying part.

10 minutes ago, WRB said:

Nibble? Bass don’t nibble they engulf prey.

Maybe nibble is the wrong word, but when I feel a bass go 'tap-tap-tap' at my Ned or Shakey head, my heart starts racing waiting for it to commit and take my offering.

If bass inhale their food (and I don't doubt they do because I've seen videos of it), why then does an instant hookset rip the bait way, while waiting a second will produce a solid hookup? Do they not inhale everything? such as a worm? or only inhale a portion of it, then sorta chomp the rest in?

Bass have different aggression levels when eating a bait.   

 

It will range from them literally choking a crankbait, to eating a crankbait where they get both trebles sideways across the mouth, to just nipping the bait and only getting the back treble.  There has also been underwater video showing Bass completely inhaling a crankbait, spitting it out, and the angler never felt a bite.   

 

Same goes for a T-Rig, there are days when they'll just bite the tails of the baits, then other days they will completely engulf the baits and you get those textbook top of the roof hookups.    

 

This isn't even touching on the "swiping" aspect especially around schooling fish.  At times Bass will just fire themselves into a bait ball, or group of baits with the intention of stunning the baitfish, and then will circle back around for the easy meal.   This is why you end up hooking so many jerkbait fish outside the mouth.   Same reason you snag a bunch of fish on the A-Rig.  

 

ETA:  A common technique when fishing really big worms is to wait after you feel the initial bite because often times they'll grab the tail first, then in a second motion grab further down the worm in order to get the entire bait in their mouth. 

 

 

Mine is landing the bass.  When the bass is in the boat or up on the bank it means I have put the puzzle together correctly, at least for that one fish.

In my life time never had a Largemouth bass bite a soft plastic worm tail off on its own. 
Bass have big mouth to engulf prey close it then kill it by crunching down between their tongue and crunchers located in the upper back of the mouth basically squeezing to death. The bass teeth grip not tear like fish with sharp teeth.

Smallmouth and Spotted will at times grab a crawdad by the claw and shake the it to remove the arm before engulfing it.

Don’t know what you all think nibbles are but ain’t caused by adult size bass.

Thinking a LMB picked up something by the tail end of a worm and chews it or sucks in like a piece of spaghetti would be rare event IMO.

1st tap the bass engulfs your worm, 2nd tap the bass blows it back of the mouth, 3rd tap is on your shoulder telling you to set the hook on tap #1.

Tom

 

 

If you fish around Spotted Bass, you'll have copious amounts of plastic tails bitten off.      

 

So much so that I've stopped fishing curly tail worms for the most part, just too wasteful.    

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

If you fish around Spotted Bass, you'll have copious amounts of plastic tails bitten off

 

On Toledo Bend there's a main lake ridge that the locals call "Machine Gun Ridge". Kentucky Spots love that ridge,  when they hit your worm its 4 or 5 times in rapid succession. You will lose tails, claws, & even half the bait from the hook down. 

The fish fry of course.

 

This is my favorite part. He caught it all by himself. Fish is going on the wall.