What do you guys do when you miss a strike?

 

Do you toss the same bait right back?

 

Switch baits?

 

A couple of things that I do (they make sense in my mind). 

 

Example: I'm throwing a swim jig

 

1) I'm reeling the bait in and it gets hit. I'll then immediately start shaking the rod (lure) to make the bass think it injured the baitfish. Now an easy snack.

2) I'm reeling the bait in and it gets hit. If I have one handy, I'll immediately grab a rod with a popper or walking bait and throw it out. Once again, I'm trying to make the bass think it injured the baitfish and now it's struggling on the surface. Easy snack.

 

Both have worked.

 

What you got?

Same Bait—different bait,

I've seen both work, and I've seen both not work.

Here's a same bait throw that worked this spring.

She took a poke at a jerkbait once and then got it on the next cast.

 

A-JATad took a poke at my bait once and got it on the next cast

A-Jay

I think if a bass misses your bait, or if one blows up on bait, that is a catchable fish and I do the same as you, or get a stick worm or a jig to that spot.  That fish is caught, he just doesn't know it yet!

Spring and fall, I'll let the bait fall and wait.  I'll use the same bait on th second throw.

 

Summer, I'll throw a different bait ... a waky rigged senko type lure.

11 minutes ago, Reel said:

Spring and fall, I'll let the bait fall and wait.  I'll use the same bait on th second throw.

 

Summer, I'll throw a different bait ... a waky rigged senko type lure.

 

Interesting.

 

Do you mind sharing your reasoning. Thanks

24 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Same Bait—different bait,

I've seen both work, and I've seen both not work.

This is so true, it really depends on how the day is going. Sometimes If I know they're aggressive I'll just toss the same bait back in there and give it some more time in the strike zone, but on days where I'm tossing a frog and they're not committing all the way, a fluke or senko usually does the trick.

 

Recently it's been one and done though, I miss the bite and I get the fin(ger) from them...

Spawn season bass often chase away anything near their nest area, not feeding. Following up with a soft plastic in the nest area the bass needs to pick up the lure to move it and they don’t have hands!

Tom

 

Another tactic that works with smallies from a boat when you are fighting a smallie is to drop another lure, especially something like a white ned or tube near the fighting fish.  Other smallies often follow fighting fish to eat what the fighter disgorges.  Not at all unusual. 

Since I'm mostly a bank angler, I almost always throw the same bait back in.

 

If I was on a bass boat, I'd probably do the same, even if I had some rods on the deck, simply because it'd be the fastest way for me to get back in the water.

 

Unless of course, you stop your retrieve and grab a rod that's ready and throw in, but I don't like that much. I prefer to get my line in before throwing out again.

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Same Bait—different bait,

I've seen both work, and I've seen both not work.

Here's a same bait throw that worked this spring.

She took a poke at a jerkbait once and then got it on the next cast.

 

A-JATad took a poke at my bait once and got it on the next cast

A-Jay

I swear that A-Jay is using AI to create videos of these monster smallmouth catches. 😁

5 minutes ago, Kayak Koz said:

I swear that A-Jay is using AI to create videos of these monster smallmouth catches. 😁

Dude is a freaking hammer. 

Some fish that blow up and miss (either you or them) I've found will not hit anything else or even the same bait a second time.  Buzzbait fish are notorious for this.  With a buzzbait you're creating a reaction strike and once you've had them react they won't do it again.  Fish in super shallow water that spook when you set the hook and miss are another (I had two of those last night).  Most of the time they will high tail it out of there and are gone.

 

Otherwise, I've found that speed is of the essence.  Maybe it's just me and I'm targeting fish that are moving around, but a fish that misses the lure or that I miss isn't sticking around long so getting a cast back over to it quickly is important.  For that reason I'm throwing the same lure back at it most of the time.  

I’m going to change it up a bit here and talk about frogs. 
 

There have been times especially this time of year that a bass will blow up on my frog and miss. I throw it right back and they strike again. They’ve missed four times before I caught them. Usually, they’ll miss only once.

 

Summertime, they’ll sometimes swat at it again but I’ll usually follow a miss up with a jig or soft plastic.

1 hour ago, Kayak Koz said:

I swear that A-Jay is using AI to create videos of these monster smallmouth catches. 😁

@Kayak Koz 

If only it were that easy . . . . 

A-Jay

3 hours ago, HawkeyeSmallie said:

 

Interesting.

 

Do you mind sharing your reasoning. Thanks

Smallmouth will often strike a second time on the same retrieve in spring and fall.  If you leave your bait in the water, they will often come back and hit it a second time.  This does not happen in summer.  I don't know if it's the water temp or the fact that they are more agressive during these periods. I've had better success in hot weather with a few second rest and a different lure.

I Swear and cuss, and sometimes if it is a big one I will cry.  

If they missed a hard lure, I follow with soft plastic. If they missed a soft plastic lure, I throw it again.