Braid is also a lot better than mono in these situations.
Braid is also a lot better than mono in these situations.
If one technique does not work you have to change. Like monty said change the retrieve, or the set up. Eventually the bumps will stop and Hook ups will come.
If you get bumps and are not hooking up stop the plug for a few seconds and if they want it they will take at that time bass are usually trying to injure the prey and get it by the head takes some time.
That happens to me every once and a while, I usually can catch them by using a floating plug and when I get a bump stop the plug and twitch it a few times let it sit and then retrive it quickly by doing this I can usually hook up.
This is a very good technique. I have also had luck when incorporating the above as part of a variable retrieve. People sometimes forget that the plugs we are using are very effective when imitating a baitfish in distress. That baitfish would not be following a steady, direct path if it was dying.
for those that use barrels to connect the line to the leader those bumps are also very small bass or hickories hitting the barrel.
I have seen it 15 feet in front of me.
seems to help to use the smallest barrel possible.
I use the tiny but,strong tsunamis the type that look like a sleeve with rounded ends.
at times they still hit it but,much less than with a normal sized barrel.
also the gators will hit the barrel too resulting in a cutoff,,have seen that too where the leader is cut 2 inches below the barrel.
even so if you don't use a barrel and connect with a knot they can see that too and will hit that.
it's amazing what a fish can see in the dark.
Takes a Big Man to sling Big Wood,,,,boys sling plastic,,,,,,,
I also will add that sometimes the fish is not hungry and snaps at the offering just to spook it from their feeding window.
I have seen trout and smallmouth do that,,,protecting their feeding zone from outsiders and even smaller fish coming too close which threatens their feed.
I am going by observations and by fish being territorial at times,maybe not all the time but, at "special" times.
Takes a Big Man to sling Big Wood,,,,boys sling plastic,,,,,,,
awesome info, thanks for sharing.