That line from a 1950s tune co-written and performed by Bobby Darin is a good way to describe those huge baitfish blowups we normally fast-cast to on the water. Unfortunately, those casts don't always result in a hookup like this angler appears to be enjoying. Instead, they often end with just a swing and a miss--or, at least, so goes my luck.
What causes short strikes?
There are several different theories floating around. One is that the fish just miss the bait. Another theory is that the fish only want the bait to stop or slow down so they can see what it is and decide whether they want to eat it. When they swim up and just bump it to get a good look is when we usually swing and miss.
Yet another theory is that some fish realize faster than others that there's a metal hook on that bait in their mouth and can spit it quicker than a fisherman can react. And, finally, some people feel that short strikes simply happen because the fish involved are too small to take the bait completely.
What can you do to stop short strikes?
Again, there are various ideas about what you can do to maybe put an end to all the swings and misses, depending, of course, on the types of baits you're talking about.
* If a bass short strikes a topwater bait, quickly cast a different bait to the fish. Try a different topwater bait, or perhaps a soft-plastic jerkbait, tube or Senko-style bait. The bass many times will be fooled into thinking it has injured the prey it hit moments earlier.
* If you draw a short strike while fishing a buzzbait or spinnerbait, one of the first things you can try without a lot of fuss is to add a trailer hook. I even read about one guy who uses two trailer hooks on his buzzbaits and spinnerbaits when he's the victim of short hits. The first trailer is a medium-sized hook, with the second one a size smaller.
There are a couple of ways to rig trailer, or "stinger" hooks, as some folks refer to them. One method involves sliding on the trailer hook, then adding a piece of plastic or surgical tubing over the lure's hook point and sliding it down past the bend. This method allows for free movement of the hook.
With the other method, you put a piece of surgical tubing over the eye of the trailer hook, then push it on the point of the bait's hook. The trailer extends out rigidly from the bend of the bait's hook with this method and will not move up or down. Whichever rigging method you choose, just be sure the trailer hook matches the bait's hook as far as being point up or down.
Some people say they use a "dressed" (with feathers) size 4 or 6 treble hook as a trailer on their buzzbaits and spinnerbaits--again secured with plastic tubing.
One final thing you can do to enhance the hookup ratio with buzzbaits and spinnerbaits is to trim the skirts so they're even with the end of the bait's own hook.
* When bass are short-striking your crankbait, try varying your retrieve until you find out how the fish want it. You also might want to try changing colors.
* Trying a different color is a good option, too, for those times when your soft plastics are drawing short strikes. Another consideration here should be to upsize or downsize.
If all these suggestions fail, perhaps you'll want to subscribe to the theory I saw espoused by an author in an old issue of Field & Stream. He said he doesn't believe fish hit short. "They eat," he explained, "by approaching their prey, popping their gills to create a vacuum, then opening their mouths and sucking in a volume of water that contains the target of their attack. A 'short strike' occurs when a tight line prevents the fish from sucking in your lure."
So how do you relieve the tension on your line when you're casting, so the fish can grab the bait? Here's his answer: "As you retrieve your lure, sweep the rod backward, then drop it forward to take the tension off the line. Be ready for a strike when you sweep back again."
Perhaps some of my readers have better ideas. If so, please share them, and I'll pass 'em along to everyone else.
No comments:
Post a Comment