No Luck With Softbaits

[Sluggo Man]

Just started enjoying fishing again since I was a kid.

I used to fish and was happy to catch anything, but now I am addicted to bass fishing!

I have caught fish with crankbaits and done very well with spinnerbaits, but have not even gotten a strike with softbaits.

I don't know what I am doing wrong. I have spent alot of money on senkos, tiki stix and etc. Tried texas rigs and wacky rigs... nothing!!!

I have dropped them, casted and reeled them and let them lay on the bottom and nothing.

I am sure it's possible I am doing something wrong, but what?

[sabass]

what sized/type hook are you using? Where are you fishing it (hopefully at a lake or pond you've caught fish at before). What type of line are you using? What areas are you fishing it? Have you just tried it a couple times with no luck, or have you used it extensively with no luck? Sometimes it is your presentation, sometimes its just the fish.

[TheBassMan]

yeah, think about Rob's questions......But also, when you fish soft plastics, are u throwing them when you are on fish.......or are you saying, well, i'm not catching anything....i'll try some soft baits....Just some food for thought..

Good Luck, though.....Soft baits are usually very effective so I hope you gain some success with them

Catch em up
Brian

[Sluggo Man]

Yes, it is a lake that I have caught fish with. I have had some success with spinnerbait and a few cranks.

I am using size 1 hooks, senko 5" watermelon worms and 5" red glitter tiki stix. I have tried with both a spinner and baitcaster. 6.5' and 7' MH rods and 12lb. test line, green on the baitcaster and clear on the spinner.

I have thrown it around cover, logs and trees and some grassy areas. I have dropped it deep, around 20' with a texas rig. I also have casted on the bank and slowly worked it into the water.

I have tried it at night, midday and during sunset.

I have tried it first when I get to a new spot, and then tried throwing after no luck with spinners and cranks.
I am fishing from a boat, not the bank.

I have also tried hiding the hook in the worm, also exposing it. I did get a hit or 2, but not getting the hook set. They don't seem to attack it like a spinnerbait.

Hope this helps... I appreciate the help!

[Makitcnt4u]

when I use tiki sticks I just cast it out reel in all of the slack line and watch the line if it move away rapidly then I set the hook.

Also cast it out, let it sit there for about 10 seconds then twitch once but not very hard reel in the slack line then twitch again and keep doing this.

It is also possible that you are reeling too fast or twitching too much. When I started fishing senkos I would reel too much and I would see the senko only about a foot under the surface.

Less reeling is better.

I have always texas rigged mine or texas rigged it without the weight.

[bassfisher14]

I used to not trust plastics until i started catching fish on them. That proved to me that they do work and sometimes they product better than any other bait I have. Plastics are always my go to bait when I am not getting anything else. They are so versatile as how to fish them. I couldn't imagine going on the water without at least one tied onto one of my rods.

[keeb]

try eacky worm riggin. mine own succuse sky rocketed when i started wacky riggin.

[bassmania25]

when the bite gets tough try dropshotting plastics its a great way work the bottom or structure slowly. good luck Scott R

[mike0062466]

am using size 1 hooks, senko 5" watermelon worms and 5" red glitter tiki stix.

Those hooks are waaaay too small for those baits. I'd recommend a 4/0 extra-wide-gap for a 5" Senko.

[fishinmusician]

A 1/0 hook is defiantly to small! You need at least a 3/0 or 4/0 Gamakatu EWG hook.

[Sluggo Man]

I thought they might be too big, but i will try to get some larger and may try wacky rigging.
I may be reeling too much, that tends to happen after throwing the spiner bait so much!

One reason I don't like rigging without the weight is that I can't get it casted far enough away from the boat.
Is there a trick to this or should I tie a sinker further up the line?

I am going to catch a fish with softbait tommorrow!!!

[macgyver]

[quote author=xecutech link=board=MessBoards;num=1118291941;start=0#3 date=06/09/05 at 12:18:13] They don't seem to attack it like a spinnerbait.
[/quote]

No they don't of course unless it's a Lizard

You are fishing reaction type baits(cranks and spinners), and then you go to a finesse, enticement type bait. I'm just guessing, but if you are fishing them where the fish are, that you are getting bites, just don't know how to detect them. You many times will not feel anything, except a heavyness on the end of your line. Many times that's a fish, that has you bait in it's mouth, so SET THE HOOK Plastics fishing and, spinnerbait or cranking are completely different. If you are fishing plastics weightless(my favorite), then you are not going to notice the fish has bitten without watching you line, or when you go to move the bait. You move the line slowly at first, to see if the is ANY resistance. Here's an example for you. Yesterday I was fishing with a Mojo rig, and dragging it through some weeds and gravel(roadbed). I felt some resistance but thought it was a weed, so I was trying slowly to pull it loose. The next thing I know I was about pulled into the water from a fish. I missed the fished completely, and I fish plastics a lot. My Boater then casted to the same spot, and again kinda felt like he was on weeds, but started to have it yank it out of his hands also. He lower his rod and set the hook, and started to fight the fish. As I watched we got a glimpse of the fish, and we both said simultaneuosly time for the net It jumped once, and then went deeper and came unkooked. It was at least a six pound bass, probably in the 7's. So if you feel anything different, set the hook. Many times you will be boating a bass, any many times you'll have weeds. Also you must set the hook hard on plastics, it's not like a crank bait or spinnerbait where they are just hammering it, and many times just setting the hook themselves.

Lizards

[mike0062466]

One reason I don't like rigging without the weight is that I can't get it casted far enough away from the boat.
Is there a trick to this or should I tie a sinker further up the line?

Are you still referring to the Senko? If you can't cast it far enough, there has to be something wrong. A 5" Senko weighs approximately 3/8 oz., and not only that, because of its shape and density it offers very little resistance.

Your rod and line sound OK. Maybe there's something in your technique or maybe your reel spool is badly underfilled, but there's no way that a Senko shouldn't be one of your longest casting lures.

[bassmania25]

I agree with lizards SWINGS ARE FREE set the hook if nothing there nothing lost, I think you'll find you are getting bit more than you know. Scott R